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Happy Birthday, Social Security—And Many More
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Today is the 75th birthday of Social Security, and while the nation’s retirees have much to be proud of as Social Security reaches this milestone, they also are anxious as more and more short-sighted politicians take aim at the program.
The Alliance for Retired Americans is holding events across the country to help preserve Social Security for working families. Click here to find upcoming events in your state and browse the “American Stories Project” to see real Social Security stories from members.
Here’s Edward Coyle, executive director of the Alliance:
“We will spend the coming months educating and mobilizing retirees to protect the Social Security benefits millions of seniors count on each month to make ends meet.”
Recent polls show the public strongly supports Social Security despite calls by Republicans like Rep. John Boehner to raise the retirement age to 70 and cut Social Security and Medicare supposedly to lower the deficit. One reason Social Security is so popular: Social Security keeps 20 million Americans out of poverty, including some 13.2 million seniors and 1.1 million children.
Doomsayers who claim Social Security will go broke when the baby boomer generation retires are just plain wrong, says the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). In its analysis of Social Security, EPI found that the system is financially sound through 2036.
There is no emergency. If no changes are made, beginning around 2037, benefits will be reduced. But modest increases in revenue can close the expected shortfall and preserve full benefits.
So happy 75th birthday, Social Security—and many more.
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Building Bridges Radio: Your Community and Labor Report
National Edition
Produced by Ken Nash and Mimi Rosenberg
****************************
Prostrated At the Altar of the Balanced Budget: Sacrificing Social
Security, Medicare, and Economic Recovery
with
James Galbraith, Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. Chair in Gov’t/ Business
Relations, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University
of Texas at Austin
The Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction Commission established by the President, will deliver an attack on Social Security and Medicare dressed up in the sanctimonious rhetoric of deficit reduction. The Obama spending freeze is another sacrifice to the deficit gods. But, the deficit phobia of Wall Street, the press, some economists and practically all politicians is one of
the deepest dangers that we face. It’s not just the old and the sick who are threatened; we all are. To cut federal budget deficits without first rebuilding the economy is a sure path to stagnation, to a double-dip recession–even to a second Great Depression.
***********************
It’s Time to Play “Social Security Survivor”
with
Gerald W. McEntee, Pres., American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees
A broad coalition of groups has been formed to defend Social Security. Of all the ideas proposed this one comes from AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee: A new reality show starring the people who want to cut Social Security. He suggests having John Boehner, billionaire benefit-cut advocate Peter G. Peterson, and Deficit Commission chairs Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles live for a year on the average Social Security benefit of $14,000.
*************************
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