Vitello - (Bu$h Social Security) Presentation Only a Fool Could Love

[Vitruvius]

by Paul Vitello Newsday, Feb 3, 2005

February 3, 2005

Boys and girls, we won't be talking about the plan to "privatize" Social Security anymore. The word privatize might scare you. George W. Bush's Social Security proposal - which would shift the source of about half of every citizen's Social Security income out of a guaranteed government entitlement system and into an uninsured stock market portfolio - is now a plan to "personalize" your retirement benefits. <SNIP> The <GOP strategy> memo, signed by Senate Conference Chairman Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and House Conference Chairman Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) was designed to help members <sell> Bush's Social Security overhaul plan. <SNIP> "Privatization," says the memo, "connotes the total corporate takeover of Social Security ... and turns off listeners, who are very concerned about corporate wrongdoing."

"Talk in simple language," the conference chairmen suggest. "Your audience doesn't understand how trillions and billions differ. They know these numbers are large but not how large, nor how many billions make a trillion. <SNIP>'" If it takes a village to raise a child, it apparently takes a village idiot to meet the expectations that Republican conference members have about us. To them, we are easily confused, easily frightened and - this is the best part - easily swayed if only the right words can be brought to bear. <SNIP>

"Calling the trust fund meaningless will raise hackles," the memo says in another example. The trust fund it refers to is the pool of Social Security taxes paid by American workers - some of which is used to pay current retirees' benefits and the rest of which is borrowed by the government to pay for other obligations. "Taxpayers believe it is the source of monthly checks paid out by Social Security. But everyone agrees that it is an empty promise."

So to review this much, class: They won't say privatize, which might spook us. The word is personalize. They won't confuse us by assuming we know how many billions makes a trillion. They'll talk about our family's share; maybe evoke that old standby of economic hackery, the kitchen table we all sit around, pencils at the tips of our tongues. They won't say we can build wealth under the president's plan. They'll say we can put aside a nest egg because a nest egg - quote, sounds like common sense, unquote. And to avoid raising our hackles, they'll be careful not to call the trust fund - those trillions of dollars we've been dutifully paying over the years in regular deductions from our paychecks - meaningless.

They'll just call all that money a, quote, empty promise, unquote. And here they thought the word privatize would scare us.

MORE AT http://www.newsday.com/mynews/ny-livit034133358feb03,0,545934.column

And, as Vitello points out, the Republican memo can be accessed at http://talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/gop.socsec.strategy.memo.pdf

[ooglymoogly]

1. they are pitting the young against the old

telling the young nothing will be there for them when they get old. lie propagandize, divide and conquer. of course the young pugs will drink the kooolaid at the gop troff...ss is a godsend to most old people as it will be in the future for the young of today....but there are many fools and ss is in danger...if they get away with this sham you can be sure ss will die for the present old and the future old

[Vitruvius]

2. Odd that the Bu$h gang can do this, for they are promising the young

nothing but benefit cuts plus a gamble on a 'way overvalued stock market -- a chance to buy into a crooked corporate America. And -- as you say -- if the young give up on Social Security, the old will lose it too...

[mulethree]

3. if you're over 55 you will be unaffected

Do you think that people over 55, who rely on SS, or are very aware of it as they plan for retirement - will be shut up by Bush's promise to leave their checks alone? Do they even believe that their future COLA's will not be affected?

I think they know best how hard it is to get a new job when you're anywhere near, or past retirement age. How every person needs assurance of at least enough income to squeak by. They've seen multiple stock market crashes, recessions and currency devaluations. They've seen the cost of living increase much faster than the official inflation rates and would never have dreamed, when they were 25, and making $2,000 a year, that they would need $10,000 a year to barely squeak by in 2005? Or that they would likely be retired twice as long as their grandparents due to increased life expectancy? They know first hand, how important a guaranteed, livable income is.

I hope a large portion are offended that the president seems to expect to shush them by saying "Don't worry your check will still be there - its only your kids, grandkids and great-grandkids that we're going to give the shaft too"

[ribrepin]

4. God I hope so

I'm 54 and screwed.