The avowed ENEMIES of Social Security have been trying to peddle a "payroll tax holiday" for YEARS:

[Faryn Balyncd]

A murderer's row of avowed enemies of Social Security - - - Dick Armey's Freedom Works, the neoconservative American Enterprise Institute, former Republican Senate Leader Trent Lott, and Mitch McConnell himself - - - have been unsuccessfully trying to peddle a "payroll tax holiday" or cut, for years.

When the Koch Brother's funded Cato Institute wrote about Trent Lott's proposed payroll tax cut back in 2001, they even did so on a page dedicated to their "Project for Social Security Choice" privatization scheme. And commented that such a plan could "could show how the transition to individual accounts could be financed".

In 2002, Dick Armey's Freedom Works glowingly reported that the virulently anti-Social Security Club for Growth was pushing for not a one year but a FIVE year payroll tax cut. Leave it to Freedom Works to have the chutzpah to simultaneously exaggerate the problems of Social Security while calling for cutting the funding, and openly salivating at the prospect of sabotaging Social Security with a poison pill payroll tax cut.




(The goal of these Regressives, of course, remains to NEVER honor the obligations to Americans whose lifetime of payroll taxes have funded a surplus of $3 trillion invested in U. S. Treasury bonds, bonds which Republicans have used to finance the deficits created by the waging of multiple wars while simultaneously lowering income tax rates on the wealthy to record lows. since honoring these bond obligations would require general revenues to be funded by income taxes, the right wing insists on falsely labeling ALL Social Security obligations as "unfunded", conveniently ignoring the $3 trillion Trust Fund surplus.)




So when these enemies of Social Security fail to cut payroll taxes, what is their next tactic?

Simple! Don't try to peddle it as a REPUBLICAN idea. Instead, offer it as a "concession" to the President, something Republicans are "willing" to "give up" if their billionaire bailout is granted.

How ingenious!

(As expected, this "two-fer" of a deal for the Regressives (and Lose/Lose for Progressives) gets labeled a "compromise" by the corporate media.)





The Regressives are counting on Democrats being so unable to resist the shiny trinket of a payroll tax cut today, that we will be complicit in the destruction of our retirement.

Isn't it time for Democrats to stand with Bernie Sanders?

(Here is Sen. Sanders' petition at Democracy for America):

No Deal

We urge Congress to reject the deal President Obama made with the Republicans and to do everything they can to address the needs of working people, senior citizens, and the unemployed while making sure that millionaires and billionaires are not given massive tax breaks.

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/activities/419?t=e1

:kick:

[hlthe2b]

1. I wish I could rec this about a thousand more times...

Damn it all. We have to stop this. Why can't Obama and his admin see this?

[Marr]

2. Oh, they see it just fine.

He's like Jack, trading the cow for a few magic beans. Only he knows they aren't magic. He just wants to get rid of the cow.

[DrDan]

6. perhaps they do

[BadgerKid]

8. I must admit

at first it seemed like a reasonable idea, but I did not see the ramifications. I'm glad for the outrage coming from Congress and hope it pushes back.

[Kalun D]

3. Sort of Tells You

what kind of fake arse president Obama really is

[TheKentuckian]

4. Of course

[True_Blue]

5. K&R

:kick:

[Hannah Bell]

7. and now they got it. it's the usual way that workers are cozened into something that's bad for them

a tactic used in most bad labor contracts since the 80s.

"here's a little raise for you! (don't read this part where next year we can lay you off at will)"

[customerserviceguy]

9. I'm glad to see more people here are 'getting it' when it comes to this so-called holiday

A couple of days ago, I was in a bit of a battle with a poster who defended this part of the bill.

[Liberalynn]

37. there are still people defending it

I am totally against it. I would not have a problem with the rest of the bill if this portion get dropped.

[Liberalynn]

38. self deleted dupe

[TheFarseer]

10. Anything the Club for Growth wants

we definitely don't want. This will likely be a permanent tax holiday. We can't even let tax cuts for billionaires expire. Does anyone honestly think we will ever let a payroll tax holiday expire? Social Security is fucked. With a lower payroll tax, there's no way we can fund it. Please put money in your 401K or start an IRA if you're able. It's your only chance.

[WinkyDink]

13. Grover Norquist: "STARVING THE BEAST":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starve_the_beast

"Starving the beast" is a fiscal-political strategy of some American conservatives<1><2><3> to use budget deficits via tax cuts to force future reductions in the size of government. The term "beast" refers to the government and the programs it funds, particularly social programs such as welfare, Social Security, Medicare and public schools.

[Martin Eden]

36. Is Obama a willing or unwitting accomplice to the Norquist strategy?

Either the president is blind to the long term strategy pushed by the enemies of Progressive government, or he is consciously in league with them.

I'm still having a hard time believing either of the above; is there another explanation for Obama's decisions ... does he think this is the best option for improving his prospects for a 2nd term?

[WinkyDink]

48. Obama's words indicate fear and loathing of the rebellious 60's, of which he learned from afar.

So he now thinks his way, his "compromising," is superior to the confrontations of decades ago.

[Martin Eden]

52. That doesn't answer my question.

If these tax cuts are indeed intended to create deficits that will spell the end of FDR's New Deal and Progressive government, is Obama aware of this?

If so, does he support the goal of our enemies?

[Matt Shapiro]

68. Unfortunately ...

the answer has to be YES. He would have to be totally uniformed not to be aware of what he is "going along with." We all know he is brilliant. He is just not one of us. He is one of them. He always was.

[WinkyDink]

80. Like I'm supposed to know Obama better than you do?

[Martin Eden]

81. I refer you to post #48 ...

... in which you stated what Obama was "thinking."

[Foo Fighter]

65. Hey Grover, the government doesn't "fund" Social Security. The taxpayers do.

FDR set it up that way on purpose:

"Roosevelt insisted that it should be funded by payroll taxes rather than from the general fund; he said, "We put those payroll contributions there so as to give the contributors a legal, moral, and political right to collect their pensions and unemployment benefits. With those taxes in there, no damn politician can ever scrap my social security program."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal

Note that the "Beast" includes only social programs. (No surprise there.) Never mind things like the MIC and corporate welfare. Apparently those expenditures are so miniscule that they don't really count.

[AzDar]

11. K & R

:kick:

[WinkyDink]

12. I'm rapidly getting sick to my stomach at what has happened to MY PARTY, the defenders of UNIONS,

WORKERS, SOCAIL SECURITY, THE BILL OF RIGHTS AND THE REST OF THE CONSTITUTION, ETC.

[Supersedeas]

23. blind affilitation to the politics of personal identification and celebrity trumps democratic

principles -- or we need to stop being so pure and sanctimonious.

[WinkyDink]

26. (Meant to type "SOCIAL." Too late to edit.)

[Poboy]

14. Thank you Faryn Balyncd. I've missed your posts. Recommend.

[indimuse]

15. KNR! n/t

[Little Star]

16. And it takes a Democratic President to give it to them. UGH!!!

[B Calm]

60. About as bad as Clinton giving in on NAFTA

[TBF]

17. I find this the most troubling aspect of the "deal" - they are set to defund Social Security. nt

[myrna minx]

18. K&R. Thank you for this very important post.

I can't believe people are falling for this back door destruction of Social Security - and the blame will be put squarely at the feet of the Democrats. :nuke: This is such an evil plot of such magnitude that it's breathtaking.

[Enthusiast]

19. K&R

100% agreement.

[Starry Messenger]

20. k&r

!!!

[Enthusiast]

21. K&R

We need to take this issue seriously.

[reformist2]

22. Can we get 41 senators to filibuster this - this year and next???

[jtown1123]

24. Use this # 1 800 998 0180 to call your Reps Today to fight this

This is from the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare's Legislative Hotline. They have a message all set up and ready to go. All you need to do is call. Thanks!

[slipslidingaway]

25. knr - great links. n/t

[me b zola]

27. K&R

[somone]

28. Indeed, this is a well-known poison pill - to kill Social Security

[Better Believe It]

29. Anyone who votes for this Social Security tax cut plan is an enemy of Social Security.

There are no good excuses for supporting this tax cut plan.

[Poboy]

30. kick

[Poboy]

31. .

[blindpig]

32. k&r

[ljm2002]

33. The payrool tax holiday is truly the worst provision...

...in this whole sorry proposal.

K&R

[nashville_brook]

34. Big f'n k n r

[sasha031]

35. that's right...been going on for yrs

[hay rick]

39. K&R

[Curmudgeoness]

40. Sure, give me another $10 in my paycheck this year, take my retirement.

I'm in. :sarcasm:

[scarletwoman]

41. K&R - this is SO IMPORTANT!

Rolling back the payroll tax MUST be resisted!

Thank you so much for posting this! :yourock:

sw

[valerief]

42. Two minutes in, Andy Griffith and Sen Worthington Fuller talk about Social Security

and being coddled from the cradle to the grave. Sound familiar?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edpz9f5LVaY

[sirthomas66]

44. I can bring my axe and my gun and come to Washington to cut

down some, ah, trees.

[valerief]

46. Some, ah, John Birch trees maybe. nt

[ProudDad]

43. And then he calls this part of it a "stimulus"

And says that it's one of the Democrat goodies in the "deal"...

Talk about divide and conquer... :eyes:



Counting Payroll Tax Holiday as the biggest "concession" given by the PUKES!!!! :puke:

The REAL tally is that republicans get $254 Billion -- "Dems get" $101 billion...

When the democrats STILL have control of the W.H., House and Senate!?!?!?!?!?!?

What a deal!!!

What fucking gall!!!

51 Votes to change the Senate Rules then 51 votes to PASS Legislation...but that would take courage...

[valerief]

47. When the wealthy clean house, they don't leave a nickel behind, do they? nt

[Poboy]

51. Looking at 'what we got', 45% are those damned slit our own throat cuts.

This adding to long term shortfall will then be used to reduce benefits.

Madness.

[JDPriestly]

64. We don't really get the payroll tax cut.

That will be subtracted from future Social Security benefits and the fact that it was not paid will be used to explain why the Social Security Trust Fund is broke. In addition, now people will have to pay taxes on the amount that is cut. So that number is inaccurate in two respects.

If you are making $106,000 a year in income, you will not pay 2% of the Social Security tax, but the 2% will still be subject to income tax. I'm not a tax expert, but it seems to me that while you will get some of the 2% back, depending on the tax rate you pay, you won't get all of it. Multiply that time all the people who pay Social Security. The "gain" will be less than you think.

It is possible that the figures in your chart calculate this difference in, but I doubt it.

[FailureToCommunicate]

45. kick

[Politicub]

49. What galls me is that no one was calling for a Social Security payroll contribution cut

It has nothing to do with the fucked up Bush taxes.

I'm disappointed that the dems as a party didn't raise hell when this piece of shit was put on the table. It just quietly came out of left field, and President Obama says nothing. If there's anything that should unite us as a party, it should be defending social security with every thing that we have.

How did this become part of the "the deal?"

And how f'd up are the republican rank and file that they don't raise hell, either? Are they that stupid? I know that they all can't be flush with retirement money. Check the savings rate for the U.S. We're barely above negative digits.

I give President Obama the benefit of the doubt the vast majority of the time. On this, I can not in good conscience.

If there's anything that would be a winning issue for the President, it would be championing Social Security and using the bully pulpit to tell people to keep their grubby paws off.

I simply don't get it. It both angers and frightens me.

:rant:

[frylock]

50. i'm concerned over the absence of certain posters..

kicking for visibilty.

[bhikkhu]

53. Stupidest idea with the worst long-term consequences

I have to say, before this, even given the mixed-bag we got in the health care bill, I always believed Obama was smart and capable enough for the job. This one is just bone-headed stupid, and regardless of the "back-story" we may or may not find out eventually, it gives the repugs on a platter what they have been after for 50 years..."worst decision of the presidency" is what I would say it amounts to, and I hope congress has the spine to kill it.

[Faryn Balyncd]

54. It's the largest item, the most consequential, & the LEAST PUBLICLY TALKED ABOUT.

Who slipped it in?

It is obvious it can never be rescinded without the right wing using it to great generational conflict.

Is there any other reason that Obama would give them this ammunition, other than because he absolutely intends to make a deal with them to destroy Security for the middle class?

[dkf]

55. Austen Goolsbee says studies show it is the most efficient tax cut there is.

If you are cutting taxes to stimulate the economy the one that works best is the payroll tax.

[bhikkhu]

58. Free money is a fine stimulus. Taking it out of your retirement is lousy.

Its another stupid temporary tax cut that can never be reversed without a "tax increase", which is as unlikely to happen now as ever. Once its cut, in any foreseeable political environment, it is very likely to stay cut, and that means SS is defunded and on the chopping block as a bankrupt liability. The script is already written.

I would say as a fixed policy, a fiscal stimulus should leave tax rates alone, and certainly leave social security alone, but just be a flexible and temporary infusion of cash into the system where it will do the most good.

...and I don't know Austen Goolsbee, but he sounds like an idiot who needs to stay out of politics.

[dkf]

71. Goolsbee took Larry Summers place...he is the President's main economic adviser.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austan_Goolsbee?wasRedirected=true

[bhikkhu]

75. Well....now I'm fairly sure he's an idiot who needs to stay out of politics. n/t

[Faryn Balyncd]

63. Isn't the issue more consequential than strictly what form of stimulus may be effective?

Is it reasonable to think that from a political standpoint a payroll tax holiday can be ended at the appropriate time?

Why is it that the enemies of Social Security have been pushing for a cut in the payroll tax for years?

What are their plans for exploiting the situation when the holiday expires?

Why should we expect that the administration will be more successful politically, facing a more Republican Congress, when these tax cuts expire (and the Republican opponents of Social Security want the cuts to be made permanent, or rather expanded, as they have long advocated) than the administration has been in the case of ending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, when he had Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress?

[dkf]

72. SS isn't a retirement fund.

It's insurance.

The question for me is how many will be financially devastated if we can't kick this economy out of it's malaise. Unemployment extensions after the 13 months will be difficult to come by with a new Republican House. If we cannot create jobs for the people we are going to create a new underclass that will never be able to regenerate the savings they were building and had to use. These will be the people who WILL get social security and will be dependent upon it because they have nothing else.

Republicans say that after 99 weeks of unemployment the funds are pretty much welfare...but really it isn't. In order to receive cash welfare you need to deplete everything and have nothing. Unemployment is what turns a middle class person into a person in poverty.

[bhikkhu]

76. Define insurance. SS isn't that.

...except if you say its intention is to rescue those who have no retirement funds from utter homeless poverty.

In practice, it is the setting aside of funds during one's working years to provide for or supplement income during one's retirement years. Basically a retirement fund.

on edit - in either case, its a stupid idea to take from that to provide a short-term economic stimulus.

[Divernan]

70. Could have given a one time cash grant like last year's $250 to the seniors.

This "tax holiday" opens the floodgates to gutting the social security trust fund so it can be either privatized or abandoned.

[dkf]

73. My sister and her family alone will get more than 10x that

And with all her kids she does an excellent job of stimulating this economy. Believe me...every penny will be spent there.

If you give it to my parents, my aunty or my uncle, those are the funds that will be saved. Ye gads their biggest spending is giving away birthday presents.

[madfloridian]

56. Thank you for this. It's a devastating thing to do.

[daleanime]

57. Shhhh.....

We not supposed to realize that.:hide:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

59. Yes they have...."Starve the Beast"....google it

[amborin]

61. K&R

[SemperEadem]

62. I wonder if there is a way to still instruct HR to take that 2% and put it into my SS

so that there is no interruption in the amount of benefits I'll receive... because I'll tell ya--I don't want it if it means that I'll be eating cat food in 15 years. I'd rather keep that money there and not take the reduction.

[customerserviceguy]

74. Do you have a 401K where you work?

That's where my 2% is going, if this passes. If not, then set up your own IRA with the money.

[SemperEadem]

79. I have a 503b... good idea--thanks!

[Lugnut]

66. K & f'n R! n/t

[laughingliberal]

67. Their tactics are reprehensible. Wait til the unemployed are in crisis and sneak this in.

I have no words for how disgusiting this is. While people are in a panic about how to feed their families, they insert their long hoped for poison pill in and a Democratic president lauds it as 'stimulative.'

*sigh*

[leftstreet]

69. K&R

[senseandsensibility]

77. kick, but it's too late to rec!

Bummer.

[Poboy]

78. kick