ADA Kicks Off Thursday Forums With A Bang
In the first of what will hopefully be many more forums to come, ADA hosted and event in the Capitol Building today.
Featured guests included ADA President Jim McDermott, Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, former Congresswoman Barbara Kennelly of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and James Roosevelt Jr. who is not only the grandson of Social Security champion Franklin Roosevelt and ADA Founder Eleanor Roosevelt he is also a Social Security expert himself having served as Associate Commissioner of Social Security for Retirement Policy.
Mr. McDermott opened the show to a crowded room of 50+ Hill staffers, ADAers, and media outlining the current debate in Congress.
Ms. Kennelly added to the momentum pointing out that in the proposed private account plans, "not one penny goes toward solvency," and noted that the President's perceived plan actually accelerates the time at which Social Security would spend its current surplus. She described the "voluntary" plans as a "shotgun wedding" approach to retirement security and urged the crowd not to "take your eye off the ball" because our opponents will not.
James Roosevelt, Jr., a current ADA member, described a memo that he keeps displayed in his office. The handwritten memo is from FDR to James' father James Roosevelt, Sr., outlining his vision for Social Security. Mr. Roosevelt pointed out that even between the writing of this memo and the writing of the bill language some aspects change. "But the principles remained the same," he said, "as they do today." The foundation of the plan was to provide the base retirement security insurance which would keep the retirees out of poverty. He noted that over time Social Security has helped bring the percentage of senior citizens living in poverty down to only 8%. Mr. Roosevelt believes that the privatizers want to kill the program. Not because it has failed but because it has been arguably the most successful government program ever. A powerful message indeed.
Hitting clean-up for this event was Dean Baker. He hit it out of the park. (those of you who do not like sports analogies...get over it!) The numbers are the key to reality said Baker. Social Security is, historically, in great shape given that the current ability to pay full benefits for approximately 40 years. Never in the program's history has it been able to say this. Baker had a reality-based answer to every one of the privatization arguments.
The crowd stayed late and we are looking forward our next forum next month.
Featured guests included ADA President Jim McDermott, Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, former Congresswoman Barbara Kennelly of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and James Roosevelt Jr. who is not only the grandson of Social Security champion Franklin Roosevelt and ADA Founder Eleanor Roosevelt he is also a Social Security expert himself having served as Associate Commissioner of Social Security for Retirement Policy.
Mr. McDermott opened the show to a crowded room of 50+ Hill staffers, ADAers, and media outlining the current debate in Congress.
Ms. Kennelly added to the momentum pointing out that in the proposed private account plans, "not one penny goes toward solvency," and noted that the President's perceived plan actually accelerates the time at which Social Security would spend its current surplus. She described the "voluntary" plans as a "shotgun wedding" approach to retirement security and urged the crowd not to "take your eye off the ball" because our opponents will not.
James Roosevelt, Jr., a current ADA member, described a memo that he keeps displayed in his office. The handwritten memo is from FDR to James' father James Roosevelt, Sr., outlining his vision for Social Security. Mr. Roosevelt pointed out that even between the writing of this memo and the writing of the bill language some aspects change. "But the principles remained the same," he said, "as they do today." The foundation of the plan was to provide the base retirement security insurance which would keep the retirees out of poverty. He noted that over time Social Security has helped bring the percentage of senior citizens living in poverty down to only 8%. Mr. Roosevelt believes that the privatizers want to kill the program. Not because it has failed but because it has been arguably the most successful government program ever. A powerful message indeed.
Hitting clean-up for this event was Dean Baker. He hit it out of the park. (those of you who do not like sports analogies...get over it!) The numbers are the key to reality said Baker. Social Security is, historically, in great shape given that the current ability to pay full benefits for approximately 40 years. Never in the program's history has it been able to say this. Baker had a reality-based answer to every one of the privatization arguments.
The crowd stayed late and we are looking forward our next forum next month.
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