I oppose lowering the social Security payroll tax by 2 percent for one year as part of the tax deal between President Obama and the Republicans in Congress.

In 2005 Republicans tried to wreck Social Security by having 2 percent of the tax put in private accounts, but the Democrats were smart enough to stop them. Does anyone think the proposed 2 percent cut will expire in 12 months at the beginning of a presidential election year? Will the recession be over in 2012? Of course not.

Thanks to President Obama's compromise, what was a long-term threat to Social Security funding could materialize in two weeks. I never imagined a Democratic President agreeing to this.

The government should find another way to help the country out of these hard times.

Jerry Levin, Baltimore