BrightPersonal FinanceRetirementFixed Income

LBJ and Social Security

Lyndon B. Johnson did tamper with social security but not in the way conventional wisdom would have you believe.
Save
LBJ and Social Security
What most people mistakenly think LBJ did was simply tap into those funds and "steal" Social Security money to help pay for the Vietnam War. Prachaya Roekdeethaweesab/Shutterstock
Tom Margenau
Updated:
0:00

Poor Lyndon Baines Johnson. When it comes to Social Security, he gets blamed for something he never did. Our 36th president is often accused of being the first chief executive to tamper with Social Security financing. Well, he did tamper with it. But not in the way conventional wisdom would have you believe.

I was reminded of this when I got reactions from people to some recent columns I wrote about the repeal of certain laws that effect the Social Security benefits paid to government employees. I thought the repeal was unwise and would drain Social Security funds.

Tom Margenau
Tom Margenau
Author
Tom Margenau worked for 32 years in a variety of positions for the Social Security Administration before retiring in 2005. He has served as the director of SSA’s public information office, the chief editor of more than 100 SSA publications, a deputy press officer and spokesman, and a speechwriter for the commissioner of Social Security. For 12 years, he also wrote Social Security columns for local newspapers, and recently published the book “Social Security: Simple and Smart.” If you have a Social Security question, contact him at [email protected]