Social Security Plan Support Dwindling (Most Don't Back Bush Idea...)

[sabra]

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/08/AR2005060801975.html

Social Security Plan Support Dwindling
Most Don't Back Bush Idea, Poll Finds

By Richard Morin and Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, June 9, 2005; Page A04

President Bush yesterday said his plan to restructure Social Security would improve the program's long-term stability without shrinking the retirement income of older Americans. But a new Washington Post-ABC News survey found a clear majority of the public does not believe that.

The poll found that 56 percent said the president's plan to couple new personal retirement accounts with a reduction in guaranteed benefits for most Americans would cut the overall retirement income of seniors. About a third -- 32 percent -- said Bush's proposals would result in future retirees receiving more money.

More troubling for a president who took a political risk by advocating reductions in future guaranteed benefits for all but the poorest Americans is that an even larger majority said the Bush plan would not fix the system's financial problems. More than six in 10 -- 63 percent -- said the proposals would not improve the long-term financial stability of the Social Security system, while 32 percent said it would.

"My strategy is pretty simple: explain the problem to the American people, and keep explaining it and explaining it, and assuring seniors that you're going to get your check," Bush said in a speech to members of the Associated Builders and Contractors trade association. "And then at some point, the people of this country are going to say to Republicans and Democrats alike: Why aren't you doing something about the problem?"

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[Raster]

1. Let's see.... the bankruptcy bill was payback to the credit card companies

the energy bill (pitiful piece of shit) was payback to Exxon and Social Security overhaul would have been payback for Wall Street. No wonder most don't believe the liar.

[firefox]

2. He does not have a plan

If he had a plan somebody could put up a link to it. He has a few slogans and some talking points, but I would respectfully request that if anyone has seen "Bu$h's plan" to give us a link. It would also have a marketing slogan like "Making Retirement Wonderful Act."

[jono]

19. The slogan might also be

the "Working for American Retirement Magnificence" Act (WARM)

A misleading acronym is a must-have companion for a misleading bill title. :D

[Mountainman]

3. Still there is that 30 something percent made up of those getting wealthy

off this administration and the stupid freepers who vote against their own economic interests thinking that if they support the rich it will make it possible for them to become rich also. The trickle down believers. Suckers!

[Erika]

4. Bush's SS Plan is not fiscally sound

and depends on reduced benefits to the retiring middle class.

We will be paying promised benefits to all retirees born before 1950 and where will we get the money from if we divert some of the taxes into private accounts? I read one economic report that the SS tax will have to be raised to at least 18% which would zero out any possible gains from private investment.

A much better plan would be to lift the SS cap on all earnings. Let the rich help out those in low income status.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

9. wanna fix it right away?

simple... just convert all congressional retirements to SS and then see how fast it gets fixed.

[Iowa]

17. Bingo!

That would fix it. While we're at it, replace their current health insurance with Medicaid.

[central scrutinizer]

5. Way to catapault that propaganda!!!

The more Bushco talks about Social security "reform" the more the support drops - the people realize that Bushco has no plan other than stealing as much of it as they can.

[99Pancakes]

11. Somebody shout

"The Emperor has no clothes!"

[Cha]

6. It should have been a

freakin' "political risk" for bush to start a War On Iraq with a bunch of LIES, too!

And he should be in the Hague, NOW!

[Erika]

7. Good point n/t

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

8. ummmm, what plan? I thought he would not debate

himself on a specific plan?

[Erika]

10. In his last major "speech"

he listed the reduction of future retiree benefits for middle and upper income retirees who were born after 1950. He said the earnings from the private accounts "should" offset the difference. It was BS.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

13. Yes, he did say that... I don't consider that a "plan"

just guidelines for one.

He also said he was going to talk about this for 60 days... that was um, like 120 days ago.

[NinetySix]

12. Wanna bet the "reforms" go through anyway?

I'm honestly surprised Bush even bothered to take this business on a post-campaign "campaign" in the first place. It's more like him to get this kind of thing passed in some late-night session of Congress using pure political muscle.

Why on earth, with a) Administration officials in lockstep (or else!), b) both houses of Congress controlled by the GOP and led by the most extreme of their respective leaders, and c) the courts effectively being packed with judicial activists who are on board with the program, would they even consider making this plan as high-profile as they have?

Don't be surprised if, despite public outcry, they manage to finagle this in the end.

[Erika]

14. My last 2 letters from my GOP Senators

really backed off on the SS Plan. Their first response was that this had to be done. The 2nd letters said they were seeking ideas.

[NinetySix]

15. They're reacting to public outcry, alright...

...but not by abandoning a bad idea. Instead, they're trying to gain some "wiggle room." Imagine this Administration showing enough humility to accept ideas from the public at large in order to actually improve the lives of the citizenry. I don't think constructive criticism is considered by today's GOP as anything other than identical to all other forms of criticism: hostile.

[Erika]

16. I asked them to define what SS meant

I told them to me that "social" meant for all of us and "security" meant a guarantee. I also told them it was our Christian duty. They never addressed those remarks but they call themselves good upstanding religious people.

[Iowa]

18. I don't think it will go through under Bush...

This congress wants to get re-elected, and Bush completely f**ked it up. But they'll keep refining it until they kill SS unless we defeat them. Furthermore, most people simply don't trust the financial markets, and the very idea of putting their SS into the stock and bond markets has little appeal. And this is all about funneling $ to Wall St. Once that portion of his "plan" is rejected, Chimpy will lose interest and be off to pillage something else.

I am concerned that Chimpy is wearing the sheeple down in the sense that their expectations for future benefits has been lowered. Little by little he's softening them up for future draconian cuts, and eventually elimination. I doubt that it will occur under Bush, though.

[DeepModem Mom]

20. kick