Social Security Statement from Jim July 2011
"Social Security is hope for the average American working family and taking that hope away is unacceptable."
- Jim Dean, Chair, Democracy for America. Burlington, VT - Statement from Jim Dean, Chair of Democracy for America in response to reports that Social Security is on the bargaining table in the Debt Ceiling negotiations:
"The idea of cutting Social Security as part of these debt ceiling negotiations is simply ridiculous. At a time when America is hurting, when people are losing their jobs and their homes at an unprecedented rate, we are now going to tell the average American working family that they will have the burden of supporting their parents in old age and no retirement for themselves. The Wall Street Barons who caused this economic crisis have been getting a free ride for too long, and it's time for them to pay their fair share, plain and simple.
Cutting Social Security to reduce the national debt is like attacking Iraq to get Osama Bin Laden -- the two things are not related. Social Security is running a large surplus in 2011 and by scrapping the cap on the payroll tax over $107,000 it will be more than solvent for generations to come.[1] Only 6 percent of Americans have wages above that cap.[2] Which do we want more? More tax cuts for the rich, or Social Security for everyone else. Let's keep our priorities straight, and stop giving away the farm to Republican bullies who got us into this mess in the first place.
True freedom is the right to a fair wage, a decent life, and hope for the future. Social Security provides that hope for the average working American family and taking that hope away is unacceptable and unAmerican."
1. Social Security Admistration, Annual Statistical Supplement, 2010 (http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/supplement/2010/4b.html#table4.b4)
2. Social Security Administration data, 2011
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