Sherrod Brown: 'People who work in diners can't work until they're 70!'

[Report1212]

Always a voice for working people. Video is in the link

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At one point, the debate host Chuck Todd asked both candidates if they would be open to raising the retirement age for Social Security and Medicare, which would amount to a huge cut to benefits for both programs.

Mandel tried to weasel out of answering the question, saying that he was open to making changes to the programs for younger people but would not specify whether he would make these exact changes.

When it came time for Brown to answer, he didn’t waver. He blasted the idea of raising the retirement age and eloquently explained that working-class people can’t work any longer:

Read more: http://boldprogressives.org/sherrod-brown-raising-retirement-age-is-wrong/

EDIT: I posted this on Reddit as well if anyone wants to help spread the word (it only takes 2 seconds to join and upvote so more Redditors will see it!) http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/126kdl/senator_sherrod_brown_doh_explains_why_raising/

[HockeyMom]

1. You can't push around wheelchairs,

when you are in a wheelchair yourself. Sit in front of a computer in a wheelchair? Sure. That does not require PHYSICAL STRENGHT.

[Report1212]

2. And alot of people don't know

The age is already set to hike to 67. Which is terrible.

[elehhhhna]

3. hell do they evenlive to 70? no health insurance inthe diner biz.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

4. No equivocation -- how refreshing.

Wish we had more Sherrod Browns.

[amandabeech]

5. My wonderful late father was an autobody repairman, and an excellent one at that.

He started having problems with arthritis in his hands when he was 60, and those last five years for him were torture.

He couldn't stop at 62, because he's always put quality ahead of money, and had to go the last three years. In those days, your SS was based on your last five years of earnings, which for my Dad were lower than earnings in his 40s and 50s.

He was fortunate in that my Mom went back to teaching full time when I was eleven, and my Dad had health care through her teachers' plan.

Nonetheless, between her small SS and teacher's pension (didn't teach long enough outside one-room country schools) and his SS and a little Vet's pension (proud WWII vet), they barely made it.

If he'd quit earlier it would have been much more difficult. I helped them as much as they'd let me, because I had a decent job, but they weren't comfortable until my Mother's Mom died and left her a bit.

Upping the retirement age really does hit people who work with some part of their body rather than their mind, and even those of us who make our money staring at a computer screen may be in trouble if we develop arthritis in our hands that makes typing, and even pointing and clicking, more difficult. I sure hope that voice recognition software improves by the time I'm in my '60s and '70s.

[Dragonfli]

6. I agree with Sherrod Brown, however, this topic is "bad" at election time

Because our Democratic leadership has signaled they would compromise on that and other absurd solutions to a problem that does not exist. The formula for the agreement on a deficit reduction for SS is to be $1 in revenue for $2.50 in cuts to benefits, and that is the triangulated "starting point" offer, meaning we will meet somewhere between our starting offer and whatever the lunatics counter with.

This is not a subject that will inspire enthusiasm at the voting booth if this becomes well known.

I will likely be frowned upon for mentioning this inconvenient policy stance, even as a warning not to open this can of worms until the "appropriate" time. For this I apologize.

[kestrel91316]

7. People are going to have to work until they die, just like the good old days.

[Report1212]

8. No

I have to say if we have to pick a hill to die on, it's this. If we lose dignity in old age in this country...