Thread to announce your opposition to "entitlement reform"

[Ken Burch]

If it was wrong for Dubya to kill Social Security, it's wrong for anyone else to do it too.

Entitlement "reform" is, and has always been, code for "give the money to Wall Street".

It can NEVER be acceptable for a Democratic administration to do anything to reduce Social Security benefits.

The problem can be solved by raising the withholding limit. If there is a problem at all.

Don't let Wall Street starve our grandparents to death!

[FiveGoodMen]

Entitlement redirection better describes what's coming

Don't give tax money to the needy when there are so many deserving rich people who want it!

[Vincardog]

34. Don't let Wall Street starve our grandparents Or the disabled to death!

[FiveGoodMen]

38. You did understand that I was being sarcastic, right?

[Vincardog]

41. Do you mean that you do NOT want to send our earned retirement security to The poor bankers?

What are you some kind of radical far Leftist Lunatic?

[FiveGoodMen]

47. Guilty

[DJ13]

1. Don't let Wall Street starve our grandparents to death!

Or the disabled.

[Ken Burch]

3. Good point.

Entitlement "reform" is really reflective of a "master race" mentality...the strong should survive, the "unworthy" or the "weak" should be left to rot.

[Doctor_J]

2. If it includes paying Boner minimum wage w/ no insurance, I'm with it

otherwise, forget it.

[Sebastian Doyle]

4. FUCK the DLC and fuck their so-called "reforms"

Haven't we seen enough of their Orwellian "reform" since 1993? :puke:

[invictus]

24. +1

[Vincardog]

49. +1

[Johonny]

5. It's like you don't have to watch Glenn Beck anymore

Just log onto the DU and get all the government paranoia you can handle. There isn't even a commission yet, yet alone a recommendation and yet we already know the result.
:tinfoilhat:

[Ken Burch]

8. You can't really say you TRUST the admin on this

All "entitlement reform" is about hurting the elderly, the poor, and the powerless. There simply can't be a good reason for it. Why would you give it any benefit of the doubt at all?

It goes without saying that nothing positive could come of it.

[jpak]

14. yup - Obama = Bush!!!111

:yawn:

[Ken Burch]

17. Not what I was saying and you know it

But it does go without saying that ANY entitlement reform would have to be just like Bush's entitlement reform.

You would have to agree that nothing to change SSN could ever be acceptable.

[jpak]

19. Obama is not going to hand over SS to Wall Street - it's BSBSBSBSBSBSBSBSBS

that's what I'm saying

It's a fucking fairy tale made up by idiot Obama haters

period

[Ken Burch]

23. You know that any change HAS to mean handing it over to Wall Street

Why even pretend that's not the case?

No REAL Democrat can back "entitlement reform".

If you're a Dem, you regard Social Security as sacred. End. Of. Discussion.

[jpak]

26. You're right - TEH EBIL DEMEECRAT PARTY IZ GONNA GIT MY SS AND GIVE IT TO BANKSTERS!11

there - happy?

[Ken Burch]

29. The Party needs to stop this "reform"

There can't be any change to SSN, other than raising withholding, that isn't an unforgivable betrayal.

We have to fight from below to take this off the table.

Why do you NOT care about this?

You can't really believe they're isn't a threat here.

The difference between us is that I defend the Democratic Party's principles and you don't give a damn about them.

All you do is spread the lie that any concern about this is "Obama hating". It's not, and you know it. It's defense of our elders and of the powerless. It's what Democrats are SUPPOSED to do.

How much stock do you own on Wall Street anyway?

You obviously couldn't work for a living and be so blase' about this.

[jpak]

33. What if "they" removed the income ceiling on the SS taxes - would that be unforgivable betrayal?

Nope

Good luck with your delusions!!!

:hi:

[Ken Burch]

36. That I'd support

But that's not what's being proposed.

[Egnever]

52. Its all you ever say

[Ken Burch]

54. I've praised the two or three progressive things that have happened

That's all there HAS been to praise, so far.

Every centrist choice and appointment has been a failure.

[jpak]

12. yup

it's beyond stupid

[Ken Burch]

16. Opposing giving SSN to Wall Street is STUPID?

ER...why?

You KNOW we can't let anybody touch Social Security. Once we've done that, we'll HAVE no remaining differences with the GOP...just as the Labour Party in the UK now has no remaining meaningful differences with the Conservatives now that it's spent the last twelve years in power privatizing everything Margaret Thatcher DIDN'T privatize.

[jpak]

18. Who said that? I know - some idiot Obama hater

This place is nuts

lalalalalalalala

[Ken Burch]

25. That's what ALL entitlement reform means

IT can't mean anything else.

It can't ever be progressive.

And we can't TRUST ANY pol on this...so it's not about "Obama hating".

Stop the lies already.

[jpak]

35. I don't trust anything posted on DU anymore

I used to think "lunatic fringe" was a fairy tale.

nope!

[Ken Burch]

37. You can leave then.

Nobody's forcing you to be here.

You'd be more at home on a right-wing site anyway.

[jpak]

39. Good One Ben!

:rofl:

[Ken Burch]

40. Ken..not Ben...and you're not entitled to smirk.

You just follow your leaders blindly. That never has good results.

[jpak]

42. Blind following? Show me one statement by any Evil Democrat or Evil Obama Lackey that sez

"we are going to cut Social Security"

You can't produce one - because it is all made-up make-believe whiner bullshit.

yup!

[Ken Burch]

46. It's in here

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/business/economy/15obama.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=obama%20entitlement&st=cse

And it's in THIS thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7503549

That's what "getting serious about entitlement reform" means.

[jpak]

51. LOL!!! There is *nothing* in Obama's statements about cutting SS

Nothing

try again

:thumbsdown:

[Ken Burch]

53. That's what "entitlement reform" means.

What else could it POSSIBLY mean?

[Luminous Animal]

6. We need to stop using the word, "entitlement".

We need to fight back with language, as well. I am no expert on framing but what they are proposing is a denigration of the social insurance pact.

We need to name and know our enemies now and there are a couple of current posts that do just that.

[Qutzupalotl]

15. Someone here called it an "earned benefit."

That's pretty good.

[tonysam]

28. "Earned benefit" IS an "entitlement."

End of story.

[Qutzupalotl]

32. The problem is the negative connotation

of "a sense of entitlement" -- implying something unearned.

You are right that you earn benefits you pay into. The poster was searching for a more easily salable word or frame.

[tonysam]

27. It IS an "entitlement."

You are ENTITLED to SS and Medicare because you PAID into it.

It is NOT "welfare," however.

[Luminous Animal]

43. Yes, but it's basic meaning has been perverted by the "reformers".

[DJ13]

7. All it really needs to fix SS is to lift the cap, and then index it to inflation

I know that wont pad the wallets of the fat cats, but they've been getting away without paying their share for 30 years now.

[Doctor_J]

9. lift the cap to $120K, problem solved

except for having to listen to the whiny rich.

[tonysam]

31. Abolish state "opt out" for state and local workers in 15 states

covering millions of workers, and the "problem" is easily solved.

[Doctor_J]

48. excellent sig line

a classic film.

:thumbsup:

[jpak]

10. Bullshit - there is not one shred of evidence that Democrats and Obama will cut SS

try again

[Luminous Animal]

13. It's best to be on the offensive.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7503549

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7497940

[tonysam]

30. He's already trying to gut public education like a good neoliberal.

Why think he wouldn't gut Social Security?

[TheKentuckian]

11. I'm with ya.

[kenny blankenship]

20. After seeing what happened to "health care reform" suddenly gridlock doesn't look so bad

Do not want any more of their "reforms". Zero trust left.

[galileoreloaded]

21. The Feds NEED the SS Trust Fund # 2, as well as your 401K.....

revenues are way down..........

[amborin]

22. K&R be proactive!

Obama "He chided critics of his spending plans and recommitted himself to addressing the entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid that consume so much of the budget.

“Let’s not kid ourselves and suggest that we can solve this problem by trimming a few earmarks or cutting the budget for the National Endowment for the Arts,” he said. “If we want to get serious about fiscal discipline, and I do,” then the country’s leaders must “get serious about entitlement reform.”"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/business/economy/15obama.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=obama%20entitlement&st=cse

[TexasObserver]

44. Recommend

[Better Believe It]

45. K & R

[blues90]

50. I have read the bill and saw the other posts on DU.

Yes I am concerned about it. I went to Feinsteins site and she had this to say. She seems determined , I sort of doubt a few calls would change a thing. She makes it sound as if this committee is to save SS and medicare , my gut tells me other wise.

There is talk about this but I have no idea what action to take.

Anyone have any suggestions, I'm all ears.






FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, January 16, 2009

Senators Feinstein and Cornyn Introduce Legislation to Address Looming Shortfalls in Social Security & Medicare


-Legislation would establish permanent, bipartisan Entitlement Commission-


Washington – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today introduced legislation that would create a permanent, bipartisan entitlement commission to guarantee the long-term financial stability of Social Security and Medicare.

“Social Security and Medicare today account for roughly half of all federal spending. Within a decade they will grow to more than 60 percent. If this continues, these vital programs will become an unsustainable burden on our economy and the American people,” Senator Feinstein said.

“This is the third rail of American politics. Past Congresses and Presidents have failed to take the steps needed to ensure the long-term health of Social Security and Medicare. There is time, but we must take steps now: Social Security will start running out of money in 2041, and Medicare will start to run out of cash by 2019. This legislation will offer a practical way forward.”

“At a time when the federal government is spending unprecedented amounts of taxpayer dollars and the federal deficit is at record levels, addressing out of control entitlement spending has never been more important,” Senator Cornyn said.

“Millions of Americans depend on Social Security and Medicare, and we must work together in a bipartisan fashion to reform these critical programs and help ensure their long-term financial stability. Continued inaction is irresponsible and only passes the burden on to our children and grandchildren. These programs can no longer be left unchecked, and creating a commission to oversee our entitlement spending is a crucial step in working to save Social Security and Medicare.”

Background:

Social Security is projected by its trustees to start running out of money by 2041.
Medicare is projected by its trustees to be exhausted by 2019.

The Social Security funding shortfall has ballooned to roughly $4.3 trillion, while the Medicare shortfall needs $8.7 trillion to remain solvent. A combination of a 122 percent increase in payroll taxes and a 51 percent reduction in program outlays will be needed for the Medicare program to balance its budget.

Last week, the Congressional Budget Office announced that the fiscal year 2009 budget deficit is expected to be an unprecedented $1.2 trillion. Among other increases, entitlement programs are expected to grow by at least 8 percent this year.

Summary of the Social Security and Medicare Solvency Commission Act of 2009:

The legislation would create a permanent, bipartisan Entitlement Commission consisting of 15 members selected for their financial expertise.

Of these members, seven would be selected from the majority party, seven from the minority party and one from an independent, non-affiliated party;

The Entitlement Commission would make recommendations only when two-thirds of its members are in agreement;

Would require Congress to vote on Commission recommendatwould be required to act quickly on Commission recommendations -- acted on quickly— Congress must vote within 120 days of receiving commission reports.

###

[eridani]

55. Call until your fucking FINGERS BLEED!

Fax. Write emails. Write real letters--(local offices don't worry about anthrax).

[eridani]

56. Kick to get the phone numbers in peoples' faces again n/t