Fiscal Cliff deal may cut Social Security.

[Eric J in MN]

The Fiscal Cliff deal may make the inflation-calculation for Social Security stingier. It's called "Chained CPI."

The way inflation is currently calculated for Social Security underestimates the rising costs of things seniors spend money on, such as prescriptions. This would make it worse.

Please contact the offices of Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar and your Rep against a Fiscal Cliff deal which cuts Social Security.

Returning to the Clinton tax-rates on everyone would be better than cutting Social Security.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obama-makes-boehner-new-offer

[robinlynne]

1. contact your rep? let's contact the Pres!

[John2]

3. Contact both of them.

Why do you want to let your representative off the hook? That is the person going to vote for it. You don't trust your representative? I think people right now should contact any Democrat taking cover behind Obama for the Republican's proposal. I wouldn't vote for anybody in Congress that votes for this. They are more responsive to Wall street than they are to you.

[MNBrewer]

11. My rep is Keith Ellison, and he's on it.

[Eric J in MN]

5. White House phone number

Atrios writes:

"To The Phones

White House

202-456-1111"

[MotherPetrie]

2. You'd think there'd never been an election

[blkmusclmachine]

4. 1 Party, 2 Faces.

[robinlynne]

6. +1. unbelievable.

[question everything]

7. My republican rep will blame it on Obama

Last summer he was making the rounds blaming Obama for cutting Medicare.

I will email all three, tell them that before they cut SS, they should eliminate the cap on income subjected to SS tax. Currently around $100K, I think. Just as all income is taxed for Medicare, same should be for SS.

[dflprincess]

8. I have emailed the three of them

I have some hope for Franken as he did sign on to Bernie Sanders' letter. I figure Paulsen and Klobuchar are lost causes, but at least I tried. Pity we can't "chain" their government pensions to this.

[Eric J in MN]

14. Yes, Congressional pensions aren't directly tied to a measure of inflation.

They're based on highest salaries & years in Congress.

Salaries of members of Congress go up automatically based on private-sector salaries. NOT based on Chained-CPI.

Pension:
http://www.senate.gov/CRSReports/crs-publish.cfm?pid=%270E%2C%2APLC8%22%40%20%20%0A

Salary:
http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress-legacy/will-there-be-a-congressional-pay-raise-in-2013--20120817

[Eric J in MN]

13. This year, the maximum income subject to paying into Social Security

...is $110,100.

Chained CPI says that there is little inflation.

If Chained CPI passes, that cap will go up more slowly. So people making more than the cap will pay less into Social Security.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. I emailed Franken, Klobuchar and Ellison.

I just got this response from Klobuchar:

Thank you very much for taking the time to send me your thoughts on the future of Social Security.

Social Security is a fundamental part of our nation's social and economic fabric. For generations, it has been a stable and secure retirement guarantee for all Americans. Social Security is our nation's most successful domestic program, providing an essential safety net and ensuring a decent retirement for Americans who've worked hard their whole lives. It also provides vital support for Americans with disabilities, the surviving spouses and children of deceased workers.

I believe it is important that we take the steps necessary to ensure the future solvency of our Social Security program. Our nation needs to plan ahead and work toward a bipartisan solution to make Social Security more secure for the long term. I am confident that we can responsibly address any projected funding shortfalls and ensure that Social Security remains a vital part of retirement for future generations.

Please know that I will fight against risky schemes that would privatize Social Security and turn it from a guarantee of a secure retirement into a gamble where only the big financial companies on Wall Street would be the sure winners.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. One of the most important parts of my job is listening to what the people of Minnesota have to say to me. I am here in our nation's capital to do the public's business and to serve the people of our state. I hope you will contact me again about matters of concern to you.

Sincerely,
Amy Klobuchar
United States Senator

That sure put my mind at ease.

I'm not sure why I ever bother writing to her.

[dflprincess]

10. I saw the tail end of an interview with Ellison on the Young Turks tonight

He said if this passes, it will pass without him and other members of the Progressive Caucus. In the meantime, he will be working against it.

[Eric J in MN]

12. Amy Klobuchar dodging the issue (Chained CPI) NT

NT

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

15. Has she ever been known to give a straight answer on anything?

My email to her was specifically addressed to the issue of chained CPI. And all I got back was the usual puff of fog.

[dflprincess]

16. You got more of a response from her than I did

I'm beginning to think that the comment I posted in the DFL Progressive Caucus page on Facebook saying I regretted ever voting for her may have landed me on a "thank you for your email" automatic response list and left me underserving of receiving even the fluff you got.

Just makes me regret my vote even more.