Posted on 08/14/2002 12:30:40 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
DASCHLE'S DEMOCRAT SENATE: NO ACTION ON PENSION REFORM
While Democrats Stall, President Bush And Republicans Act To Protect Workers' Pensions
___________________________________________________________________________
PRESIDENT BUSH HAS LED:
"Right now, workers get an update every year. They ought to get updates every three months on their plan. They should be able to get sound investment advice. After all, it's their money. I proposed these reforms months ago. The House acted. The Senate hasn't. The Senate leadership, those who are running the Senate now ought to bring these worker reforms forward. They ought to get this pension reform bill up and to my desk as soon as they get back from their vacations."
(President Bush, Remarks At The Madison Central High School In Madison, Mississippi, August 7, 2002)
PRESIDENT BUSH PROVIDED VISION AND LEADERSHIP
President Bush Proposed A Five-Point Pension Reform Plan That Would Grant Workers Greater Freedom In Their Retirement Portfolios. The President's plan required companies to: (1) set one standard for executives and employees; (2) give a 30-day notice before any blackout period; (3) hold company executives responsible for treating workers' assets as carefully as they do their own; (4) provide independent investment advice for workers; and (5) regularly give information to workers about their accounts.
(President Bush, Radio Address To The Nation, February 2, 2002)
The President Spoke Out Strongly On The Issue. "[W]e've got to do more to protect worker pensions. Right now, too many workers are locked into plans that force them to hold a large portion of their accounts in their company stock. There are a lot of plans that won't let people diversify. And that's not right. I believe workers ought to be able to diversify after three years in their company's plan. I think we ought to trust workers with their own money."
(President Bush, Remarks At The Madison Central High School In Madison, Mississippi, August 7, 2002)
THE REPUBLICAN-LED HOUSE FOLLOWED
The Republican-Led House Quickly Passed A Bi-Partisan Pension Reform Measure With The Support Of 46 House Democrats.
(H.R. 3762, Roll Call #92: Approved 255-163: R 208-2; D 46-160; I 1-1, April 11, 2002)
The House-Approved Measure Was Based On President Bush's Proposal. House leaders said the bill was "based on principles President Bush outlined for pension reform" and "responds to Enron by making it easier for employees to obtain investment advice and encourage diversification of their stock options."
("House, Senate Begin To Take Measure Of Fallout From Enron," National Journal's CongressDaily, April 11, 2002)
The House-Approved Bi-Partisan Measure Would Help Protect Workers' Pensions. "The legislation would: Allow workers to sell their company stock within three years of receiving it in 401(k) accounts. At Enron, employees were prevented from selling company-issued stock until age 50. Bar company executives from selling their own stock during 'blackout' periods when ordinary workers can't make changes in their 401(k) plans. Give workers 30 days' notice before the start of any such blackout. Let workers receive investment advice from the same companies that manage their retirement accounts. The bill's supporters say that if Enron workers had gotten such advice, they might have known better than to concentrate so much of their savings in just one stock. Protect employers against legal liability for stock losses that may occur during blackout periods."
(Marilyn Geewax, "Enron Entanglements: Pension Reform Bill Facing A Test In Senate," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 12, 2002)
THE DEMOCRAT-LED SENATE FAILED
Daschle Refused To Even Allow A Democrat Pension Reform Bill On The Floor. Daschle told Senator Kennedy "he would not let Kennedy offer his far-reaching pension reform bill . . ."
(Alexander Bolton, "Democrats' Tiff Stalls Pension Bill," The Hill, July 10, 2002)
The Democrat Senate Won't Take Up Pension Reform Until September At The Earliest. Daschle said "he didn't expect the Senate to consider any pension reform measure until September."
(Caroline E. Mayer, "As Pension Bills Gain, Differences Remain," The Washington Post, July 11, 2002)
Not Two Weeks Later, Daschle Changed His Tune On When The Senate Would Consider Pension Reform. He later changed his mind, saying that the Senate would take up pension reform "as soon as a homeland security bill is completed . . . ," which could be as late as October.
("Daschle: Pension Reform Will Follow Homeland Debate," National Journal's CongressDaily, August 1, 2002)
That's why I wonder about the pundits who think that Bush asking Congress to declare war on Iraq is a slam-dunk. If Bush did ask Congress to declare war on Iraq, say, in September, do you think that Congress will oblige or will Daschle and Gephardt stall and/or vote NO because they fear a war action during the mid-term election?
-PJ
94th Congress (1975-1977)
Majority Party: Democrat (60 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (38 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Conservative; 1 Independent
Total Seats: 100
95th Congress (1977-1979)
Majority Party: Democrat (61 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (38 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Independent
Total Seats: 100
96th Congress (1979-1981)
Majority Party: Democrat (58 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (41 seats)
Other Parties: 1 Independent
Total Seats: 100
Remember, congress is only a threat when it's making laws. At all other times it is relatively benign.
Shalom.
When someone offers a bill to make us all completely dependent for every morsel and penny on our "lords" in Washington D.C., then you'll see Daschle smash over and through over all the Senate's "rules" to get that bill to the floor.
That should be the mantra. Repeated about every issue.
The Dems used this to great advantage with their 'tax cuts for the rich' line. They've been using it for years and with good reason - it still works.
And that is why I think Terry McAwful and his handlers (the Clintons) are working so furiously to discredit President Bush right now. They want the American people to question the alleged coming war, and get his ratings down so there won't be the popular support. It will be an interesting election season this year, one that the Republicans must prevail in...
Please FReepers, take some time out of your busy schedules and write to the Senators and ask them, "How can you justify your lack of productivity since Senator D'asshole took over as Majority Leader?! Save our Pensions by passing the House Pension Reform Measure (H.R. 3762, Roll Call #92: Approved 255-163: R 208-2; D 46-160; I 1-1, April 11, 2002)"
This is an admittedly out of date list of Senate Email addresses.
put "Dear Senator" in the TO ADDRESS field, have it routed to yourself in your address book for a file copy. Then paste the following list into the BCC ADDRESS field and each recipient will be unaware that you have blanketed them all.
chuck_grassley@grassley.senate.gov; chuck_hagel@hagel.senate.gov; comments@roth.senate.gov; connie@mack.senate.gov; conrad_burns@burns.senate.gov; craig@thomas.senate.gov; dick@durbin.senate.gov; email@murkowski.senate.gov; frank_lautenberg@lautenberg.senate.gov; info@kyl.senate.gov; jesse_helms@helms.senate.gov; jim_inhofe@inhofe.senate.gov; john_ashcroft@ashcroft.senate.gov; john_kerry@kerry.senate.gov; kit_bond@bond.senate.gov; larry_craig@craig.senate.gov; mail_grams@grams.senate.gov; mailbox@gregg.senate.gov; mailbox@rpc.senate.gov; max@baucus.senate.gov; mcollins@rnchq.org; michigan@abraham.senate.gov; olympia@snowe.senate.gov; opinion@smith.senate.gov; pat_roberts@roberts.senate.gov; sam_brownback@brownback.senate.gov; sen_dodd@dodd.senate.gov; senator.hutchinson@hutchinson.senate.gov; senatorlott@lott.senate.gov; senator@akaka.senate.gov; senator@bennett.senate.gov; senator@biden.senate.gov; senator@boxer.senate.gov; senator@breaux.senate.gov; senator@bryan.senate.gov; senator@cochran.senate.gov; senator@collins.senate.gov; senator@conrad.senate.gov; senator@dorgan.senate.gov; senator@dpm.senate.gov; senator@enzi.senate.gov; senator@feingold.senate.gov; senator@feinstein.senate.gov; senator@hutchison.senate.gov; senator@inouye.senate.gov; senator@kennedy.senate.gov; senator@landrieu.senate.gov; senator@levin.senate.gov; senator@mcconnell.senate.gov; senator@mikulski.senate.gov; senator@nickles.senate.gov; senator@rockefeller.senate.gov; senator@santorum.senate.gov; senator@sarbanes.senate.gov; senator@sessions.senate.gov; senator@shelby.senate.gov; senator@thurmond.senate.gov; senator@warner.senate.gov; senator@wyden.senate.gov; senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov; senator_byrd@byrd.senate.gov; senator_chafee@chafee.senate.gov; senator_coverdell@coverdell.senate.gov; senator_dewine@dewine.senate.gov; senator_domenici@domenici.senate.gov; senator_frist@frist.senate.gov; senator_gorton@gorton.senate.gov; senator_hatch@hatch.senate.gov; senator_kohl@kohl.senate.gov; senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov; senator_lieberman@lieberman.senate.gov; senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov; senator_max_cleland@cleland.senate.gov; senator_mccain@mccain.senate.gov; senator_murray@murray.senate.gov; senator_reid@reid.senate.gov; senator_specter@specter.senate.gov; senator_stevens@stevens.senate.gov; senator_thompson@thompson.senate.gov; senator_torricelli@torricelli.senate.gov; senatorlott@lott.senate.gov; tim@johnson.senate.gov; tom_daschle@daschle.senate.gov; tom_harkin@harkin.senate.gov; vermont@jeffords.senate.gov
Much thanks to "eazdzit" for compiling this list.
When the Senators get back from their August Recess, we want them to be inundated with thousands upon thousands of emails linking them to this thread!! Then, none of them can claim, "WE JUST HAD NO IDEA!!!"
Hey Senators...INCOMING!!!!
Once you've e-FReeped 'em once, please consider doing it again...and again...and again...changing the message each time so that they're more inclined read each email.
FReegards...MUD
Once again, put "Dear Media" in the TO ADDRESS field, have it routed to yourself in your address book for a file copy. Then paste the following list into the BCC ADDRESS field and each recipient will be unaware that you have blanketed them all.
speaker@aim.org, takeaction@americasvoice.com, pat@theamericancause.org, cbnonline@cbn.org, viewer@c-span.org, cato@free-market.net, drudge@drudgereport.com, comment@foxnews.com, letter@globe.com, insight@wt.infi.net, jwatch@erols.com, imus@msnbc.com, hq@lp.org, marklevin@aol.com, jacolumn@toto.net, feedback@usatoday.com, editor@dolphin.gulf.net
That's just a start, and we'll compile any other media emails as you make them available to this thread.
FReegards...MUD
putting "Dear Media" in the TO ADDRESS field, and have it routed to yourself in your address book for a file copy. Then paste the following list into the BCC ADDRESS field and each recipient will be unaware that you have blanketed them all. Please be polite--yet firm--in asking why there has been such inadequate coverage of the Senate's Obstruction since Senator D'asshole became Majority Leader, then check back into this thread and let us know what you said.
letters@newsweek.com, letters@time.com, conedit@ajc.com, letters@baltsun.com, letter@globe.com, news@globe.com, letterstoeditor@bostonherald.com, opinion@charlotte.com, letters@suntimes.com, news@cleveland.com, letterstoeditor@dallasnews.com, letters@denverpost.com, business@det-freepress.com, letter@detnews.com, viewpoints@chron.com, letters@latimes.com, HeraldEd@herald.com, politics@startribune.com, letters@newsday.com, letters@nytimes.com, Inquirer.Opinion@phillynews.com, DailyNews.Opinion@phillynews.com, letters@post-gazette.com, letters@uniontrib.com, chronletters@sfgate.com, letters@examiner.com, letters@sjmercury.com, editpage@seattle-pi.com, opinion@seatimes.com, editor@usatoday.com, letter.editor@edit.wsj.com, Letterstoed@washpost.com, wtnews@wt.infi.net, feedback@cnn.com, cnn.onair@cnn.com, crossfire@cnn.com, viewer@c-span.org, colmments@foxnews.com, hardball@cnbc.com, letters@msnbc.com, opinion@msnbc.com, TheNews@msnbc.com, dateline@news.nbc.com, nightly@news.nbc.com, today@news.nbc.com, MTP@nbc.com
Let's do the Big Guv'ment Media Sycophants research for them, folks, and then see if we don't see a few more stories about The Great Obstructionist, Tommy D'asshole!!
FReegards...MUD
I’ve gone totally insane at this point. Can anyone give me an example of a “pension” plan that forces them to hold a large portion of their “account” in company stock?
I suppose that may apply in a company that had a company-controlled pension plan – that they’d fund it via company stock. But are there not federal regulations regarding funding levels? Does anyone actually work for a place that has a company pension anymore? You do not “diversify” either, usually – money is contributed on your behalf and invested or paid out by the plan administrators but you do not do any “investing” with it – they do. All you do is collect some money some day assuming you are vested and meet age and years of service levels.
I know the Teamsters Western States Pension Fund, for instance, does not have a mechanism for “diversifying” your “account.” Not that I’ve ever heard of. And in that case, it is not the workers own money either – it is pension fund money until you are vested and meet the requirements and the check arrives in the mail (and clears the bank).
They keep saying pension but it sounds like they are talking about 401k’s to me. And if they are, then a lot of this stuff doesn’t make sense. Maybe my taking a nap will help...
It ain't gonna happen overnight, especially if the GOPers don't start standing up strongly for a decreased role for the Federal Leviathan and Justice for criminals from the previous Administration!! Still, I believe it is entirely do-able to get up to 53-54 Senate seats in the next Congress, as well as picking up 20-30 House seats!!
That'd be a decent start...MUD
...i'm gettin' pretty good at seein' this stuff comin' down the pike, eh? {g}
Would roach spray work any better? Max Cleland (dim-GA) will be gone, maybe Zell will wake up a cross the aisle.
Dissention or not, vote no on Trent Lott.
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