Almost half of all Latinas currently on Social Security rely exclusively on their benefit check in retirement.

If Congress doesn't raise taxes, you cannot get a private investment account without forgoing a portion, possibly all, of your guaranteed benefit check.

A Congressional Budget Office report released as recent as June 2004 says the system will be able to pay full benefits until 2052, and 80 percent after that.

Even without reforms, the Social Security fund will be able to meet 100 percent of its obligations until 2042.

President Bush has consistently used rhetoric, and that is not convincing given his past record.

The president's claim that Social Security is going broke is misleading at best. The sky is not falling, although there is no doubt that the system needs to be strengthened.

Our Hispanic community needs to understand how important the Social Security system is for not only its retired citizens, but also its disabled workers.