Kucinich To Announce Program To Add A Million New Jobs

[OhioChick]

Source: Newsnet5.com

POSTED: 2:00 pm EST January 25, 2010

CLEVELAND -- Hours before President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in which the economy and jobs will be a central focus, Congressman Dennis Kucinich is set to unveil a major jobs program he said will add one million jobs for Americans struggling to find a place back at work.

Aids to Kucinich said he will outline a major new initiative, where older workers, in their early 60s, can take advantage of Social Security retirement benefits to exit the workforce, making room for younger workers who have been struggling to find jobs.

Kucinich said he will introduce his jobs program bill this week on Capitol Hill.

Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/news/22334844/detail.html

[YOY]

1. Curious.

Of course even if it's really a good idea nobody will listen.

Call me a cynic.

[The Sushi Bandit]

21. OK

Cynic!

[ChromeFoundry]

2. I rec'd this, but it got cancelled out. guess no one wants to hear any ideas about job creation.

n/t

[neuvocat]

38. Including the two million created by Obama's stimulus.

BTW when's Bush going to be impeached?

[Mithreal]

76. That's an awfully round number you are throwing around.

When ya got something good like that, please post a link where it originated.

I just know an enormous number of jobs were saved, not how many were created using any fancy math gimmicks, too tired to google or be witty.

Please and thank you.

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[Fire1]

4. Older workers in their early 60s can take advantage of their SS

benefits, NOW! They just won't get their FULL benefits if they retire 'early.' PLUS, what about the older worker who wants to continue working to replenish what they lost in either the stock market, Madoff or real estate investments? Screw them, eh?

[MuseRider]

8. Did you read the same article I did?

He said they CAN take advantage of it. I saw nowhere where he said they would have to stop working. Is there more to this than what I read at the link? I am quite surprised that Kucinich would screw over workers. Where did you read that?

[Fire1]

27. And I repeat. They CAN take advantage of it, NOW. If they

so choose. So, how is this a NEW initiative? He did imply, however, this "initiative" would be an incentive to make room for younger workers. This sounds rather "tongue in cheek," to me.

[MuseRider]

30. I guess we will just have to wait

until he introduces it. :shrug:

[icee]

105. Exactly! I'm furious about this proposal. Let's throw grandpa away

so Little Timmy can have a job. My wife needs to work a couple more years to make up for stock market crash. Dennis Kucinich is now off my list. I am writing an epistle to him.

[winyanstaz]

114. I think you have misunderstood....

We have the ability to continue working even if collecting social security...
This is nothing new.

[icee]

119. It lowers it to 60. So the amount you can earn at 60 will be limited

to whatever figure they come up with. Then it will be reduced 2:1 for every dollar over that figure. So a person takes the 60 election, retires, then they can make, what 13,000 roughly, and then lose their SS. Course, Obama will try to reduce Social Security benefits during his single term. Furthermore, I predict people will be forced to work well into their 70's.

[Eric J in MN]

116. It's an option. The bill won't force people to retire.

People can now retire at 62 with partial Social Security benefits. The bill would lower that to 60.

[wordpix]

107. don't forget replenishing funds when they get canned b/c they're "too old"

If you're in your '50's, you're considered "too old" to hire, should you have lost your previous job because you were "too old." Instead of being considered experienced and therefore valuable, we older workers are a liability due to assumed health problems.

As for me, I have no health problems but two previous colleagues of mine in their 20's-early 30's have major health problems. Still, we have to abide by the stereotypes.

[icee]

120. Exactly. My wife is in this position now. She works faster than

three of the other nurses combined but she getting old and the hospital can hire someone cheaper. They don't care that we had reverses in the market because of the government. I could go on wordpix but instead I'll just wait for the time we are standing next to one another with sticks and stones and riot geart policemen are marching towards us.

[Eric J in MN]

115. At age 62, people can now retire with partial Social Security benefits.

Kucinich apparently wants to lower that to 60.

[high density]

5. I'd rather just kill seniors with the public option

Seems a lot cheaper than expanding social security.

How does forcing out older workers "add one million jobs?" Plus it seems companies are already doing a bang-up job of this on their own without incentives from the government.

[abelenkpe]

13. They already are

forcing out older workers as you mentioned. Maybe this is an effort to make sure older workers already being forced out have some form of secure income? I can't imagine anyone proposing something that would be harmful to seniors. Unless they are a libertarian. Aren't they all for that: getting rid of pensions, outsourcing everything, destroying unions, diminishing workers rights only with the added bonus of getting rid of social security too. Such a nice group of kids, wanting to kick grandma to the curb.

[MidwestTransplant]

16. Hey if you figure out how one can preside over a death panel, I am all ears.

[TheEuclideanOne]

74. Me too. I kinda liked the whole death panel thing.

Sadly, it was just a lie, but one can still hope.

[Enthusiast]

80. All unproductive people

should be eliminated. Homosexuals, socialists, Communists, the mentally and physically disabled, Gypsies and all undesirable races. Too many mouths to feed. We have war to fight.

[vadawg]

84. yup heard it before many times and it always starts the same way...

[Enthusiast]

87. The parallels

with 1930s Germany are striking. Attack the unions, the homosexuals, recruit religious leaders to insure the people that we are on the right path....

But the American people no longer know the history. And that's why it CAN happen here. Well, it IS happening here.

[lark]

124. Hmm, seems like there is a common thread

The Bush family was strongly supportive of Hitler and the 3rd Reich, Prescott Bush is one of very few people convicted of trading with the enemy during WWII. Now, here the Repugs are incorporating German SS tactics and the sheeple continue to sleep.

[winyanstaz]

129. Well if we are going to go that way...why not start with the real troublemakers?

Congress, the pentagon, the bankers and the courts.
Then if we get rid of the racists...we could have a little peace as well.

[icee]

106. Exactly!!!!!!!

[Ruby the Liberal]

6. I wonder how he proposes to fund this

So many lost so much money the last 2 years out of their nesteggs. People are actually looking to work longer to try to make it back up.

Besides, is SS solvent enough to expand?

I am going to hold back on this until I can see the proposal.

[boppers]

31. I had the same thought, where's the funding?

Conversely, keeping more young people *out* of the workplace by putting more into college would also diminish the pool of labor, and would be an investment, but how would one fund it?

[Ruby the Liberal]

36. Good point. College is not the do-all-end-all answer.

There are trades that secure income that have nothing to do with college - and will rebuild the backbone of the country. Today, too many (myself included) have the BS but aren't trained to do anything in this economy.

If we pull these kids out of the workforce by telling them college is the answer, then what do we tell this group with no experience when they join the glut of the potential workforce when their degrees are worth what a HS diploma was worth in the 80's?

Of course, being an employer's market, we are in a catch-22 on degree requirements.

I have no answers. :(

[winyanstaz]

128. Well perhaps he will work towards ending a war or two....

that should pay for it just fine.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

45. How much is SS? I didn't think it was enough ot retire on.

I know too many seniors who are still working because they can't afford to retire.

[Ruby the Liberal]

55. I have averaged $35k over 20 years and my statement says $1,200 a month

if I were 65 (or is it 67?).

I am in my mid-40s now.

[Enthusiast]

81. I'm not sure I understand.

Could you clairify, please.

[Lasher]

88. I'm sure Ruby is talking about the Social Security statement we get.

The one that provides individuals' lifetime earnings records and estimations of benefits. And by "if I were 65 (or is it 67?)" she's thinking of her full retirement age, which is probably 67 thanks to Saint Ronnie.

Looking at my statement, I see I will be penalized $6,624 every year for starting to receive my Social Security benefit early at age 62.

[Enthusiast]

90. Thank you, Lasher. nt

[Ruby the Liberal]

95. Sorry that was ambiguous. Lasher is correct.

I was referring to the annual statement they send out. The 'when you are 65, this will be your income' one.

[RufusTFirefly]

68. Why is it that solvency is an isssue except when we're bombing the sh*t out of other countries? n/t

[Lasher]

89. Because war bucks is sacred.

Not a waste of money like caring for the elderly and infirm.

[liberalmike27]

104. Plenty to kill f'erners

sparse dollars to save 'Mer'cans.

The MIC is one of the most obfuscated subjects in the MSM. Obfuscation is perhaps, the worst way our media is conservative. Other ignored issues, any real discussion of the drug war, not much on the death penalty, or any talk of why criminals become criminals. These things used to surface once and a while.

[Lasher]

108. We can expect nothing more from a media that is owned by rightwing extremists.

And sponsored by corporations.

[kenfrequed]

102. Agreed.

The deficet is never an issue when you are giving tax cuts to Gazilllionaires or bombing the hell out of some other country.

[customerserviceguy]

94. That was my first thought

Social Security is headed for that baby boomer cliff fast enough already. The only way to have this idea pay for itself is to raise taxes on people who are paying into the system now.

[GinaMaria]

109. The baby boomer cliff has been extended some what

many boomers lost retirement savings and will now be working past the age of retirement, to try to make up for their losses. Why are our lives so tied to the stock market?

[customerserviceguy]

123. Yes, there will be boomers working a few years longer

but all that means is that by the time they get there, they'll have built up their monthly payments just a bit higher. For them, the recession has just made a bigger problem later.

Don't forget that there are a lot of boomers who have (or will) exhaust their unemployment compensation, and will have to take benefits at 62 just to simply survive. They're pushing us closer to the edge of the cliff. I'm 54, and have doubts about seeing even a dime from the program.

[GinaMaria]

127. If Rahm has his way

Neither of us will see a dime of the money we put in. I've been contributing since I was 12 and working in the family business. I'm at the tail end of the baby boom almost Gen X. Everything will be gone by then I fear. Remember when we has a SS surplus and jackass robbed it for his war? Wish it had really been in a lockbox and the key was hidden from these greedy bastards in our government.

[rucky]

99. He's always been for raising the cap.

I betcha that's in there, too.

[Ruby the Liberal]

122. This would be needed as a bare minimum

[OllieLotte]

7. How does this create a single job?

Unless you count the government workers keeping track of the program. You take a job from an older worker, pay them to retire, then give the job to a younger worker. Sum of jobs created...zero.

[beardown]

9. The article says new jobs, Kucinich's proposal didn't.

At least the article it linked to didn't include any of his comments that said they were 'new' jobs, although it depends on the point of view. To a person with a job or an economist it would not create a new job. To an unemployed person who got one of the jobs opened up by someone using Kucinich's plan to retire early it would create a new job. From either perspective, there would be one more person with some income and that person would mostly likely be in the financial situation that most or all of the income would be going right back into the economy where it will help to create more jobs and not sitting in a Swiss bank or bailed out bank.

[thesquanderer]

14. how it could work

re: "You take a job from an older worker, pay them to retire, then give the job to a younger worker. Sum of jobs created...zero."


You take a job from a 60 year old worker, who would be willing and eager to retire, if only s/he had soc security available.

There is now a new job available to the unemployed work force, a position that was not available before. (Or someone else in the company is promoted to the position, and a lower level position opens up in turn.)

If the amount of the soc security payment is reduced (permanently) compared to what the retiree would have gotten had s/he retired as scheduled at a later age, it could be worked out so that the total ultimate cost to the SS system would be zero. (The exact numbers for that kind of thing are what actuaries work out.)

It does sound like a possible way to create new jobs. By "new" I simply mean newly available jobs for people who are currently unemployed. If this can indeed be done, without it costing the government anything in the long run, allowing people who want to retire early to be able to do so (without forcing anyone to retire who doesn't want to), it kind of does sound like a win-win situation all around. Happy retirees, lower unemployment, zero cost.

[OhioChick]

10. Another Source:

A plan to create a million jobs

Congressman Dennis Kucinich unveils the program.
By Colleen O'Neill, Newsradio WTAM 1100
Monday, January 25, 2010
(Lakewood)- Congressman Dennis Kucinich has unveiled a program that he says will create a million jobs.

The plan would temporarily lower the social security early retirement age to 60, and expand the federal cobra health insurance subsidy to encourage older workers to retire early.

Kucinich says, they expect 25% of people to take this option, which would open up a million jobs for younger workers who are unemployed.

The Congressman says, he has never seen the economy so bad. December marked the 24th consecutive month that the economy lost jobs and right now 15 million workers are unemployed.

Kucinich will introduce his bill this week on Capitol Hill. He wants to have it in place by the summer.

http://www.wtam.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=122520&article=6685378

[SlingBlade]

11. Kucinich Rocks K & R :)

[orbitalman]

12. See, I told you Kucinich should be president!! n/t

[Kat45]

15. What about us older folks who always had low paying jobs?

Despite an advanced degree, I've always had low paying jobs and even decent jobs that I've had have been less than 40 hours. Not to mention too many years spent between jobs. I saw the statement of what my social security earnings would be, and the amount is miniscule. There is no way I could support myself on that! Obviously I also have not been able to save a whole lot for retirement either. I feel like I will never, ever be able to retire. Exacerbating the situation is the fact that my job was eliminated just over a year ago and I still have not been able to find anything. The economy and lack of available jobs is one factor. Age discrimination is another. To me, this initiative sounds like it would give companies another excuse to not hire older workers.

[jwirr]

59. Your job history sounds somewhat like mine. I get around $300 a

month Social Security and Social Security Supplemental Income makes up the difference. Yes, I am poor but I am making it. Now the question would be will this plan open these older workers up to SSI also. If not then they definitely would not be able to retire.

[Goldstein1984]

17. Obviously not much detail at this point in time, but...

This will probably help the working poor, such as older workers in low-paying positions in retail.

I just went to the social security website to get an estimate of my benefit. If I retire at 62, my gross social security income would be a fraction of my current net income.

I wouldn't volunteer for that. Or twice that. Or three times that. A lot of my net income goes to help out several unemployed relatives.

This would be great, though, for laid-off workers in the eligible range.

I'm sure the whole package has a lot more to it.

[anonymous171]

18. Can't wait. nt

[HughBeaumont]

19. Like Dennis, like his theory . . .

. . . what's likely to happen, however, is that the senior worker will be let go, the suits won't replace the position, they'll get the existing younger workers to pick up the slack. Higher productivity numbers, no cost if it's a salary position, more for the CEO pockets.

You're dealing with people who give not one SHIT about us, Dennis.

[Flatulo]

63. That's exactly what will happen (has been happening)... they use

the fear of layoff to get younger salaried workers to put in 50, 60 or more hours per week.

As a salaried engineer, my former employer(s) used to force the engineers to come in on weekends so that they would not have to pay hourly techs to work. If you didn't come in, you were not 'on the team' and eventually got canned.

Of course all the people who did work for free eventually got canned anyway, including me.

Live and learn.

[Johnny Harpo]

20. And What About Health Care / Medicare

This still doesn't seem to address thw issue of health care.

As it is now if one 'retires' at 62 it is at reduced benefits with a 'salary' cap (so if one continues to work the SS payment won't be reduced) that is around 14.1 per year. Anything over the cap and there is a one dollar reduction in SS for every two dollars earned over the cap.

BUT...if one retires at 62 they still have to wait until 65 to have Medicare.

A better incentive for early retirement might be en-acting Medicare eligibility at 62.

And as far as COBRA is concerned, I don't think anyone in Congress really realizes just how damn expensive it is.

For a vast majority of the un-employed it is a choice between paying for COBRA or paying the rent/mortgage and buying food.

[OhioChick]

22. Another Source...

Rep. Kucinich's plan to create 1 million jobs: Pay some workers to retire early
By Plain Dealer guest writer
January 24, 2010, 3:35AM


By Dennis Kucinich

Last month, the country lost another 85,000 jobs, the 24th consecutive month that the economy lost jobs. A stunning 10 percent of Americans are unemployed, and many more are too discouraged to look for work. Already, the breadth and depth of the Great Recession is worse than anything our country has experienced since World War II.

Economists, the Congressional Budget Office and even the International Monetary Fund predict that employment prospects will increase only slowly, in large part because this recession was caused by a financial crisis.

The problem facing Congress, then, is how to create permanent, rather than temporary, jobs, and how to do it quickly. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which I supported, was a first step but fell short of what our economy needs. We need more ideas to counteract the unemployment caused by this recession.

One such idea, which I will be introducing this week in the House of Representatives, is based on a time-tested, successful approach pioneered by unions. With it, we will be able put 1 million people back to work in the private sector almost immediately -- and at low cost to the federal government of only $15,000 per person.

The idea is to provide financial support to workers, age 60 to 62, who are currently employed, to opt for a temporary, expanded early retirement benefit under Social Security. The jobs those individuals leave will need to be refilled, even under the current recessionary circumstances. Employers will hire an equal number of unemployed people to take their places. With approximately 4.2 million workers in that age group, we would need only one-quarter of them to elect to take expanded early retirement in order to create 1 million private-sector jobs.

Such a rate of participation is reasonable to assume: Nearly 70 percent of workers elect to take early retirement under current rules, which allow eligible individuals to begin receiving a smaller Social Security benefit starting at age 62.

The Kucinich Plan is far from radical -- unions have done something similar for years. The United Auto Workers first negotiated with the auto companies to secure early retirement after 30 years in the factories decades ago. The pensions paid those early retirees a benefit plus the Social Security equivalent, until the retiree reached age 62 (the Social Security age of early retirement). Then Social Security began to pay.

The union pension fund provided health care. The Kucinich Plan will use the federal COBRA subsidy passed as part of the Recovery Act to subsidize the cost of health care for those workers who choose to participate in the program.

The cost to the federal government of the expanded early retirement option would be less than $15 billion. Compared to the $700 billion bank bailout, this modest investment will help our economy to recover.

The plan will impose no additional costs to Social Security, since individuals electing expanded early retirement will receive an actuarially further-reduced Social Security benefit, supplemented by money already appropriated to deal with the financial crisis, to account for the additional years they will receive it.

The fact is that many workers at the end of their careers can't wait to retire. Work for many of those workers has been physically difficult. Early retirement for them is a relief. When the unions negotiated for it, early retirement represented real social progress. Work remains physically difficult in many occupations, and while jobs should be safer and less physically demanding, a job -- any job -- can be better than none.

That is why we should take a page from the movement of American workers and create a temporary expanded early retirement option. It will help workers who need to take early retirement to do so, while making 1 million permanent private-sector jobs available for the unemployed.

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/01/rep_kucinichs_plan_to_create_1.html

[Krashkopf]

23. A "Cash for Geezers" program!

[rucky]

98. hey now!

that was funny

[tranche]

121. funny

[WonderGrunion]

24. Is he hiring people to carry his ego around?

n/m

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[flvegan]

29. :facepalm:

If only it were painful to be so...nevermind.

[fascisthunter]

40. why don't you find out and get back to us

[NorthCarolina]

43. Perhaps you could lend him one of your ego toting people?

Second thought, that would probably be way overkill.

[WonderGrunion]

53. Now you want Saint Dennis to outsource?

Why do you hate unions?

[ShamelessHussy]

47. That's what 'we' call leaders who actually have ideas for we the people?

epic

[WonderGrunion]

52. And yet it's "only words" when Obama says what he wants done.

Dennis won't propose anything that may actaually pass and he would have to be responsible for.

[OhioChick]

48. I give the man credit....

At least he's "trying" to come up with some ideas. I don't see/hear of many others even trying.

[WonderGrunion]

54. Obama prevented the collapse of the nation

And all he gets from the Dennis worshipers around here is that he is a corporatist and a sell-out. I have no patience for Dennis. He is a gadfly and irrelevant to the party.

[OnyxCollie]

56. Has Obama replaced the politicized US Attorneys that bush appointed yet?

You know, the ones who serve at the pleasure of the President? Guess Obama's OK with a politicized (repub) law officer receiving information through the Patriot Act and weakened FISA laws (that Sen. Obama voted for), now that domestic surveillance is free from any judicial review.

[Enthusiast]

83. Perfect comeback.

I guess they serve at President Obama's pleasure. It is shocking after the abuses by the Bush Administration that President Obama would ignore the U.S. attorney issue. Among other curious issues, that is.

[LWolf]

57. "prevented the collapse of the nation."

Oh, brother. :eyes:

[lark]

126. collapse of a nation?

He prevented the collapse of the mega rich wall St. class and did almost nothing for anyone else. His health bill supports the rich insurance co., & big pharma and does very little else. It's a common theme - with him it's all about actually supporting the rich and powerful while only talking up the little guy. He's so very much of a major disappointment.

[t0dd]

60. ...

[Cali_Democrat]

75. Oh my

That was pretty effin funny :rofl:

[Enthusiast]

82. Do you?

[AngryOldDem]

96. Jesus, this place is so predictable.

At least the man is trying to do something -- dare I say -- constructive and productive. Which right now is more than I can say about 99.9% of Congress (or the President, for that matter).

I've never understood the Kucinich=Bad meme around here.

[proudohioan]

101. AGREE!!!!

Personally, I'm about ready to hop in the car and drive over to Dennis' office and offer my assistance in any way possible. Hell, I'm unemployed, got nothing else to do with my time!

[madrchsod]

25. it`s medicare that i want!

i retired last year because at 62 i could`t find a job. we need medicare!

[SteveM]

72. Precisely. I'll be 62 in May w/ no job, no health insurance...

and around $600/mo. SS. (I could get $800 at 65. wow.)

I'm retired whether I like it or not. Ain't NO WAY anyone is going to hire someone my age; in fact, most people I know who are over 50 and looking for work are getting PPT work or no work at all.

If I could pull $800/mo SS at 62, I would take it and run. Things are really crappy. Makes you wish for FDR; hell LBJ looks good about now!

[Joanne98]

26. Great idea and very simple. I love it.

[veganlush]

32. I like it. ...........n/t

[jpak]

33. Only a million? He's about 6 million short I think...

:evilgrin:

[Peregrine Took]

34. All Obama can do is talk about jobs - here is an actual plan! n/t

[JNelson6563]

35. I applaud jobs initiatives!

I hope he is able to round up the support he'd need to get such a thing passed. I know his state is hurting as bad as my own poor, badly battered state of MI, so jobs are a foremost to concern to him.

Thanks for thinkin' of the little people Dennis! :toast:

Julie

[elocs]

37. Well, making announcements is what Dennis Kucinich is good at.

Has there been any major piece of legislation which he authored which is law? Although far be it from me to ever question a DU god.

[DollyM]

39. it's a nice idea but not all factors have been considered

Not as many people have the option of retiring early these days because of several factors. Interest bearing acccounts are paying less, investments are paying less and are worth less so going into retirment is not an option for many people. The other thing to consider is that many older people are working to help support younger family members. My mother is 81 and still working full time. She is the ONLY one in our family that has a full time job. My husband has been out of work nearly two years and I have only found a part time job a few months ago. Then I was told today that my 20 hours a week was being cut to 10 hours! My mother has been helping pay our bills for quite a while anyway so she is not planning on retiring because she knows we are in a real bind. She is a good worker but fears that her job could just as easily be ripped away from her. One of the people she worked with who had been with the company 13 years (also an older worker but not yet retirement age) was let go from her job yesterday. Everyone is just waiting for the ax to fall on the other full time employees.

[fascisthunter]

41. kick (nt)

[RoccoR5955]

44. K & R Kucinich/Sanders 2012

Take Back America for WE THE PEOPLE, not them, the corporations!

[NorthCarolina]

46. K&R for America's Congressman. eom

[stray cat]

49. Is this a real bill that has a chance in hell of seeing the light of day or a wish bill?

In other words are the created jobs more expensive than paying 100,000 to create a 50000 job and is there anything sufficiently practical to entice other members of the congress or senate

[crazyjoe]

50. Does kucinich ever get tired of being ignored?

It would not seem so.

[crazyjoe]

51. how about anyone over 50 can retire, that will

create even more jobs!!!!

[Ishoutandscream2]

58. Crazy, I love your thinking !

[dflprincess]

62. I like it

provided I can collect the Social Security check I'd get if I wait until I'm 70 to retire.
I'd just as soon not have to wait another 13 years.

[Eric J in MN]

118. The proposal is to start partial benefits for retirees at 60 instead of 62 for five years.

http://www.wcpn.org/WCPN/news/29468/

[SteveM]

73. Several years ago, one congressman proposed 55. Your close. nt

[valerief]

61. This would be great. However, why am I thinking that once the oldsters exit, those jobs

will either vanish or be offshored?

[David Zephyr]

64. K&R.

It's people between 50 and 65 who are being pushed out of their jobs, who can not get health care insurance and who are now the most vulnerable.

I want to see his plan.

[grytpype]

65. Typical of Dennis. This won't create one job. Not one.

It won't go anywhere and it will be another Noble Failure for Dennis and the libs.

[Lyric]

125. "Libs"?

Wow. A Freeper slur against liberals on DU. Imagine that.

[Haole Girl]

66. I hope he succeeds

God knows it's long overdue.

[onpatrol98]

67. One Term President

Last week, I heard Axelrod, say "if the President chose to run again?" Yesterday or this morning, whichever, the President was talking about he'd rather be a good one term president than a mediocre two term president. That seems a little strange talk to me, these days. What's with the "if's" these days? I've always taken it for granted that a sitting president, good or otherwise, runs again.

[No Elephants]

79. See Lyndon Johnson, among others.

[JoeyT]

93. Then he's still not hitting his goal.

He's been neither good nor mediocre.
I'm hoping that'll change now that his first year is out of the way.

[DeadEyeDyck]

69. Why not offer the platinum SSN short term plan...

you go to Vegas(or Hawaii, etc) and have the week of your life, all the shows and live in a lifestyle you would never have imagined. But when the vacation was over, yiou agree to Off Yourself under a government program and "clear the roles." A stipend would be paid to your offspring as inheritance and then the government would be off the hook.

Look people. Get serious. Only so many kind ride the bus at any given time!

[katmondoo]

70. You cannot live on SS alone

He is being ridiculous

[hayu_lol]

71. I really wish that Dennis and his followers would get their...

collective heads out of their asses and look around for a touch of reality.

I'm pushing 75. Was downsized 16 months ago from a job I had done for over 13 years. That move eliminated a third of my income(pension plus job).

Dennis desperately wants to be the next pretzeldent.

I needed that job(permanent part-time)just to live.

Dennis is nothing but a freak.

[No Elephants]

78. What does Dennis's proposal have to do with your being fired?

I'm sorry you don't have your part time job, but some people have no job, no pension and no OASDI and no prospect of being hired again in the foreseeable future, if ever. Starting them early on Social Security gives them at least that--and Medicare. No one is saying it will be a lush life, only that something is better than nothing.

[Enthusiast]

86. I'll ask again.

Please stop calling Dennis names. Many of us love and support Dennis.

[No Elephants]

77. Yet, many do live on Social Security alone. And always have. It's better than nothing.

[Enthusiast]

85. Millions of Americans do.

Some have no choice.

[fascisthunter]

111. You'd be surprised

a lot of people depend on what little SS does for them. This is why the "They live off the system so they don't have to work" meme is garbage. Very few like living off of so little, that's why a lot of teens get involved in criminal practices in order to make more money. Conservatives just don't understand human nature, they assume way too much.

[DisgustedInMN]

91. That's Dennis Kucinich...

.. from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. DLC set to denounce his plan as "crazy leftwing radicalism" in 5.. 4.. 3..

[Little Star]

92. Why can't the President & Congress think outside of the box ?

[cleveramerican]

97. political stunt / throwing his groupies a bone

when he voted NO on HCR he showed his true intentions.

This initiative will die silently and quickly.

He is a clown who's act has grown tiresome.

[blueworld]

100. I'm curious & looking forward to the details

Depending on the amount available to "we the geezers", it could be wonderful for all concerned, particularly as regards Medicare. If employers have a younger, healthier workforce their insurance costs will also go down; another benefit. I shall await the details.

[Overseas]

103. Wow, a Democrat honoring FDR rather than Herbert Hoover!

What a concept!

[naaman fletcher]

110. To be clear, this is not "adding" jobs.

I think it might be a good idea, but it's not "adding" jobs. It is choosing which part of the workforce is unemployed. It might be a good thing, as near-seniors might want to be unemployed if they can get full SS.

[Zorra]

112. Don't blame me, I voted for Dennis Kucinich. n/t

[TreasonousBastard]

113. So, Saint Dennis is trying to steal attention from...

the President's SOTU address with another half-assed shopworn plan nobody thought through. Just how does this fit in with pension and retirement plans people already have?

Pushing out older workers to make room for younger ones is not a jobs plan-- it's just a common, albeit somewhat unsavory, way for employers to reduce costs and would be government approved under this "plan." Instead of employers looking for lame excuses to fire or not hire older workers so they don't fall afoul of age discrimination rules, they would be encouraged to push them out, and the workers would be encouraged to bend over.

Granted, many workers would take advantage of early retirement, as many already have under private deals, but this would not create one new job while encouraging, even forcing, unplanned retirements.

[Dave From Canada]

117. This isn't a jobs program, it's a retirement program. It doesn't grow the economy by one penny.