Social Security Enlisted to Push Its Own Revision (Govt to do propaganda)

[Robbien]

By ROBERT PEAR

Published: January 16, 2005

ASHINGTON, Jan. 15 - Over the objections of many of its own employees, the Social Security Administration is gearing up for a major effort to publicize the financial problems of Social Security and to convince the public that private accounts are needed as part of any solution. The agency's plans are set forth in internal documents, including a "tactical plan" for communications and marketing of the idea that Social Security faces dire financial problems requiring immediate action.

<snip>

But agency employees have complained to Social Security officials that they are being conscripted into a political battle over the future of the program. They question the accuracy of recent statements by the agency, and they say that money from the Social Security trust fund should not be used for such advocacy. "Trust fund dollars should not be used to promote a political agenda," said Dana C. Duggins, a vice president of the Social Security Council of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 50,000 of the agency's 64,000 workers and has opposed private accounts.

<snip>

Agency managers said they expected a torrent of calls after Mr. Bush's Inaugural Address on Thursday and his State of the Union speech two weeks later. Mark R. Lassiter, a spokesman for the Social Security Administration, said he could not discuss the agency's communications plans because they were "internal documents." The agency, he said, has a duty "to educate the public about the financial challenges facing Social Security," but has not prepared a script for employees to use in answering questions from the public.

<snip>

The agency's strategic communications plan says the following message is to be disseminated to "all audiences" through speeches, seminars, public events, radio, television and newspapers: "Social Security's long-term financing problems are serious and need to be addressed soon," or else the program may not "be there for future generations."

The plan says that Social Security managers should "discuss solvency issues at staff meetings," "insert solvency messages in all Social Security publications" and spread the word at nontraditional sites like farmers' markets and "big box retail stores." Also, the document says, agency managers should observe and measure how much their employees know about the solvency of the program.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/16/politics/16benefit.html

[Elidor]

1. Outrageous

This should be illegal.

[LizW]

2. Unbelievable

If the media lets Bushco get away with this, then we are screwed.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

3. Too damn bad there isn’t a Demo Party anymore to discredit this lie!

Remember a long time ago in a land far away there use to be Democrats with the guts to stand up for the American working class. Maybe it is only an urban legend since there is no proof today that there every even was an effective Democratic Party that was not controlled by corporate America. Why the hell is John Kerry travelling the world when there is a fraudulent Social Security crisis being propagated by a Nazi propaganda machine spewing lies and going on in his own backyard? I may have missed something, so correct me if I’m wrong, but the great man who said he would fight for working class Americans has not said one damn word in opposition to this repug media blitz. Kerry with too little, too late again.

[Robbien]

5. Be your own Dem Party and write LTTEs

You cannot reach everyone, but you can reach some in your own area. Let them know how Bush is telling the Social Security office to use propaganda tactics to scare seniors by telling them the program is "insolvent" and going bankrupt when it doesn't even have a problem until 40-75 years.

[annabanana]

4. I pity the civil servants..

that are being forced to propagandize for this criminal crowd. Their livelihoods are in jeopardy and they are pretty much victims of extortion.

[Pirate Smile]

6. It has already started. Someone posted last week that while on hold with

SSA, the message you hear has been changed to a message supporting the Bush propaganda machine's "crisis" view of SS.

[TexasLawyer]

7. E-mail AARP

I just e-mailed AARP and expressed my alarm at this further assault on the Social Security program.

Since our own politicians are such timid sacks of @$%#^, I have more hope that a large advocacy group like AARP, which has already come out strongly against privatization (aka "piratization"), will have some sway.

I hope that y'all will e-mail AARP too. You don't have to be a member (I'm not), but they do read their mail from everyone. I have been writing them urgent messages since I first heard about the Bushco plan to hijack my retirement.

The AARP "contact us" page:

http://www.aarp.org/contactaarp/Articles/a2003-01-28-contact-issuesform.html

[Robbien]

8. What a great idea.

I wrote my LTTE to my local papers and emailed my congressmen but know it isn't enough. Setting a fire under AARP is a great idea.

Done.

[Just Me]

9. Deceptive government propaganda is TREASONOUS!!!!

These people are acting against the power of our governance,...they are acting against the interests of "the people" in whom the power of the U.S. governance is derived.

They are traitors!!!! They are anti-American and anti-democracy!!!

They serve corporate interests over the best interests of the American people.

That's the most egregious crime to be committed by anyone.

[The Zanti Regent]

10. This is a CLEAR violation of the Hatch Act.

I guess President Asshole is going back to the spoils system, since he has already destroyed the Civil Service in Defense and Homeland Security!

[Moderator]

11. duplicate

locking

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1154126