2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumChallenge:
I had my hair cut yesterday by a woman who has run her own shop for 30 years. She has diabetes and is also on Social Security. Her husband drove a truck for a living, but had his license revoked over heart problems. He's approved for Social Security Disability, but won't get the first check until mid-January.
They're using food stamps and local pantries to get by. He hates the idea of being on any form of welfare after working all his life.
Their home was robbed last January by a pair of heroin addicts. The factory jobs have left our small town over the last 30 years, and so have most of the young people. The woman's customer base is aging out, with many in their 80's. They aren't coming in to get their hair styled as often because they are all on Social Security as well.
So, the Challenge:
Without mentioning or even hinting at any other candidate, tell us what your candidate could do for these people.
Martin O'Malley
on Social Security:
Increase Social Security benefits for all retireesboth todays and tomorrows. Governor OMalley supports immediately boosting monthly benefits in a progressive manner for all Social Security was intended as a supplement to individual savings and pensions, but today, one in five married couples, and nearly half of unmarried individuals, rely almost exclusively on Social Security checks to survive. More than two-thirds of Americans near retirement will not have enough savings to maintain their current standard of living.
Strengthen Social Securitys long-term fiscal outlook. The solvency of Social Security is not in crisis: Social Security has adequate funds to pay full benefits through 2034. But to pay for expanded benefits, Governor OMalley supports lifting the cap on the payroll tax for workers earning more than $250,000.In addition, Congress should implement policies to lift the wages of all workers, which will make meaningful contributions to Social Securitys long-term balance sheet. This includes raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and enacting comprehensive immigration reform.
Ensure Social Security benefits are sufficient to keep retirees out of poverty. The immediate future is dire for many Americans nearing retirement: one in five Americans has no retirement savings at all. To keep seniors out of poverty, Governor OMalley supports increasing the special minimum social security benefit to 125 percent of the poverty line for Americans who have worked at least 30 years.
https://martinomalley.com/policy/expanding-social-security/
on drug addiction:
As Mayor of Baltimore and Governor of Maryland, Martin OMalley brought all resources to bear to stop the epidemic of drug addiction and overdose. In Baltimore, Martin OMalley expanded access to drug treatment to thousands of people while more than doubling funding for the citys treatment system. His innovative efforts drove a 60 percent reduction in overdose deaths from heroin over 10 yearsa program still cited as a successful national model.
In Maryland, Governor OMalley supported innovative services for individuals in recovery to help them gain employment, as well as contribute to their families and their communities. As president, OMalley would:
Implement a Public Health Response to Addiction. Incarceration is an inadequateand in most cases inappropriateresponse for people in need of treatment for substance use disorders. OMalley will provide individuals with the care and support they require outside of the justice system, as detailed in his criminal justice reform plan. He will also establish federal guidelines for law enforcement on how to best serve people in crisis, support state Crisis Intervention Training for police officers, and ensure that people leaving prison or jail have the support they needincluding substance use disorder treatmentto successfully reenter their communities.
Support Community Recovery Services. Recovery from addiction is holistic, involving not only clinical treatment but also resilience, support, and longer term care. OMalley will provide a new level of support for community-based recovery for individuals suffering from mental illness and addiction, making urgent new investments across the country in housing, supported employment, and outpatient treatment.
https://martinomalley.com/the-latest/addiction-treatment-and-prevention/
(my bolding)
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)Great op and look forward to reading the responses. I literally finished reading O'Malleys thought on addiction about thirty minutes ago. Really good reading. He is very thorough.
K&R
upaloopa
(11,417 posts)Seems obvious to me that you see it a responsibility of the federal government to make sure these people have adequate supplies of the basic necessities. I would agree to some extent but I would also include state and local governments. That is not the area of power of presidential candidates. Also state and local governments get Federal money through grants which is the area of Congress which holds the purse strings.
I work in local government so I am familiar with some of this. Medicaid and Medicare are health care programs in place, Social Security and SSI and SDI are income programs in place. We have county medical care and mental health clinics.
None of this is the area of power of the President except for producing a federal budget which would include this spending.
I think all three candidates support saving and increasing Social Security.
All three candidates support affordable health care of some form.
We must make sure that we elect a Dem or you can kiss all this good bye.
2naSalit
(86,596 posts)This is why we need to also focus equal attention to flushing the extremists from Congress, they are the greatest danger to the country right now because they have actually sworn to destroy it. So the Congressional elections should be front and center as well as down-ticket elections. Unless we actually demand this turnover, we are going to lose everything. Everything.
hedgehog
(36,286 posts)I hope you get some replays. I would also like to see what other candidates would do.
Thanks for this post.
Andy823
(11,495 posts)Not one person has posted what their candidate will do. I find this very interesting to say the least.
hedgehog
(36,286 posts)FSogol
(45,484 posts)go on and on.
MeNMyVolt
(1,095 posts)While there are parts of this OP that I'm not yet on board with, I thank you for the well delivered OP.
hill2016
(1,772 posts)your hairdresser owns her own business and her customers are on social security, how does an increase in minimum wage help her?
hedgehog
(36,286 posts)#2 - greater base of earnings for Social Security tax
Hepburn
(21,054 posts)How could anyone miss the obvious?