Posted on 02/22/2005 6:47:54 PM PST by Dan Walsh
My democommie Congressman Pete Visclosky had a Social Security forum at 2:30 this afternoon.
I figure setting an afternoon forum was to assure that nobody with a job could show up!!
So I decided I need to take some time away from my business and give my congress critter a little heat!
Usually my congressman's town meetings attract less than fifty people, so I was shocked to see the room jammed packed and people scrambling to open the divider into the adjacent room.
Seems a co-sponsor of the forum was the Alliance for Retired Americans which I now know is a front group for the AFL-CIO. Their mission is to scare these retirees who have already had their pension funds raided by the union and by their companies filing bankruptcies. The group’s president gave short presentation on how wonderful social security is just the was it is. He assured us the trust fund was 100% secure until 2050.
He did have some suggestions though. First that Congress pay back all the billions it borrowed from the trust fund. Interesting since had just said the trust fund was fine the way it was. The rest involved paying more money to beneficiaries with minor children and those who are over 85! I'm sure that will do miracles to extend the solvency of social security.
When they opened up for audience opinions I was quick to the nearest Mic.
I told the crowd that Anybody with sense knows that Social Security is broke right now. They won't be able to pay your March check if people were to with hold paying taxes this week. I don't want to be coming to these meeting every ten years to fight my retirement. I want completely in my name right now so I don't have the government or some bankrupt company controlling my retirement.
Social Security should be 100% privatized immediately.
The room erupted in boos. The Moderator admonished the crowd to let me have my say.
Ever so intimidated by the greedy geezers, I told them all people here over 50 need to go home. Privatizing social security was only for people under 50. The current problems with social security was entirely their own fault for electing leaders like our congressman who has blown the entire trust fund.
I told them my generation needs to borrow the money to pay the benefits they had been promised but after that we need 100% privatization so that my children would never be stuck with underfunded pensions and government spending away everyone’s retirement.
Since only about four people applauded I don’t think I changed any minds.
Constructive criticism on how I might of been less confrontational and more convincing are welcome!!
Being less confrontation does not work. Get getting into their faces.
Well done!
Sounds like you were very brave to speak the truth to a hostile crowd. I suspect that you weren't going to change any minds, though, as it appears that the crowd was a bunch of old Democrats, and they're pretty close-minded (despite the inappropriate "Progressive" label).
EXCELLENT! Nice work.
Their claps will be remembered by the booing geezers.
Most dangerous place on the planet is the space between a geezer and his entitlement.
Most people are dead horses.
That's your statement? That's what you said?
I'd boo you too, and I'm 38.
The transition must be further out than now and more gradual than immediate.
"300 Greedy Geezers"
Great name for a rock band.
So by the time your 102, the transition will be complete??
First of all stop calling them "greedy geezers". I speak to seniors age over 70, they have real fears about their benefits, acknowledge their fears. I reassure them that our President will never let them down and they are than very approving of private accts for their grandchildren.
Why get so confrontational with them? But like I said the seniors I speak with are conservatives and have been all their lives and yes they have fears but once they are calmed they admit to loving the reform and wish they had the opportunity of private accts when they were younger.
nice..........NOT!
Where did you get 102?
Where did you get the idea that I care if I'm 62 or 162?
Please turn on your sense of humor!
yeah,...this ol' creakin' PONZI is one good kick from collapse,...its nice to have The President on our side
Some of these Ed Asner understudies can get on a guy's wick; I'm glad my folks don't act like the rest of the world is obligated to subsidize them.
Pete "The Weasel" Visclosky was having coffee at our company cafeteria in 1990 and I walked up to his table and told him that if the Gary Airport was expaned as he was promoting it (and still is), it would ruin my life (I live near Cline Avenue). Boy, that was a conversation stopper!
Just trying to gauge how long you think this transition must take!
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