Signing the Golden Promise

I was at the event as one of the 400 retirees from the Alliance for Retired Americans Convention. It was good to hear and see leaders in the Congress publically stand for keeping Social Security secure. It was even more heartening to know those present and those who are signing the golden pledge now will work against privatization. Having seen the confusion caused by privatizing the Medicare D prescription drug program, we can only imagine the devastation that private accounts would cause. Thank you for your courage and postive stance.

I walked by your event near the Capitol and noticed some people who are against the golden pledge.  What’s that about?

Were the people young? Most of the private account movement seems to be coming from (besides Bush) college students and young workers.

They were young Wall Street types like you probably hang out with in “the City.”  Why would the average college student or younger worker even want a private account?

As someone who disagrees with your stance on the issue, I have a few questions.

Considering the following facts:

1. The reform plans that were introduced in Congress would not have affected anyone either in retirement or approaching it.

2. Most of the reform plans that included personal accounts were optional, meaning that anyone that doesn’t like “privatization” is certainly not forced to go down that road.

Question:  What purpose does the “Alliance for Retired Americans” or other seniors groups have for opposing Social Security reform and Personal Accounts?  You’re taking time out of your schedule to demonstrate in opposition of a policy that would give young people additional choices for saving for retirement and would not affect you in the least?

Also, when is the “Americans United” going to be united in favor of something instead of against it?  It’s a free country, and you are certainly free to oppose anything you like, but do you really think it benefits anyone to sign a “Golden Promise” to do nothing…especially when nobody disputes that the Social Security system will go into deficit in 2017 and run out of “trust fund” balances by 2042, about the time today’s young people are ready to retire.

What do you propose as a solution to the problem?  I read the section on Social Security on your website, and at no time do you share any ideas for fixing the system?

So do you have any?

I’m trying to get some facts here.  1) Why are young people against the golden pledge? 
2) Why are old people against private accounts if their benefits are protected? 
3) How will Democratic leadership solve the problem of Social Security deficits?

The golden promise makes for good political rhetoric, but it ignores the fundamental fact that Social Security promises more in future benefits than it can deliver under current law.  This problem exists with or without personal accounts. 

Tough choices will be necessary to eliminate the deficit facing Social Security whether or not individual accounts are included in a reform plan.  Simply opposing individual accounts does not answer these questions either.

Politicians who signed the Golden Promise have told us what they won’t do.  But when will they tell us what they will do to deal with the looming problems facing Social Security?

Thanks for writing.  I’ve been doing looking around for the last couple days for some facts because I can’t seem to get good information here.  I think I have answered my questions but please let me konw if I’m wrong.

1) “college students and young workers” support private accounts.  Pew Research says that about 2/3 of young people want private accounts.

2) I have no clue.  Their against freedom?

3) I have no clue.  Do they have a clue?

It looks to me that the democratic leadership’s position is to have no plan, just keep throwing grenades at the republicans.  Where is THEIR plan?  If you (AU) and they care so much about Social Security, where is your plan to save it?

Before I was forced into Medicare part D I was paying a co-pay of $10-$25 depending on generic or brand name prescriptions. I paid my insurance supplement $99 a month. Now I am paying $119.00 a month and $25 co-pay for all scripts. I have reached the doughnut hole and cannot afford my meds at $100 or more, each per month. I went to the pharmacy yesterday and was told 2 prescriptions were $800.00 for my 3 month supply. I had to tell them to keep them. My Social Security is $756 a month. My pension from my former employer of 21 years is $378 a month. This is NOT fuzzy math, figure it out.

Lynne,

Your right that people are just throwing grenades.  The only plan to fix Social Security is to allow younger workers to invest in personal accounts.  I found a website for young people: http://www.secureourfuture.org.

There is also one for older people:
http://www.forourgrandchildren.org.

This “Golden Promise” is disturbing.  The only thing it will accomplish is total political polarization.  At a time when Social Security is facing an utter crisis (i.e. the first baby boomer is going to retire in just 2 years!), Americans can’t afford this kind of petty rhetoric. 

We need our leaders to promise to talk openly and honestly about ALL options for reform and to set politics aside.

Fortunately, such a promise has been written by “For Our Grandchildren.”

Get it here:  http://www.forourgrandchildren.org/promise/Promise_Members.pdf

And send it to your representative and ask them to sign it.  Only if our leaders promise to keep the debate open and honest, do we have any chance of saving Social Security for anyone.

The plan to eliminate social security seems to be based on eliminating the people who need it. The corporation that we used to call the United States has found that all they have to do is get rid of their expended workers and they can enjoy higher profits for the wealthy and rightful owners of the corporation.Why stop there when you could finnaly start production of that tasty SOYLENT GREEN. They won’t stop until they hear the tar pots boiling and see the feathers stacked.