The Gray Panthers of San Francisco called for a Tuesday, January 18th Day of Action against restructuring and privatizing Social Security. They held an 11:30am rally and a march from the former Pacific Stock Exchange to the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and then to Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Office. Photos | Video: 1 | 2 | More info

1/17/2005: On Tuesday January 11, the Bush Administration held a conference in Washington D.C., to tell the public that Social Security is in a crisis that only privatization of the program can solve. Bush said, "As a matter of fact, by the time today's workers who are in their mid-20s begin to retire, the system will be bankrupt. So if you're 20 years old, in your mid-20s, and you're beginning to work, I want you to think about a Social Security system that will be flat bust, bankrupt, unless the United States Congress has got the willingness to act now." To people who follow the issue of the "social security crisis," it is obvious that the Social Security system will not go "bankrupt," because it has no creditors. According to housing and poverty activist Lynda Carson, the Social Security trustees are required to pay reduced benefits even if the trust fund becomes exhausted. The payroll taxes will continue to come in and the benefits shall continue to be paid to all recipients: According to the Congressional Budget Office, if Social Security is left without any changes, it will be able to pay full benefits to all recipients until 2052 and around 80 percent of promised benefits beyond that. Carson writes, "Privatization of the Social Security program may be the ticket to avoid rolling back tax cuts for the wealthy that are actually needed to cover the huge budget deficit that exists."

Carson reports that one of the local Bay Area opposition groups with members from across the nation is called Social Security Now! It's a grassroots effort that has a Rolling Letter Campaign happening to send letters to editors of newspapers all around the country. Read more

Gray Panthers of San Francisco Website | National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare | Article from The Progressive | Campaign for America's Future | Working Families: Don't Yield An Inch
The other side: Cato Project on Social Security Choice | Citizens for a Sound Economy