Save Social Security-March on Washington

At times of national crisis and decision a national mobilization has been necessary.  The reckless Bush administration is provoking a crisis by beginning the process of dismantling the social security system. It is still a very successful system of social insurance and guaranteed income security for the retiree, the disabled, the widow and the orphan. (Remember that one in three soc. sec. payments go to non-retirees.) The Bush goal is to change it to a 401 K with no income guarantee. They will have to borrow 2 trillion dollars to effect this transition, placing our currency in danger of an international collapse and making our national debt completely impossible, assuming they can even get anyone to buy bonds in dollars any more. Now it the time to mobilize by planning a massive march on Washington by a coalition of Americans of all parties, income and ethnic and regional groups. Through the internet we can begin to talk this up. We are getting no leadership at all from the dem party right now on this issue. They are hemming and hawing and saying "well, let's wait and see." it will soon be too late. And the media is just repeating the Bush lies on this, the same way they did Iraq. What say you?
Bill R.



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What crisis? (none / 0)

My understanding is that Social Security will enter a crisis in 2042.  Why do we need to change it now?  Two words - 'political capital'.

By gradually increasing the ceiling for payroll taxes (now set at 87,000), a good portion of the 'crisis' will simply disappear.

Dems are right to hold back.  Politically, however, a strong set of talking points needs to be developed so that the republicans come out of this looking like the bad guys - otherwise some very serious changes will be made to SS that could have a chilling effect on the economy (jobs) and on retirement.

by twomblyk on Fri Dec 17, 2004 at 01:10:53 PM EST

Administration's strategy (none / 0)

  1. don't do anything substantive

  2. provoke the democrats into "blocking reform" so they can bash the dems in 2006.

The reforms Bush is proposing are modest and son-sensical to true conservatives. Is making social security more convoluted better than doing away with it from their point of view? As with prescription drugs, Bush is trying to "triangulate" to appear to be a "compassionate conservative". My favorite Bushism since the election has been his call for "revenue neutral" tax reform. Conservatives are interested in much more substantive changes.

Bush seems to be lost at sea in an office he is ill-prepared to fill. He really doesn't have any agenda, much like Hoover. Let us pray that nothing serious happens over the next four years.

by Paul Goodman on Fri Dec 17, 2004 at 01:43:30 PM EST


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