Americans United, FCAN, 100 Local Seniors Celebrate 71st Anniversary of Social Security
After the jubilant affair, FCAN delivered a ‘Social Security Birthday Cake' to Congressman Mike Bilirakis' Office and Called on Him to ‘Take a Stand' on President Bush's Renewed Effort to Privatize Social Security
August 17, 2006 (Palm Harbor, FL) - Florida Consumer Action Network (FCAN) celebrated the 71st anniversary of Social Security along with 100 local seniors at the Palm Harbor Community Center today. The event -- dubbed, Social Security: Celebrating 71 Years of Guaranteed Benefits - was a demonstration of the community's incredible appreciation for has been called the most successful government program in the world and has been credited with pulling millions of seniors out of poverty. Congressman Mike Bilirakis (R-FL-9) was invited to attend the celebration but declined. Fortunately for Rep. Bilirakis, there was enough cake leftover, so FCAN traveled to his constituent office in Palm Harbor immediately following the party to deliver his very own ‘Social Security Birthday Cake' and to ask him to ‘take a stand' one way or another on President Bush's renewed effort to privatize Social Security -- a risky investment scheme that would slash guaranteed benefits and further balloon the national debt by nearly a trillion dollars. Unfortunately, FCAN left the Congressman's office with more questions than answers as to where Bilirakis stands on the President's disastrous proposal. FCAN spoke with Rep. Bilirakis' official scheduler and requested a face-to-face meeting with the Congressman before the end of the current Congressional session - providing him with yet another golden opportunity to state his position clearly.
"Social Security has ensured that every generation of seniors for the past 71 years has been able to retire with dignity," said Phil Compton, spokesman for Florida Consumer Action Network. "And we need to know if Congressman Bilirakis is going to help us ensure that Social Security will be here for us for another 71 years by standing up against President Bush's renewed effort to dismantle it with a risky privatization scheme. It was a reckless and irresponsible idea in 2005, and it's every bit as bad today. Privatization would slash guaranteed benefits for middle-class Floridians and explode the national debt by nearly a trillion dollars. And nothing will change the fact that privatization wouldn't add a day to the life of Social Security - not one single day."
President Bush first hinted at an effort to resuscitate his hugely unpopular privatization proposal during a speech in Washington D.C. on June 27th, assuring his audience that "now is the time" and that "If we can't get it done this year, I'm going to try next year. And if we can't get it done next year, I'm going to try the year after that." On July 11th, Bush took action with the release of his administration's Mid-Session Budget Review. The President's budget includes a proposal to divert $721 billion from the Social Security trust fund to private accounts over the next 10 years - virtually the same proposal which was overwhelmingly rejected by the American public in 2005.
On July 31st, House Majority Leader John Boehner, one of the President's most powerful allies in Congress, promised to do everything in his power to advance the effort next year, telling the Washington Times : "If I'm around in a leadership role come January, we're going to get serious about it."
"President Bush and his allies in Congress are rolling out the same reckless privatization proposal that was overwhelmingly rejected by Floridians last year - and it's time for Congressman Bilirakis to take a stand, for or against it," said Compton. "If the Congressman continues to be mum on this critical issue, his constituents are left draw their own conclusions based on past deeds."
On May 24, 2001, more than 100 Members of Congress - including Mike Bilirakis -- sent a letter to President George W. Bush's 'Commission to Strengthen Social Security', urging it to propose "personal retirement accounts" to "transform Social Security." [DeMint Letter to President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security, 5/24/01]
"Rep. Bilirakis, do you stand with the President as he again tries to go down this tortured path towards destroying American's most cherished retirement program - or will you stand with the vast majority of Americans and Floridians who have already rejected it," added Compton.
FCAN is a state affiliate of USAction and a national partner of Americans United, the group which led the fight to beat back the Bush-privatization proposal in 2005. Americans United has renewed their national campaign to get privatization off the table once and for all, most recently unveiling a new TV ad running in 5 states, including Florida, which highlights the President's renewed effort to privatize Social Security. The ad can be viewed here:
http://www.americansunitedforchange.org/blog/entries/dont_cut_social_security/
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