For politicians: "'How-to Manual' for Betraying Seniors and People with Disabilities"

[ProSense]

5. This is weird:

A final, serious word: We know that you are in a bind. We know that you want to hold onto power and continue to get contributions and favorable attention from the elite. We know that you understand what you are doing is harmful policy. Therefore, if you are determined to hurt your constituents, we seriously and respectfully urge you to make the proposal a bit less onerous, knowing, of course, that it is much too little. We urge you to exempt SSI, which provides benefits to the poorest of the poor. We urge you to increase Social Security benefits after 20 years, a proposal known colloquially as a "birthday bump." Use these modifications to sweeten the deal and cover up the bitterness of the policy. But do it with your eyes open. While exempting SSI is the right thing to do, it does not help the millions who are just getting by with the help of Social Security. While an increase in benefits after twenty years is the right thing to do, it does not help those who don't live into their eighties and nineties. Indeed, as the following graph shows, it only softens the blow slightly for those fortunate enough to live to ninety-five or beyond.

In short, the chained CPI is bad policy. If you insist on supporting it though, we urge you to put some lipstick on that pig. Then run away from the policy as fast as you can.

Why advocate doing that? There should be no cuts. Period.

After a dramatic week, Social Security is again off the table
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022052075