Tea Partyers, Union Members, Democrats, Republicans—All Love Social Security. So Let’s Expand It!

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/tea-partyers-union-members-democrats-republicans-all-love-social-security-so-lets-expand-it



Nothing explains the stakes involved better than the new book “Social Security Works! Why Social Security Isn’t Going Broke and How Expanding It Will Help Us All” by Nancy J. Altman and Eric R. Kingson, co-founders of Social Security Works and longtime experts in the field, who served on the staff of the Greenspan Commission in the 1980s, helping to craft the last major overhaul of the system. They cover an impressively wide range of topics—from a brief history of Social Security’s birth and development and attacks against it, to debunking today’s most common lies about it, to highlighting the real challenges it faces in meeting the growing needs of a working and middle class in more perilous circumstances than ever before in the system’s history. Perhaps most important, at the center of all this, they explain the logic of expanding Social Security—both increasing benefits and adding new ones—and how to pay for it in an equitable manner. Salon’s interview with the authors has been edited for length and for clarity.

I mentioned before Amitai Etzioni’s article trying to paint Elizabeth Warren and other progressive Democrats as supporting “unpopular populism,” which he identifies with “welfare,” deliberately misrepresenting the actual issues she and other progressives have been focusing on. Etzioni even goes so far as to try to use Social Security—as opposed to welfare—against Warren, despite the fact that Warren advocates strengthening and expanding Social Security. His argument seems to typify the blindness of elite discourse to the actual economic issues of the day, and your book struck me as perfectly illuminating the one program at the center of their blind spot. To those who might be swayed by such arguments, that there’s nothing popular that progressive populists can hope to do, what points does your book make to shine a light on what’s being missed?

Altman: The beauty of Social Security, the ingenuity of that program, is that it represents basic American values that are shared very broadly. So, as a consequence, Social Security is extremely successful, but it’s also extremely popular across the political spectrum.

We found in polling that Tea Partyers support it, union members support it, independents, Republicans, Democrats – it’s also widely supported among every demographic group and every age. The younger you are, the less likely you are to think Social Security will be there for you but they do support it, they believe it’s an important program … So this is an issue that, when you’ve got 80 percent of the country answering polls that Social Security should be expanded, but they do not think it should be cut, they think it’s vital, they think it’s more important in the future, all of those kinds of things, those kinds of numbers, you know that it’s very popular.

[MannyGoldstein]

1. As long as SS doesn't become a government program

I'm for it.

Regards,

Tea-Party Manny

[xchrom]

2. !

[rickford66]

3. The problem is one of information.

Most of us, me included, know little about SS until we're close to needing it. Also, the written information available is confusing. A visit to the local SS office goes a long way, especially a few years in advance. The best would be a high school requirement to be exposed to the rule and benefits.

[ChosenUnWisely]

4. What is so confusing about SS it is

NOT a Retirement Program, it is a supplement to ones savings or in the old days pension. Yes for many it is all they got. Different discussion.

Workers PAY into SS it is ours we own it

SS Provides Disability Insurance

SS Provides Widow and Children Benefits

SS has a cash value when you hit 62 today 64 soon.

SS is basically a whole life with disability insurance policy with monthly annuity payouts when ones hits the retirement age.

It is a pretty simple program to explain, propaganda, lies and ignorance is the problem.

[meti57b]

8. You can say that again!!!

"Workers PAY into SS it is ours we own it"........ you can say that again!!! After paying into it (Social Security) all these years, ..... they sure as hell better pay it back when the time comes!

[rickford66]

10. It isn't confusing, I agree.... but..

The documentation online and in writing is confusing for many people. It helps to actually talk to the people at SS in person. That's what I wanted to get across.

[ChosenUnWisely]

11. So the real problem is people are idiots.

America is rapidly becoming Idiocracy

[wishstar]

9. Under Reagan, official Soc Sec publications began carrying a negative message undercutting the program

I worked for Social Security Administration in a local office beginning with Nixon and Ford who supported Social Security (and the hiring of many new Federal employees to set up the Supplemental Security Income program that replaced and improved inadequate local welfare programs for elderly and disabled and is NOT funded by Social Security payroll tax Trust Fund).

Under Carter there were actions to rein in spending such as stopping payments of Social Security disability to prisoners and tightening disability requirements, to allay concerns about waste and abuse of the system.

But not until Reagan did officials try to undermine public support for Social Security by adding remarks to the official Social Security brochures and leaflets stating that the program needed to be fixed because it was going broke. I was shocked because we had always assured people that the program was sound and successful and those who paid in sufficiently would get their promised benefits. It's the only Federal program that fully pays for itself AND has had a continuous surplus because of the payroll tax.

Under Reagan/Greenspan and Dems who went along, the benefit formula and COLAs were reduced, age for full benefits raised and benefits began being subject to Federal income taxes. Despite those changes, the last earnings statement I got in mail before GW Bush left office said that the Trust Funds would be exhausted by 2041 and unable to make promised payments unless measures were taken to fix it. Bush's push for privatization failed but a Repub President will again push for privatization (at least to contract handling claims and benefits instead of Federal employees) , reduced COLAs, another age increase for full benefits plus some kind of reduction in disability payments rather than expanding the payroll tax for higher earners.

[Overseas]

5. K&R. Yes please!

[father founding]

6. Elite Social Security

The Elite's Social Security is the money they steal before retirement.

[broadcaster75201]

7. Nope. They hate the "Negro" more. nt

nt