Posted on 02/22/2005 6:20:54 PM PST by rightwingintelligentsia
JOHNSTOWN -- Sen. Rick Santorum launched a 10-stop tour of Pennsylvania yesterday to advocate for changes to the Social Security system, but landed -- even at his very first stop -- at the center of an already-roiling debate about the proposals. This week, Santorum and other Republicans members of Congress are hosting a series of town hall events around the country at which they hope to convince the public that Congress must act this year to address the Social Security program's long-term financial difficulties. . . .
But minutes into Santorum's first presentation at Duquesne University, jeers and skeptical questioning arose from a considerable segment of the crowd. Some of the most pointed questions came from older workers whose benefit payouts would not be altered under the president's plan. A brighter spot for Santorum, though, was that a number of younger participants -- including college students -- said his presentation had sold them on the concept of personal retirement accounts. . . .
It was clear from some questions posed by the audience, and especially by the off-microphone mumbling within the crowd, that beneath the opposition to Bush's Social Security plan, anger is still smoldering about the mounting costs of the Iraq war, the $1.9 trillion in tax cuts that Bush aims to increase by making them permanent, and the president's 2003 Medicare prescription drug benefit. Those concerns led to several outbursts while Santorum was talking yesterday. At one point, when he showed charts illustrating the causes of the nation's rising deficits and referred to discretionary spending on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan as one-time costs, audience members responded loudly with boos and catcalls.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
Good job!
Thank you---
They don't know.
I've lost count of the number of senior citizens who are positive Bush wants to slash their benefits right now.
I hate to say this, but with all due respect, the GOP has done a wretched job of informing the public, especially senior citizens about major parts of the plan.
Then again, there isn't even a solid plan to get people behind, no one wants an increase in payroll taxes or an increase in the cap.
The GOP needs to dump the cap idea, and make sure folks know there won't be a hike in payroll taxes, and really work this so that the elderly are informed with facts. I can tell you right now, the democrats, right down to the base, think its perfectly okay to misrepresent and lie about this, just to stop Bush, and regardless of everything else.
"I'll bet the Clintons were laughing their asses off that day."
I'll bet the Clintons ARE laughing their asses off today, as well. These greedy geezers have nothing better to do than attend these town hall meeting. I wouldn't be surprised if the AARP is busing them to Santorum's town hall, followed by a stop at the casino. Why bother holding these town halls? Working people don't have time to attend.
In all seriousness, our party needs to do a better job of explaining this issue, and developing a reasonable reform plan, or Bill and Hillary may be laughing all the way back to the White House.
Dump AARP! I did a few years ago. If we cut off their money, they won't be able to engage in their Liberal campaigns.
Giving them money is no different than giving money to the Dems. Give your money and time to the GOP.
Right next to those wanting child care credits. If you can't afford them don't have them!
"because they are stubborn obstinate old bastards that are concerned only for their own welfare"
Yeah, we need to be clear. It's not all older people. Many older people are the most generous members of our society.
But it reminds me of something that happened to me recently. I was at the airport on the Big Island of Hawaii, in the rental car bus. A group of 3 older people got on the bus, with massive amounts of luggage. Made the driver carry their bags all over the place, and didn't give him a tip (like all the other passengers did.) And, while on the bus, they were complaining about the service at their four-star hotel (the Fairmont Orchid), the service on United Airlines, their property taxes, and how they voted for George Bush and now he's going to cut their Social Security benefits. These are people departing from a $300/night hotel in Hawaii. If that's not a greedy, uniformed "geezer", I don't know what is.
ping
the answers are so easy - just keep comparing the private accounts plan to a 401K. americans workers, on the whole, are doing very well with their 401K plans. current dollars being sent into SS are earning 1%, and who knows if that will hold up. and private accounts build wealth for your heirs.
if we continue with the current plan - we will almost certainly have higher taxes and means testing in the future. SS will become just another welfare program. I can envision a future where millions of americans have to move their privat retirement assets offshore to avoid the means testing that would shrink their monthly check.
that is true. where is this communications blitz from the white house on this? it lasted what, one week after the SOTU address. is that it?
I say let the greedy geezers kill this reform. When SS collapses, we won't have the Dems beating Republicans over the head with this cudgel any more. THEY will have killed it by not going along with these fixes until it was too late. As for the geezers, Alpo has more vitamins in it than tuna.
No, the event I'm thinking of must have happened in '94 or '96. I remember seeing footage of chairs and tables overturned and old people screaming something about Medicare. It would have been hilarious if it wasn't such a shame that these people thought they were in desperate enough circumstances to pull something like that.
it won't collapse - taxes will rise significantly and benefits will be means tested to exlcude the "wealthy" in the future. it will become a welfare program for the elderly, which is what the Dems want.
That doesn't surprise me. I think Medicare is going to be a tougher problem to deal with than SS.
Didn't say all of 'em are....I am approaching oldness and my constant prayer to God is to keep me from becoming a true geezer, and to die suddenly.
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