Social Security Works

Why Does Honeywell’s CEO Oppose Defense Spending Cuts? Follow the Money

May 14, 2010

David M. Cote, CEO of the mega-corporation Honeywell, has been enjoying a high profile in Washington of late, as one of two Republicans appointed by President Obama to his bipartisan debt commission. more »

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Livestreaming the closed door debt commission pt. 2

By Alex Lawson

May 12, 2010

Last week I livestreamed the first closed door meeting of the president's fiscal commission. I did this out of frustration that we received no response to a letter that we sent from 81 organizations representing over 61 million Americans, asking that all the work of the commission be done in the open. Letters were also sent by Chairman John Conyers and Minority Leader Boehner asking for transparency.

Today is the mandatory spending working group and we will be livestreaming it the whole time (we brought a power cord this time).

This post is part of our ongoing "Virtual Summit on Fiscal and Economic Responsibility for People Who Did Not Wreck The Economy."

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Social Security Works for Children

By Alex Lawson

May 10, 2010

This is the sixth installment in our Social Security Works series. more »

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On Older Americans Month, the White House’s Rhetoric Doesn’t Match Reality

By Nathan Tabak

May 6, 2010

This post is part of our ongoing "Virtual Summit on Fiscal and Economic Responsibility for People Who Did Not Wreck The Economy."

President Obama issued a proclamation declaring May 2010 “Older Americans Month.” This is a noble-sounding document, filled with praise for “these treasured individuals who have contributed so much to our nation.” But in several important respects, this lofty rhetoric just doesn’t match the harsh reality of what the administration’s debt commission is proposing for actual older Americans.

Here’s what the proclamation has to say about Social Security: “By strengthening Medicare and Medicaid, while protecting Social Security, we help ensure all Americans can age with dignity.” Yet this is a long way from what Obama’s debt commission, and the people on it, are saying.

Former Republican senator Alan Simpson, along with President Clinton’s chief of staff Erskine Bowles, are the two co-chairs of the debt commission. When they were interviewed on Fox News Sunday last week, Simpson had this to say about Social Security and its recipients:

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Livestreaming the Closed Door Debt Commission Meeting

By Alex Lawson

May 5, 2010

Probably not going to be the most riveting livestream ever. more »

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Fiscal Sustainability Facts and Solutions

By Ian Welsh

April 29, 2010

Also posted at Ian Welsh's blog

1) Social Security, at current rates, is not expected to run short of money before 2037. more »

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'Billionaires for Social Insecurity' Gather at Pete Peterson Event

By Alliance for Retired Americans

April 28th, 2010

Today, Peter Peterson and his foundation convened a closed-door meeting of Wall Street billionaires and millionaires at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Building in D.C.

Peterson is a former CEO of Lehman Brothers and former chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He underwrites the foundation with his own money, and his agenda is not a secret.

Peterson says the coming retirement of baby boomers is a threat to the economy and the federal budget. He wants to see significant cuts in Social Security and Medicare benefits, and would prefer a stream-lined process via a commission to implement these changes to "reduce the deficit." more »

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Top 5 Things Deficit Hawks Don't Want You To Know About Social Security

By Kim Wright

April 20th, 2010

Kim Wright is the assistant director of communications for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

We’re focusing our attention on some basic truths about Social Security. Most of these truths have been lost, ignored, or even lied about in an orchestrated campaign to persuade Americans that we must cut Social Security if we’re “serious” about returning fiscal sanity to Washington. more »

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"Deficit Reduction Blindness" Syndrome Plaguing New York Times

By Bill Scher

April 19, 2010

There's a strange affliction impairing several New York Times reporters, Deficit Reduction Blindness. The syndrome blocks your ability to see a government reduce a budget deficit without also seeing massive pain inflicted upon its people. more »

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