AFL-CIO's Sweeney says: HANDS OFF SOCIAL SECURITY

[InvisibleBallots]

http://www.ourfuture.org.
http://www.aflcio.org/aboutaflcio/wip/wip12202004.cfm

HANDS OFF SOCIAL SECURITY—Instead of privatizing Social Security, President George W. Bush should shore up the nation’s most successful family protection program by requiring the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share into the system, said AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney. He was joined at a Dec. 16 news conference in Washington, D.C., by advocates for women, African Americans, people with disabilities and others who are part of a coalition fighting to protect Social Security. Bush should transfer the revenue from the estate and gift tax each year to Social Security, and Congress could make the highest wage earners pay their fair share to Social Security by raising the cap on earnings subject to the payroll tax, Sweeney said.

Bush’s scheme to divert Social Security funds to private accounts would lead to benefit cuts, a higher federal deficit and raising the retirement age, according to studies from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and The Century Foundation. Privatizing Social Security would leave retirees, survivors of workers who die young and people with disabilities subject to the whims of the stock market, while enriching Wall Street by as much as $940 billion over the next 75 years, according to a study from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. In addition, estimates show transition costs to private accounts could cost the government $2 trillion. At the news conference, Sweeney also called on financial services firms to reject Bush’s privatization plan.

For more information on the coalition’s response to Bush’s Social Security privatization plan, visit http://www.ourfuture.org.

[bpilgrim]

1. BRILIANT PLAN

hope the dems help PROMOTE the idea :bounce:

peace

[InvisibleBallots]

9. I hope so too, but where are they?

the silence is deafening?

[mrdmk]

2. Mr. Sweeney has on hell of a fight on his hands

Mr. Bush Jr. needs to keep his dick skinners off of Social Security. This inept idiot could not find his way out of a wet paper bag and the democrats do not have their collective act together to fix the damage if Mr. Bush Jr. goes though with his plans. Time to write the White House with demeaning letters about there is nothing wrong with Social Security at this time and to quit insulting our intelligence.

[zann725]

4. Letters to Junior would only stay in that "wet paper bag"...

We need that President Kerry in the WH now!
He's the man to handle it.

[eg101]

3. this is the first time I have seen MSM actually mention taxing the rich

http://news.google.co.uk/news?q=sweeney%20afl%20cio%20social%20security&hl=en&lr=&client=firefox&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&tab=wn

As google news search url above shows, several MSM outlets have actually mentioned quotes on this matter by Sweeney and others, and for the very first time that I have seen, the MSM actually mentioned the possibility of using taxes taken the rich to pay into SS, including removing the cap on SS taxes.

Great new!

[InvisibleBallots]

5. Which Democratic "leader" is supporting Sweeney on this?

Where is Hillary Clinton? Where is John Kerry? Where is Al Gore? Where is Wes Clark? Where is John Edwards?

The corporate media will only talk about it if we force them.

[eg101]

6. Exactly! Exactly!

That is what I have been trying to tell online democratic party activists. The party leadership is not on our side!

Just ignore them and try to spread the word about alternative solutions to funding social welfare systems, like SS and medicare.

[InvisibleBallots]

7. so what are we going to do?

Even Dean had to be dragged kicking and screaming to finally say something bad about the FTAs. Aside from the Progressive Caucus do we have any friends in DC? Plenty of local elected Democrats on our side.

[indypaul]

8. Let each congressman and senator

know that one word from them in support of this
proposition and you will guarantee they will have
opposition in the 2004 PRIMARY election. That goes
for each political party but more particularly some of
the Democrat fence sitters. Reelection is all they
understand anyway and let them know there will be one
hell of a struggle for them to get the nomination, let
alone get reelected.

[InvisibleBallots]

10. I agree completely

No Democrat who refuses to fight the theft of Social Security will get my vote, and I will pledge money and volunteer time to their competitor in the primary.

[indypaul]

11. I would hope that

Mr. Sweeney's organization would be able to recruit
candidates from both sides of the aisle that would
make this effort more than just a threat. Let one
senator or congressman open his mouth in support of
this legislation receive notice to the effect they
will have competition in their next primary election
or whatever nominating process they go through. Any
position they might express other than absolute
opposition will gain that competition.