Letter to Kerry: Stop Bush's Privatization of Social Security
Dear Senator Kerry,
I'm writing to urge you and the Democrats to take action against the President's plan
to privatize part of social security. Democrats must not only show a united front
against it, but offer their own realistic alternatives or I'm afraid the
President may get his way. He's already planning a major PR campaign to promote his plans, so Dems better have one of their own soon.
Looking at some of the possible tax ideas the Bush team is proposing, I
don't see how they can put a percentage of current payroll tax in private
accounts and still pay for the retirees who are promised benefits without
creating more massive debt.
At 32 years old I am worried about the solvency of Social Security, however
it seems to me we already offer similar retirement privatization programs:
401K's and IRA's. While they are not mandatory, they are more in line with Bush's
own "Ownership Society" thinking, as you can choose how much to contribute, and have thousands of options to invest in vs. the few that may be offered should Bush's privatization plan become law.
I advocate for a modified SS plan that adjusts benefits and/or payroll
taxes, but keeps the program functioning mostly as is. This could be done
in conjunction with more 401K and IRA perks and incentives to encourage people to contribute to their individual retirement accounts, (especially younger people). Additional changes might allow early withdrawal options for 401k's/IRA's to offset any future increase in the minimum retirement age for Social Security.
Senator, I hope you will lead the Democratic fight on this issue. We're counting on you.
Sincerely,
Jim Witkins
Editor, IFK
Independents For Kerry
I'm writing to urge you and the Democrats to take action against the President's plan
to privatize part of social security. Democrats must not only show a united front
against it, but offer their own realistic alternatives or I'm afraid the
President may get his way. He's already planning a major PR campaign to promote his plans, so Dems better have one of their own soon.
Looking at some of the possible tax ideas the Bush team is proposing, I
don't see how they can put a percentage of current payroll tax in private
accounts and still pay for the retirees who are promised benefits without
creating more massive debt.
At 32 years old I am worried about the solvency of Social Security, however
it seems to me we already offer similar retirement privatization programs:
401K's and IRA's. While they are not mandatory, they are more in line with Bush's
own "Ownership Society" thinking, as you can choose how much to contribute, and have thousands of options to invest in vs. the few that may be offered should Bush's privatization plan become law.
I advocate for a modified SS plan that adjusts benefits and/or payroll
taxes, but keeps the program functioning mostly as is. This could be done
in conjunction with more 401K and IRA perks and incentives to encourage people to contribute to their individual retirement accounts, (especially younger people). Additional changes might allow early withdrawal options for 401k's/IRA's to offset any future increase in the minimum retirement age for Social Security.
Senator, I hope you will lead the Democratic fight on this issue. We're counting on you.
Sincerely,
Jim Witkins
Editor, IFK
Independents For Kerry
posted by i11ustrator at 9:47 PM
3 Comments:
Mr. Kerry.
This goes beyond the Privitization of Social Security. This goes to the very Ideals of Democrocy: One Man, One Vote.
As I'm sure you've heard, there were several mistakes made in Florida, the biggest being 93,000 more votes than voters. This cannot be allowed to happen. Demand a recount in all counties. Demand a Revote, if you have to.
Let us face it: Those of us in the senate who want to privitize Social Security have the majority. The only way we can stop this is if we have a President who will fight agenst it. Bush is not that president. You are.
Here's another great article related to social security. Enjoy...
IFK Editor
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Bush's disinfo campaign to create Social Security 'crisis'By Randolph T. Holhut
DUMMERSTON, Vt. - I look at how the Bush administration is trying to manufacture a Social Security "crisis," and it looks much like what was done to manufacture the rationale for invading Iraq.
Certainly the steps are the same. Invent a crisis where none currently exists. State only the information (real or not) that benefits your argument, and repeat it often. Ignore all information that might undermine your argument and attack anyone who might disagree. Then, after convincing everyone that there is a crisis and marginalizing your opponents, you come up with the solution to the crisis you manufactured.
Through constant repetition and taking full advantage of the limitations of journalism's objectivity fetish, the Bush administration can bend reality to fit its policy schemes.
As journalism is now practiced, to state the facts is considered an act of bias. In the case of the Iraq war, even though there was abundant evidence that the Bush administration was overstating its case at best and flat-out lying at worst, the cult of objectivity required giving the Bush administration's lies as much weight (and often times, more weight) as the opposing views. Pointing out discrepancies between the facts and the spin is sacrificed in the name of balance.
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Over the last 40 years I have accumulated $180,000.00 in the Social Security fund of which I will receive a whopping $1,200 a month if I retire next year! If that money had been deposited in a standard savings account I would have well over $800,000.00 to last me through retirement. IT MUST BE PRIVATIZED!
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