Protest the Deficit Commission Co-Chairs and their Plans to Gut Social Security

Protest the Deficit Commission Co-Chairs and their plans to Gut Social Security

On Monday, Feb 21 (President’s Day), Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson (co-chairs of the Presidents’ Deficit Commission) will be the featured speakers at the Panetta Institute for Public Policy at the Monterey Conference Center, One Portola Plaza, in Monterey.

This is a great opportunity to challenge their proposals to cut and privatize Social Security and engage the press in this issue. Their proposals to raise the retirement age, tax benefits, means-test Social Security benefits, and privatize the program are all moving forward in the new Congress, even though they did not have the 14 votes to pass these horrendous ideas through the Commission. This is a rare opportunity to confront the two people who are leading the charge to undermine Social Security for future generations. We cannot let this opportunity pass without making our voices known. And what a great way to spend President’s Day – by telling this President and his associates how we feel.

The California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA) and the Monterey Central Labor Council are planning a press briefing and rally outside of the Conference Center at 6 pm sharp. Please join us and send this message on to your friends and colleagues. For more information, contact CARA at 510-663-4086.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on the 21st.

Jodi Reid, CARA Director
(415) 550-0828 (c)
jreid [at] californiaalliance.org
Second press contact
Glen Schaller (831) 325-8575, political [at] mbclc.org
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Some Questions for Simpson and Bowles at Monterey

Questions on Social Security

If what we’re talking about is reducing the federal deficit,
and your Report admits Social Security does not add to the deficit,
why are you even talking about Social Security?

How can you justify raising the age to collect Social Security,
* when it’s an average 13% benefit cut,
* when only the wealthy are living longer,
* when it’s almost impossible for older people to find jobs,
* when many older people’s bodies are already worn out,
* when it would make it harder for younger people to find jobs,
* and when you say Social Security doesn’t add to the deficit?

If today's 25 year old retired at age 65 in 2050,
after earning an average of today's $64,000,
your plan would cut their Social Security benefits by 24%.
How can you justify that benefit cut if, as you admit,
Social Security does not add to the deficit?

Your plan recalculates Social Security COLA increases,
assuming we can switch to cheaper alternatives
when goods and services get priced beyond our means.
But seniors cannot switch to cheaper healthcare,
and many seniors are already at rock-bottom housing.
How can you justify that COLA cut if, as you admit,
Social Security does not add to the deficit?

Questions on Jobs

If what we’re talking about is reducing the federal deficit,
how can you justify your recommendation
to cap revenue at 21% of the Gross National Product?
* Won’t cutting revenue make the deficit worse?
* How will we ever renew our infrastructure,
our highways, our schools, our housing?
* How can we ever create jobs?

Your plan transfers money from the middle class to the rich.
It reduces corporate tax rates, and income taxes on the most wealthy.
But we loose deductions for mortgage interest, for state and local taxes,
for charities, and even for contributing to our IRAs!
Your plan gives more money to those who hoard it, and who refuse to hire.
We need jobs!

Questions on Healthcare

The war in Afghanistan has been extended from 2011 to 2014.
We’re discovering PTSD is affecting more and more vets.
And more military families are living in poverty.
Your plan increases premiums and co-pays for vets in Tri-Care.
How do you justify that?

Over ¾ of people going bankrupt with medical costs had insurance,
but their insurance didn’t cover expenses or had ruinous co-pays.
You label insurance that would actually cover us as “Cadillac” plans.
Your plan would impose a stiffer excise taxes on adequate insurance.
How do you justify taxing health insurance that might meet our needs?

All over the country, States’ Medicaid expenses are increasing,
as joblessness, and employer cut-backs drive more into Medicaid,
and State revenues continue to drop.
Your plan would fix the dollars each state could get,
no matter how their Medicaid need might grow.
How are States supposed to maintain a medical safety net?

The Obama Health Plan’s Independent Payment Advisory Board
already has sweeping powers to cut Medicare’s payments
for doctors, home health, medicines, and many other services.
Even Congress cannot reverse these cuts.
Your plan gives that Board even more power to make these cuts.
Don’t you worry that Medicare patients will find it hard to find healthcare?