I wrote:

I am an American citizen.

In 30 years I have never given a valid social security number to anyone.

I can't.

I don't have one.

I hold a regular high-paying job. I get a paycheck. My employer uses ADP. I have a driver's license. I have a bank account. I have good health insurance. I pay my taxes.

Not once have I had a real problem. Any minor problems that have come up over the years, and there have been very few, always go away when ignored dilligently.

Just give those facists a fake number.

Good luck.

Signed,

322-33-0007

In response Harmon Seaver <hseaver@ameritech.net> said:

So for 30 you've been paying in to SS, but you'll never collect, nor could you collect unemployment if laid off --- you like making large donations to the government? I guess I have a hard time seeing what the point is. And yes, I understand all the arguments over the years about "national ID" and all that, and I can understand if someone works for himself and *doesn't" pay in to the SS system, but ....

I reply: Unlike you, I am not under the delusion that I will ever see any of my SS contributions back. I'm not interested in government unemployment benefits. I was unemployed for a few months back when. It never even occurred to me to seek unemployment benefits. Even if it had I wouldn't have bothered. "Large donations to the government." I have a hard time understanding that. Social Security is a TAX. Period. If you believe otherwise it's because some good salesmen (spin doctors) have told you so. It's not voluntary- therefore not a "donation" and I'd barely make 2% on it if I bothered to make a claim in 20-40 years. Who cares? I prefer to file for 17 dependent exemptions, put the extra money from my biweekly paycheck in a fund and then pay the principal back in April and keep the interest for myself- that's a little naughtier though. I get far more out of that then I ever will from Social Security. It's a TAX. Period. I'm not looking to commit tax fraud. I'll pay it like my other taxes. Still, I'm not going to let someone destroy my privacy because I am under the delusion that I somehow will see my SS contributions some undefined day more than two or three decades hence.