Social Security is Still the Third Rail (You've Been Warned)

[jsr]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/social-security-is-still_b_2335027.html

Social Security is Still the Third Rail (You've Been Warned)
Dave Johnson

We JUST had an election where the public (not to mention Every. Single. Poll.) overwhelmingly said no cuts to Social Security or Medicare, and raise taxes on income over $250K. That ought to mean something. But the "word" out of DC is that a deal is underway that cuts the Social Security COLA and increases the income level subject to a higher tax from $250K to $400K...

Cutting Social Security makes no sense, and is bad politics because it hurts people. Old people depend on this meager benefit and by law Social Security can not contribute to deficits. But never mind the numbers, look at the social and political effects of a deal that cuts the Social Security cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) immediately after the public voted not to do this.

The social effect: Does our society care about people, or just about money? Cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security hurt PEOPLE. Raising tax rates on the wealthy is just money. What does it tell the public about our society if their government cuts Social Security benefits immediately after we have an election in which the public overwhelmingly votes against cuts in Social Security or Medicare, and to increase taxes on $250K and up? This reported deal raises that $250K to $400K, reduces military cuts, and ignores that the same amount of money could be raised in ways that actually help the country and economy, like a Financial Transaction Tax.

Bankers got huge bonuses with government bailout money, and now you are cutting the meager benefits old people get? What does this tell the public, to cut this when one after another Democratic leader, including Vice President Biden, has stepped up to insist that Social Security is off the table? It tells the public not to trust their leaders, because the big money will win every time. ...

[JDPriestly]

1. Well said!

[truedelphi]

2. Tell Congress and the Preesident to cut the crap and

Raise the cap on Social Security payments so that people who are high end earners pay more in. Or else do the financial transaction tax.

And of course the excuse that we hear about Congress not being able to cut defense is that jobs will be affected. Uh, no they wouldn't be. Every time the defense contractors hit the American public with some super expensive piece of equipment, many of which our government gives away or never uses, it means, as Dwight Eisenhower once explained, yet another teacher that can't be hired, another fire fighter that can't be recruited, another bag of groceries that won't be bought.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

3. That's the theory.

But when both the Republicans and President Obama (with the support of Pelosi, Reid, and others) want to cut Social Security with a chained-CPI or any other maneuver, doesn't that mean that the voters can do nothing?