Peterson G Peterson's PR push

[annabanana]

The original deficit hawks have launched an aggressive PR effort on TV and online. Here in the NY market they are running ads in heavy rotation on cable.. I can't even escape them on facebook. Every day they are a "suggested post".

The trickle down (piss on) kings must be feeling some heat.

[djean111]

1. Oh, Peterson's wet dream - getting rid of Social Security.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Peter_Peterson

Peter G. Peterson, born June 5, 1926, is a controversial Wall Street billionaire who uses his wealth to underwrite numerous organizations and PR campaigns to generate public support for slashing Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, citing concerns over "unsustainable" federal budget deficits. In 2007, he made a fortune from the public offering of the private equity firm he co-founded, Blackstone Group, and pledged to spend $1 billion of this money to "fix America's key fiscal-sustainability problems." He endowed this money to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which he launched in 2008 (see below for more).[1] His son, Michael A. Peterson, is the President and Chief Operating Officer of the foundation.

Move over, George Soros and the Koch brothers. The Los Angeles Times has dubbed Peterson "the most influential billionaire business figure in national politics. . . . He isn't content merely to express concern about the federal deficit. His particular targets are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which he calls 'entitlement' programs and which he wants to cut back in a manner that would strike deeply at the middle class."

He is associated with Simpson/Bowles Commission, which recommends AUSTERITY.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2010/04/pete-petersons-anti-entitlement-juggernaut-gets-fueled-obama

Pete Peterson's Anti-Entitlement Juggernaut Gets Fueled Up by Obama

Peterson also works with the Clintons, and anyone who thinks Hillary and Bill want to expand Social Security is a fucking idiot.

[Hortensis]

2. Social Security is on the block in this election.

If the right wing wins the White House, they will appoint people to SCOTUS who will reinterpret the constitution to, among other things, make the mandatory taxes that fund these programs unconstitutional. The Heritage Foundation has already worked up a list of ideologically suitable justices, and Trump has already made a deal with right-wing plutocrats to appoint from that list.

[JHB]

4. If you dig up his December 1982 NY Review of Books articles...

...you find that most if not all of his reasons for characterizing Soc Sec as a quaint, outdated artifact of the Depression -- reasons that may have been arguably true in 1982 -- have been wiped out by 30 years of the economic policies he favors, or were never as true as he thought.

Life expectancy increasing? Yup, but moreso for higher incomes. In other words, the people who will most need to rely on SocSec are statistically not the people making the big gains.

Half the work force is covered by privately-funded pensions? Not anymore!

A lot more welfare programs than there were then? Attacked at every turn.

The economy starved for savings (for banks to then loan to businesses)? Very different situation today.

But no matter how much conditions change, his prescription is the same.

[Pakid]

3. Worthless pile of rich crap

to much money and no heart what a nasty little man.