I have spent 30 yrs. contributing to this system and I want my benefits as well as everyone else's protected. Most Americans are in debt, they are losing ground, they cannot afford privitatization! If anything we should as the richest nation on earth be increasing our care of our own people rather than finding ways to shrink it. Bush himself said it best in Farenheit 911, "I'm for the have more's". This is democracy and caring for people? Jesus would be ashamed of him and America as a whole if he appered again today on earth! Shame on you, our lawmakers, if you allow him to scam you again with another made up "crisis". R.I. Kaye,MSW,LCSW
Too many elderly people depend on social security to get them through the last years of their life, and this Congress is doing "nothing" in their power to help. They've even managed to screw up drug prescription. Oh wait, the drug companies were major supporters of Bush's campaign so of course they should make more money on the backs of the elderly!
We need to fight against corporatism and maintain social security, increase the minimum wage, extend unemployment, and end massive benefits to drug companies.
President Bush is endangering the retirement of many Americans by taking the first step in his plan to dismantle our Social Security plan.
What is going on here has to be stopped. Bush has no regard for the relief system that is social security that has kept this country in tact.
People rely on Social Security. I not only want to have access to the money that a certain percent of my paycheck goes to each week, when i get older; I want my children to have access to their share of the pie as well.
This is ridiculous if we sit around and let the Bush administration screw up one more thing, we can really kiss Democracy goodbye.
Thank you,
Kristy Schneider
I view any attempt to privatize social security as an attempt to transfer wealth from the lower and middle classes to te most wealthy. Please do not undo the New Deal. My future and the future of my son depends on your standing up for my economic rights.
So many financial crises, but Social Security is not one of them. Social Security is solvent through 2052. With modest changes it will continue to provide benefits indefinitely. We must focus our time, energy and resources on real problems dragging our nation down.
This administration must be prevented from making a false case for Social Security "reform" using phony numbers--i.e., a 10.4 trillion dollar shortfall which is calculated on an infinite timeline--a practice condemned by every provessional actuary who has spoken out on the issue. Social Security's shortfall can be fixed with one-quarter of the Bush tax cuts--no more is needed. If you are truly opposed to movinf ONE-FOURTH of the way back to tax rates in effect during the Clinton boom, then it is high time for every mumber of Congress holding such a foolish and anti-factual view to have the spine necessary to put it on the table, loudly and clearly, so that reasonable people everywhere can see what crass political opportunism and self-servitude look like.
As Paul Krugman has pointed out, Social Security Privatization is "a solution in search of a problem," and really represents an effort to dismantle the safety net that protects retired people from the hunger and dire hardship that were common before the program was enacted. Please protect one of our most effective programs.
We don't need private accounts that stockbrokers can get their hands on and make a profit while the earnings on our account becomes a crapshoot. Social Security is not in a crisis. If the top 1% of income earners put in maybe 1% or 2% more of their income into the social security trust fund the problem would be solved. The wealth need to give back to the country that made them wealth. It's a small price to pay. Beside Social Security is more like an insurance fund than an investment fund for those who need it the most.
Privatizing social security will be a disaster. This will only futher the gap between the HAVES and the HAVE NOTS. How does our country benefit from more poor people? This is not the christian thing to do. Please stop!!
We are millions of true Americans who do not have the confidence in this criminal and fraud ridden administration to make any new arrangements/decisions for our Social Security accounts. Remember, these are our savings accounts - not the government's.
I find it unbelievable that this administration or any representative of the Congress would consider a move to privatize social security and further threaten the future of my generation and future generations. My own parent’s investments are down 50% after 9/11 and other events that have catapulted this country from trillions in budget surplus, plunging us into trillions in deficit in only 4 years time! Bad timing you say? Well, without social security, they could not continue to enjoy life as they are accustomed.
I don't see the retirement plan that YOU as our Congressional representatives enjoy in financial trouble, although Bush is now several payments behind to keep YOUR retirement current and solvent. You protect that with a vengeance. I would too if my pension plan constituted the equivalent of my salary upon retirement which is currently the plan you all enjoy.
It is no wonder that you cannot understand your constituent's reluctance to jeopardize their retirement when you don't have to deal with that issue yourself.
It is simply shameful that we continue to degrade the benefits of individuals in this country. This is what makes it DESIRABLE for people to live here and is also one of the many reasons that the world looks to the United States for leadership and guidance. We are NOT Taiwan and I don't believe we want to BE Taiwan or any other 3rd world country for that matter, with their 15 hour, 7 day work week, unlivable wages without benefits, child labor, etc… - but that is the direction that we are headed with this effort. Have we not overcome that?? I thought we were better than that.
It is our duty to care for our elders. This is not a bipartisan issue, it is a human issue and must be dealt with as such. The suggestion that I increase my risk 1000 fold just so that certain investors can enjoy my $ being funneled through the stock market is simply unconscionable and vile.
To be the greatest country in the world takes reso
There is NO Social Security (SS) crisis; the Republicans have fabricated it--like they did the imminent threat of Saddam Hussein and Iraq. If people in Congress went on SS instead of receiving their current yearly salary for the rest of their lives, I will bet that the system would be fixed pronto!
Republicans are trying to line the pockets of wall street crooks with this dreadful social security scheme. Lets keep making rich americans pay their fair share to those they exploit.
Just like the WMD argument for invading Irag that has proved utterly without merit, the fabricated Social Security crisis is the cover argument for invading the SS coffers. Stop the assault on this country in support of crony capitalism. We deserve so much better than what we're being served.
Kathy Kidd
6326 Scotchwood Dr.
Kathy TX 77449
There is nothing wrong with SS that a few minor fixes won't solve. I do not want to see financial institutions get their hands on this money. Keep it like it is.
For heavens sake, leave OUR retirement alone. Stop using our Social Security money for other things. Wake up and care for the people that voted you int office.
to congress, the minimum wage should be increased to $10 an hour. the rate it's at now doesn't provide enough money to a family of 2 or 3. do not privatize social security. there is no need to privatize social security.
we will not purchase anything from Walmart, EVER, unless they use union labor, exclusively, both as employees in their stores and for the manufacture of the products they sell.
Social Security doesn't need a major overhaul, don't be fooled by the rhetoric.This will only benefit big business and rich people who have access to the best stock market advice.
