Bush accused of scaring public on Social Security

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=7472005&type=businessNews

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Opponents of U.S. President George W. Bush's plan to restructure the Social Security retirement system accused the White House on Friday of using scare tactics to win support for private investment accounts.

At a forum sponsored by Senate Democrats, former Clinton administration Social Security official James Roosevelt invoked the name of his grandfather, President Franklin Roosevelt, to say the program did not face a "crisis" or "bankruptcy" as suggested by the administration.

He said "adjustments," but not a major overhaul, were needed to address the financial strains faced by the program created by his grandfather in 1935.

"These are scare tactics designed to create fear," he said. "These attempts to divide grandparents, parents and children on the issue are an attack on the most successful program this country has ever had."

more

[xultar]

1. Don't look now I think the Media may be growing some BALLS...

WOW....
Stories not fulled with propaganda bullshit.

WOW!!!!

[Mystified]

23. And in related news...

"Media accused of understatement of the year"

[hector459]

24. Media not growing balls. This shit is so shameful even the media has

to report it. I heard most of the hearing today. If you missed it you ought to try to see a re-run or get the text. I really admire the Federal employees of the Social Security Administration who spoke out. There are many more fine Federal employees like them throughout government who really do work "for the people" The big problem is the political appointees who come in for a spin, try to change things to benefit their buddies in the private sector and spin out to huge paying jobs in the private sector. It happens all the time but I think this Social Security crap may be the undoing of this administration when lying to get us into war wouldn't. This administration has no shame.
I attended a series of training courses with lots of Social Security employees. I found them to be among the most dedicated, honest, and hard-working employees in any sector.

These employees who spoke up to Congress (which doesn't happen often because of feared reprisals) are to be considered heros in my book. Once the Bush administration gets rid of the Civil Service, employees like these will have absolutely no protections.

Anybody remember the theme of the Clinton/Gore Presidency?
It was "Putting people first." Making government work for the people. There was a major effort led by Gore to improve customer and client services and it worked. Many program processes were streamlined and many dollars were saved or reprogrammed to priority needs. How soon we forget. Did 9/11 really change us that much or were we led by the Bush administration to change that much? In the Bush administration its "Putting the party or the President first."

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Isn't it ironic that this would be considered LBN???

It should be called old news...right???

[pfitz59]

3. Good for Roosevelt!

Time to stand up for the New Deal!

[Cha]

4. That's the Buzz on the street, too!

Everyone I talk to says the same damn thing..bush is using scare tactics with Social Security..like he did to sell the Iraqi Invasion!

[gratuitous]

5. Dammit, call it what it is!

Bush is l-y-i-n-g. Bush knows (or should know) what the truth is, yet he continues to say that the system is in crisis and in danger of going broke. This isn't a "scare tactic," it's flat-out lying of the sort that in an earlier age would have gotten a boy a good taste of Dial soap.

DUers, squelch the debate with your conservawhacko friends in a heartbeat: Ask them what credibility the corrupt Bush administration could possibly have in expressing its concern for social security, when it has piled up record annual budget deficits for the last three yeasr.

Also, please notice that the folks yammering for "reform" of social security aren't dependent on it. Tell 'em to take their own money to Vegas and put it all on 32 Red, and leave our money alone!

[Coastie for Truth]

9. Looking at letters to the editor (even in the Red State) Central Valley

Bush's WMD style scare tactics are gaining no traction. Even the normally conservative "Red State" types (transplanted Okies) in the Central Valley are not buying THIS CRISIS.

He went "over the top" with WMD's --- and "Cried Wolf" (or Wolfowitz) once too often,

[KC21304]

13. I love your last two lines. nt

[illflem]

6. Stingy seems to be fixated on "fixing" SS

Bush Said SS Would Go Bust By 1988

Both USA Today and the Texas Observer have reported Bush claimed in 1978 that Social Security would go broke in 1988 unless Congress privatized the system. As the Observer reports, Bush "warned that Social Security would go bust in ten years unless people were given a chance to invest the money themselves."
http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=1175

According to USA Today, as a congressional candidate in 1978, George W. Bush was claiming "Social Security would go broke in 10 years" - 1988. Even then, he said the only way to fix this crisis was to privatize the system.

This is proof positive that Bush will say anything - no matter how ridiculously inaccurate - to claim Social Security is in "crisis" and needs to be privatized. Nothing he says about Social Security being in crisis today should be regarded as credible once these past statements are taken into account

[Just Me]

7. Getting CLOSER to "Bush MANIPULATING the Public".

There is a potential of identifying WHAT IS rather than "pie in the sky" nonsense.

[Catherine Vincent]

8. Bush scares the public just by being in the White House.

[Jr_Samples]

10. Social Se-Scarity

Fool me once...

[NashVegas]

11. Daily Show Last Night

showed a pic of Bush with a flashlight held up to his face.

Boooooooooooo ....

[TahitiNut]

12. That was classic. Jon had the perfect expression.

It's clear he's puncturing their hot air balloon with lampoon darts.

[Penndems]

14. So what else is new with that clown?

He does nothing BUT try to throw the fear of God into people. The 9/11 tragedy is just about the most effective marketing tool he and the neocons have.

And, hey - they know that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[Art_from_Ark]

15. Their motto is "If it ain't broke...

BREAK IT!"

[DearAbby]

16. Sending inserts in with the monthly checks pushes the * plan

on SS and paid for on OUR DIME...Making seniors frightened on if they will continue to receive checks...ITS TERROR TACTICS on the elderly and the infirmed and paid for by TAX DOLLARS.

If is isn't against the law it should be. All part of the PAYOLA PIE, everyone is getting a slice but those targeted. the poor the aged and the sick.

Write your Reps and Senators, the Scare tactics of the White house should not be tolerated.

:argh:

[Itsthetruth]

19. What Financial Strains?

What financial strains? They are non-existent. The fund is in better shape than ever.

Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Trust Funds, 1957-2003

Year End Assets After All Benefits Were Paid

1957 23,042 23 billion, 42 million dollars
1958 23,243
1959 21,966
1960 22,613
1961 22,162
1962 20,705
1963 20,715
1964 21,172
1965 19,841
1966 22,308
1967 26,250
1968 28,729
1969 34,182
1970 38,068
1971 40,434
1972 42,775
1973 44,414
1974 45,886
1975 44,342
1976 41,133
1977 35,861
1978 31,746
1979 30,291
1980 26,453
1981 24,539
1982 24,778
1983 24,867
1984 31,075
1985 42,163
1986 46,861
1987 68,807
1988 109,762
1989 162,968
1990 225,277
1991 280,747
1992 331,473
1993 378,285
1994 436,385
1995 496,068
1996 566,950
1997 655,510
1998 762,460
1999 896,133
2000 1,049,445
2001 1,212,533
2002 1,377,965
2003 1,530,764 One trillion, 530 billion, 764 million dollars.

Social Security Trust Fund assets are projected to increase to nearly 6 trillion dollars by 2018.

[twaddler01]

20. I hate Bush!

:mad:

[dweller]

21. and then, what happens in 2018??

"Then, beginning in 2018, instead of raising payroll taxes to pay for baby-boomer retirement benefits, Social Security would begin selling its
bonds back to the government.

To pay for those bonds, income taxes would be raised - high earners would begin paying higher income taxes."


there's your 'crisis'.

read a bit more.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0127/p09s01-coop.htm

dp

[Lugnut]

The biggest threat to Social Security is

George Bush. I'm glad to see so many people not buying his BS.

[Lugnut]

17. *Ooops*

Itchy mouse button finger. Sorry.

[twaddler01]

18. well...ahem...

"These are scare tactics designed to create fear."

This has been done before and it will be done again. Stupid Bush admins...

(((Sigh)))

[Guaranteed]

22. Beautifully done.

That's just really awesome, Roosevelt. You make your grandpa proud, I'm sure. :)