Nov 30, 2010
On December 1, President Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
is expected to make a pitch for addressing the nation's deficit and
debt challenges by attacking the retirement security of working
Americans.
The commission co-chairs-former Republican Senator Alan Simpson and
former Clinton White House chief of staff Erskine Bowes-have made no
secret about their determination to serve Wall Street speculators rather
than the victims of the speculators.
Simpson and Bowles want to:
- Raise the retirement age to 69.
- Slash retirement benefits by up to 35 percent for middle-income earners.
- Reduce Social Security's annual cost of living adjustments.
- Cut healthcare benefits, including Medicare, and raise fees for veterans.
Make no mistake: The Simpson-Bowles plan is a scheme to begin the
process of privatizing Social Security and Medicare -- a goal already
outlined by key congressional Republicans such as Wisconsin Congressman
Paul Ryan, the incoming chair of the House Budget Committee.
This approach plan is wrongheaded. It asks nothing of the Wall Street
interests that created the crisis. It asks everything of working
Americans who have already bailed out the banksters once.
That's unacceptable. And today, before commission co-chairs grab the
headlines with itheir wrongheaded proposals, Americans need to flood the
switchboards of Congress and the White House to say: Don't gut Social
Security and Medicare to pay for another Wall Street bailout.
The 215 labor, religious, civil rights and community organizations that have formed the national coalition to strengthen Social Security have designated today, November 30, as "National Call Congress Day." They're urging Americans to call senators toll-free at 1-866-529-7630. Get more information here.
What's the ask?
The coalition says:
1.) Social Security did not cause the federal deficit; its benefits should not be cut to reduce the deficit.
2.) Social Security should not be privatized in whole or in part.
3.) Social Security should not be means-tested.
4.) Congress should act in the coming few years to close Social
Security's funding gap by requiring those who are most able to afford it
to pay somewhat more.
5.) Social Security's retirement age, already scheduled to increase from 65 to 67, should not be raised further.
6.) Social Security's benefits should not be reduced, including by changes to the COLA or the benefit formula.
7.) Social Security's benefits should be increased for those who are most disadvantaged.
That's not the commission's plan. That's not Wall Street's plan.
That's America's plan. And Congress needs to know that-no matter what
Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles say-working Americans will not pay for
Wall Street's mess.
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John Nichols
John Nichols is Washington correspondent for The Nation and associate editor of The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin. His books co-authored with Robert W. McChesney are: "Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex is Destroying America" (2014), "The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution that Will Begin the World Again" (2011), and "Tragedy & Farce: How the American Media Sell Wars, Spin Elections, and Destroy Democracy" (2006). Nichols' other books include: "The "S" Word: A Short History of an American Tradition...Socialism" (2015), "Dick: The Man Who is President (2004) and "The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders' Cure for Royalism" (2006).
On December 1, President Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
is expected to make a pitch for addressing the nation's deficit and
debt challenges by attacking the retirement security of working
Americans.
The commission co-chairs-former Republican Senator Alan Simpson and
former Clinton White House chief of staff Erskine Bowes-have made no
secret about their determination to serve Wall Street speculators rather
than the victims of the speculators.
Simpson and Bowles want to:
- Raise the retirement age to 69.
- Slash retirement benefits by up to 35 percent for middle-income earners.
- Reduce Social Security's annual cost of living adjustments.
- Cut healthcare benefits, including Medicare, and raise fees for veterans.
Make no mistake: The Simpson-Bowles plan is a scheme to begin the
process of privatizing Social Security and Medicare -- a goal already
outlined by key congressional Republicans such as Wisconsin Congressman
Paul Ryan, the incoming chair of the House Budget Committee.
This approach plan is wrongheaded. It asks nothing of the Wall Street
interests that created the crisis. It asks everything of working
Americans who have already bailed out the banksters once.
That's unacceptable. And today, before commission co-chairs grab the
headlines with itheir wrongheaded proposals, Americans need to flood the
switchboards of Congress and the White House to say: Don't gut Social
Security and Medicare to pay for another Wall Street bailout.
The 215 labor, religious, civil rights and community organizations that have formed the national coalition to strengthen Social Security have designated today, November 30, as "National Call Congress Day." They're urging Americans to call senators toll-free at 1-866-529-7630. Get more information here.
What's the ask?
The coalition says:
1.) Social Security did not cause the federal deficit; its benefits should not be cut to reduce the deficit.
2.) Social Security should not be privatized in whole or in part.
3.) Social Security should not be means-tested.
4.) Congress should act in the coming few years to close Social
Security's funding gap by requiring those who are most able to afford it
to pay somewhat more.
5.) Social Security's retirement age, already scheduled to increase from 65 to 67, should not be raised further.
6.) Social Security's benefits should not be reduced, including by changes to the COLA or the benefit formula.
7.) Social Security's benefits should be increased for those who are most disadvantaged.
That's not the commission's plan. That's not Wall Street's plan.
That's America's plan. And Congress needs to know that-no matter what
Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles say-working Americans will not pay for
Wall Street's mess.
John Nichols
John Nichols is Washington correspondent for The Nation and associate editor of The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin. His books co-authored with Robert W. McChesney are: "Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex is Destroying America" (2014), "The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution that Will Begin the World Again" (2011), and "Tragedy & Farce: How the American Media Sell Wars, Spin Elections, and Destroy Democracy" (2006). Nichols' other books include: "The "S" Word: A Short History of an American Tradition...Socialism" (2015), "Dick: The Man Who is President (2004) and "The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders' Cure for Royalism" (2006).
On December 1, President Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
is expected to make a pitch for addressing the nation's deficit and
debt challenges by attacking the retirement security of working
Americans.
The commission co-chairs-former Republican Senator Alan Simpson and
former Clinton White House chief of staff Erskine Bowes-have made no
secret about their determination to serve Wall Street speculators rather
than the victims of the speculators.
Simpson and Bowles want to:
- Raise the retirement age to 69.
- Slash retirement benefits by up to 35 percent for middle-income earners.
- Reduce Social Security's annual cost of living adjustments.
- Cut healthcare benefits, including Medicare, and raise fees for veterans.
Make no mistake: The Simpson-Bowles plan is a scheme to begin the
process of privatizing Social Security and Medicare -- a goal already
outlined by key congressional Republicans such as Wisconsin Congressman
Paul Ryan, the incoming chair of the House Budget Committee.
This approach plan is wrongheaded. It asks nothing of the Wall Street
interests that created the crisis. It asks everything of working
Americans who have already bailed out the banksters once.
That's unacceptable. And today, before commission co-chairs grab the
headlines with itheir wrongheaded proposals, Americans need to flood the
switchboards of Congress and the White House to say: Don't gut Social
Security and Medicare to pay for another Wall Street bailout.
The 215 labor, religious, civil rights and community organizations that have formed the national coalition to strengthen Social Security have designated today, November 30, as "National Call Congress Day." They're urging Americans to call senators toll-free at 1-866-529-7630. Get more information here.
What's the ask?
The coalition says:
1.) Social Security did not cause the federal deficit; its benefits should not be cut to reduce the deficit.
2.) Social Security should not be privatized in whole or in part.
3.) Social Security should not be means-tested.
4.) Congress should act in the coming few years to close Social
Security's funding gap by requiring those who are most able to afford it
to pay somewhat more.
5.) Social Security's retirement age, already scheduled to increase from 65 to 67, should not be raised further.
6.) Social Security's benefits should not be reduced, including by changes to the COLA or the benefit formula.
7.) Social Security's benefits should be increased for those who are most disadvantaged.
That's not the commission's plan. That's not Wall Street's plan.
That's America's plan. And Congress needs to know that-no matter what
Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles say-working Americans will not pay for
Wall Street's mess.
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