Social Security turns 75 this week and remains an intensely popular program with voters of all ages, who strongly oppose cutting it to reduce the deficit, according to a new survey paid for by AARP and conducted by GfK Roper.
The poll, which was provided exclusively to HuffPost, finds that 85 percent of adults oppose cutting Social Security to reduce the deficit; 72 percent “strongly oppose” doing so.
Numbers like that simply don’t appear in surveys of almost any other national issue that is subject to debate.
Labor Fights Back for Living Wages and Jobs For All
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Submitted by BuzzFlash on Tue, 07/20/2010 – 3:08pm.
SHAMUS COOKE FOR BUZZFLASH
If the U.S. economy eventually recovers and current trends continue, U.S. workers won’t be celebrating in the streets. The corporate establishment has made it clear that a “strong recovery” depends on U.S. workers making “great sacrifices” in the areas of wages, health care, pensions, and more ominously, reductions in so-called “entitlement programs” — Social Security, Medicare, and other social services.
These plans have been discussed at length in corporate think tanks for years, and only recently has the mainstream media begun a coordinated attack to convince American workers of the “necessity” of adopting these policies. The New York Times speaks for the corporate establishment as a whole when it writes:
“American workers are overpaid, relative to equally productive employees elsewhere doing the same work [China for example]. If the global economy is to get into balance, that gap must close.”
and:
“The recession shows that many workers are paid more than they’re worth…The global wage gap has been narrowing [because U.S. workers’ wages are shrinking], but recent labor market statistics in the United States suggest the adjustment has not gone far enough.”
The New York Times solution? “Both moderate inflation to cut real wages [!] and a further drop in the dollar’s real trade-weighted value [monetary inflation to shrink wages] might be acceptable.” (November 11, 2009).
The business journal, The Atlantic, agrees:
“So how do we keep wages high in the U.S.? We don’t…U.S. workers cannot ultimately continue to have higher wages relative to those in other nations [China, India, etc.] who compete in the same industries.”
President Obama speaks less bluntly about the wage subject for political purposes, but he wholeheartedly agrees with the above opinions, especially when he repeatedly said:
“We must lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity, where we consume less [as a result of lower wages] at home and send more exports abroad.”
Working people are frustrated and angered[1] by the inability of lawmakers to stop the massive loss of jobs and decline in living standards, while Republicans—and some Democrats—freely hand over the economy to corporations that are growing richer and more powerful each day.
To help renew the American Dream for everyone, some 170 progressive groups, including the AFL-CIO, NAACP[2], National Council of La Raza[3] and many affiliated unions, have come together in One Nation[4].
One Nation is a multi-racial, civil and human rights movement whose mission is to reorder our nation’s priorities to invest in our nation’s most valuable resource—our people. One Nation is holding an Oct. 2 rally at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. with tens of thousands of activists taking part. They will then return to their neighborhoods, congregations, schools and, especially, voting booths, fired up with new energy to take back the country.
On the same day, the union movement will walk door-to-door in targeted states around the country, mobilizing union members exactly one month before the fall elections.
Treas. PA 4th CD Chapter Progressive Democrats of America
Cong. Jason Altmire loves to get his picture in the paper standing around our locks and dams. It promotes the illusion that he is doing something on the House Transportation committee of which he is a member.
Pittsburgh is the second largest inland port in the United States. But the locks system that feeds this transportation artery is so old that Pittsburgh is losing out to other sites that need efficient transportation. Our lock system is smaller than the rest of the locks onthe Ohio River so they won’t take big tows. The large tows must be broken and moved through the locks in sections. Large windmill blades can’t fit in the locks.
But it isn’t only the decrepit lock system. Our bridges are in serious danger of failing. No doubt Altmire will rush to the next bridge disaster for a photo op and issue a press release about some million dollar bill he’s introduced. But we need a Congressperson who will fight for $billions of infrastructure spending today in Western PA.
Rumors of Social Security’s demise are greatly exaggerated. But some powerful people keep spreading lies about the program to scare people into accepting benefit cuts. Can you check out this list of Social Security myths and share it with your friends, family and coworkers?
Myth: Social Security is going broke.
Reality: There is no Social Security crisis. By 2023, Social Security will have a $4.3 trillion surplus (yes, trillion with a ‘T’). It can pay out all scheduled benefits for the next quarter-century with no changes whatsoever.1 After 2037, it’ll still be able to pay out 75% of scheduled benefits–and again, that’s without any changes. The program started preparing for the Baby Boomers retirement decades ago.2 Anyone who insists Social Security is broke probably wants to break it themselves.
Myth: We have to raise the retirement age because people are living longer.
Reality: This is a red-herring to trick you into agreeing to benefit cuts. Retirees are living about the same amount of time as they were in the 1930s. The reason average life expectancy is higher is mostly because many fewer people die as children than did 70 years ago.3 What’s more, what gains there have been are distributed very unevenly–since 1972, life expectancy increased by 6.5 years for workers in the top half of the income brackets, but by less than 2 years for those in the bottom half.4 But those intent on cutting Social Security love this argument because raising the retirement age is the same as an across-the-board benefit cut.
USW Signs Landmark Agreements with Leading Power Generation Companies in China August 06, 2010 | UNITED STEELWORKERS
To Advance Development of America’s Clean Energy Manufacturing Supply Chain
(Pittsburgh) —TheUnited Steelworkers (USW) announced today it has signed agreements with A-Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd, (NASDAQ: APWR) and Shenyang Power Group (“SPG”), two of China’s leading power generation companies. This agreement provides a strong foundation for a win-win relationship between Chinese renewable energy equipment manufacturers and U.S. workers as the USW will guide and work collaboratively on all aspects of the companies’ U.S. market strategies including manufacturing, assembly, component sourcing, distribution and wind energy project development.
“We will work with A-Power and SPG to create long-term, good-paying, green American jobs,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “The USW is committed to building a strong domestic supply chain that will be key to the future of America’s global renewable energy leadership.” A-Power and SPG anticipate purchasing over time approximately 50,000 tons of steel to be manufactured in unionized American steel mills to supply the towers for a 615MW wind farm in Texas.
“It is an honor to team up with the Steelworkers for this historic partnership that will result in hundreds of American jobs and help create a clean energy future for the U.S.” said Cappy McGarr, US-REG Managing Partner. “We look forward to working closely with the USW on further projects to help expand wind power and renewable energy in the U.S.”
Cong. Jason Altmire’s office on 2110 McLean St. in Aliquippa has been the site of two vigils demanding HANDS OFF SOCIAL SECURITY. The vigils were sponsored Progressive Democrats and SOAR. The gatherings were the third Wednesday in June and July.
The next vigil to protest Altmire’s plan to cut social security will be held on August 18th at noon at his McLean Street office.
In response to the June vigil Altmire sent a letter to each of us that said he “shared our concern about Social Security.” Of course our concern is Altmire’s plan to vote for the Deficit Commission’s recommendations to steal our social security taxes that are invested in US Treasury bonds. If Altmire is “concerned” with Social Security, we should be worried since Altmire falsely implies that there is some problem with Social Security .
There is no problem with Social Security. Social Security is solvent and has a large surplus to support the baby boomers as they retire.
The Social Security is invested in US Treasury bonds. These bonds are the only debt of the US government that is not owed to the banks or to foreign governments. It is owed to the working people. It is money created by work that adds value to the economy. So the banks plan to steal this money by raising premiums and raising the retirement age.
by Randy Shannon
Beaver County Blue: Voice of the 17th CD of Progressive Democrats of America 