Our grandfathers helped FDR design Social Security. We can't allow it to be willfully destroyed now.

[SharonClark]

Powerful article and interesting refresher on how SS came about.

The chief actuary of the Social Security Administration wrote that Trump’s plan would destroy Social Security disability insurance in less than a year, and the entire system in another two.
Des Moines Register 10/25/20 by Henry Scott Wallace and June Hopkins

President Dwight Eisenhower once warned, if there was ever a political party that tried to destroy Social Security, “you would not hear of that party again in our political history.” And though there may be “occasional politicians” thinking that way, “their number is negligible and they are stupid."

Well.

That’s exactly what President Donald Trump and supporters like Sen. Joni Ernst plan to do. If re-elected, Trump says he wants to permanently terminate the key funding source for both Social Security and Medicare — the payroll tax — a trust fund funded equally by workers and employers.

This is not some minor political gaffe. It’s premeditated attempted murder — of programs that American workers love, on which they depend, and into which they dutifully pay each week. This is their retirement security, which they’ve earned, not some kind of socialist welfare “entitlements.”

Our grandfathers, both famous Iowans, played lead roles in helping Franklin D. Roosevelt design Social Security during the New Deal. Henry A. Wallace was FDR’s secretary of agriculture and later vice president, a product of Adair County and Iowa State College, who settled in Des Moines. Harry Hopkins was FDR’s closest adviser and later secretary of commerce, raised in Grinnell and a graduate of Grinnell College. Both served on the committee that labored mightily to create Social Security, chaired by Labor Secretary Frances Perkins, and the legislation they produced was unanimously supported by every senator and congressman from Iowa, Republican and Democrat.

more at link...
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/iowa-view/2020/10/25/social-security-our-grandparents-work-targeted-murder-plot/3732595001/

[blm]

1. Great piece.

Sharing it elsewhere.

[MoonchildCA]

2. I don't think ending the payroll tax,

and what it would to to Social Security and Medicare, has been brought up often enough in this election.

I think there should a massive ad campaign about this.

[dware]

3. I believe I've seen some Joe Biden ads

here in AZ doing just that.

You're right, this needs to be hammered 24/7.

[area51]

4. +1 n/t

[beachbumbob]

5. A 6-3 conservative court rule SS as unconstitutional and nothing could

stop them with out enough GOP senators willing to remove justices under impeachment. Bot in the wet dream world of GOP, this is long lost total destruction of all NEW Deal policies via the court. Don't think it's not being talked about

[halfulglas]

6. Ads should not just target seniors.

I've lived through some of this. I'm in my 70s and now collect Social Security and have Medicare. I certainly appreciate them and don't know what I would do without them because the income from my 401K would not allow me to live in my own home. Which is my point. I love my kids and I'm sure they love me, but I would rather not live with them at least yet and they are not burdened with what to do with grandma. If Social Security's dedicated by law funding source disappears, it will become prey to the vagaries of congressional and presidents budget decisions. Are today's adults with families seriously ready to help their parents with their needs? How many middle class people are read to bring their their parents into their home, have one of their kids give up their bedroom, adapt their home office or build an elder suite on the first floor? Are they ready financially for this? From that standpoint I think Social Security is a bargain for them as well (and hopefully we won't have RW talking points as about 30 years ago decrying the greedy retirees. Before Social Security aged parents living with their adult kids were the norm (because it was a necessity in so many cases).

I know when I was a young adult working in a hospital for barely over minimum wage and in those days they distributed the checks at work, not mailed them. I would look at the FICA deductions and groan. One of the doctors told me it was all a scam, I would never get back what I paid in. (This is when doctors still hated Medicare.) Looking back it's amazing how quickly time went and I am on the receiving end.

My point is that Social Security is actually a big driver for the economy. The sun belt states wouldn't woo seniors if it wasn't. The income seniors collect from it they spend in the economy. We help keep the economy going with it because when the money is deposited in our accounts, we pay our bills with it and make additional purchases. I'm not an ad writer to express this succinctly in an ad, but it would be nice if an ad was made how Social Security benefits the whole country, not just the senior population.