Bush Administration Prepares Strategy to Revamp Social Security

[papau]

Well - looks like the Social Security benefit cut - so that we never must have a tax increase on the rich to payoff the bonds that Bush gave SS when he stole the payroll tax surplus so as to finance the tax cut for the rich - is about to happen. But since it will be a 2 step with a cut in guaranteed benefits plus a new Rose colored glasses "estimate" or "projection" of the great equity returns you will get with your tiny personal SS equity account, you will be told that in total you get the same benefit or better!. Obviously if equity returns were the answer, SS could just stop buying gov bonds that finance tax cuts for the rich, and move the money to equities - but do not expect that to happen any time soon.


http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGARQ9345ND.html

Bush Administration Prepares Strategy to Revamp Social Security
By Leigh Strope Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - With the stock market climbing and a re-election campaign approaching, the Bush administration is renewing its push to overhaul Social Security with personal investment accounts.The Social Security Administration, with AARP and the National Association of Manufacturers, is organizing town hall meetings across the country to help build public support for changes.

Supporters of personal accounts say President Bush's political advisers have been urging them to increase their efforts in battleground states with debates, speeches and fund-raisers.
<snip>

Going into the campaign, the White House wants to be able to check off major legislation it has proposed and achieved: education reform, tax cuts and economic recovery, homeland security and potentially an energy plan and a Medicare prescription drug benefit, should Congress approve compromise plans. <snip>

GOP strategists advised candidates to avoid using the word "privatization" to talk about personal investment accounts because polls found it was viewed negatively by voters. Republicans now have substituted the word "modernization." <snip>

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGARQ9345ND.html

[wryter2000]

1. AARP is behind this?

Have they lost their minds?

[mbperrin]

2. Obviously they have if they're behind this.

I paid my dues and nobody asked ME about it!

So WTF else is new? Just pay your damn money and shut up!

[papau]

5. AARP is now an insurance company - and is the enemy

Damn good thing they only have 35 million members!

Damn - I had forgotten how good Bush is at proving money corrupts. He has media control via media paycheck cowards - and now AARP in bed with other insurance companies as they screw Medicare and Social Security.

[KC21304]

7. Looks like we need to get that message out to Seniors.

35 million ? Holy shit. The two seniors at this address do not belong.

[oneighty]

12. Reason number

more than five, that I do not belong to that phony set-up. The AARP, could be run by your local Chamber Of Commerce and gain the same results.

180

[Noordam]

3. AARP has been brought lot stock and barrel...

So sad.

[KC21304]

6. When did this happen?

I couldn't believe it when I heard about them supporting the Medicare bill, and now this ?

[jpgray]

4. Holy Christ, the New Deal is going under

The AARP is really backstabbing people if these claims are true, when taken along with the Medicare support fiasco.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. I think our country is going bankrupt.

That's why everyone is throwing in the towel.

An ownership society doesn't create a compassionate society, as Bush claims. It's just the opposite. Anarchy will breed contempt for your neighbors. Trust me. I live in the midst of a Republican community and I have seen the future. It's each man for himself.

[madison]

8. CEO of AARP is a Republican

I read somewhere that the Executive Director and CEO of AARP is a Republican.

AARP, today, endorsed the prescription drug plan being shilled by the Republicans - but which any knowledgeable senior opposes vehemently because hidden in it is the plan too privatize Medicare starting in 2006 and going whole hog by 2010

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. Wall Street is poison today.

So, let's see how this works. Wall Street is poisoned water. We all know it's poisoned and that it will be many, many years before the SEC straightens that mess, but Bush is right there eager to send retirees to the poorhouse. By getting the retirees to give Wall Street their money, it will SAVE WALLSTREET! Thank you old people! For saving America!

I'm sure Bush is counting on them to die before they catch on to the double cross.

[shanti]

17. exactly

and the retired NOW certainly don't give a flip about the boomers that are coming after them. this sickens me....

[BeHereNow]

28. "The flu shots should do it...

Hmmm, how can we kill off the old people
before they figure out the double cross?
I know, we'll scare them all into getting vaccinated
with something our friends over at the pharma cartel
cook up- in a few years they all come down with some
nasty and terminal disease and never knew what hit them..."

[sventvkg]

10. LOLOL...Seniors..Are your Minds rotting?...it's the FL election

All over again!!..I suggest you seniors get your shit together and fight this crap...I'm not going to be supporting 2 baby boomer senior citizens because they voted Bushes into power and contributed to the downfall of social security...And neither will most of my Fellow GenX'rs and certainly the younger XBox generation will be even more harsh...We still have time to turn things around for us when we reach your age but come on Boomers/Seniors.You are a powerfull lobby and you need to start seeing the fucking light here and straighten things out..If you continue to support political leaders who will only fuck you, and organizations such as the current AARP who clearly do not have your interests in mind, then you will be to blame for a Bleak situation you will find yourselves in in the last years of your lives...Why dont' you all join us, and FIGHT the Bastards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??

[ozymandius]

11. Is this the "lockbox" * talked about during the campaign?

Is there anything he has never endorsed that would not benefit the corporations, the wealthy, the oligarchs? EVER?

[jpgray]

14. The facts are there, but if they are never reported...? (nt)

[0007]

15. AARP only favors the wealthy!

I saw through 'em two years ago. When they wouldn't answer my letter I dumped my AARP membership that did not nothing for me except to take my money.

The Medicare thingy is a big joke, and I'll die before I ever switch over to those rotten HMO programs.

The Social Security will soon be destroyed. We're getting screwed on the energy bill that was done in secret.

It only keeps gettin' worse.

[sventvkg]

16. yo senior...Why don't you start "Educating" your peers?

You saw through it..So a "Pay it Forward" Thing and tell a few peers about it..encourage them to tell a few more...and on and on and on..Grass roots baby!! I implore you sir/madam....DO SOMETHING..

[0007]

20. Time I have, money I don't -

The folks I know agree and what else can be done other than dump AAPR and write your senator & congress? Which we all do.

Further advice?

[Upfront]

30. Do More

I e-mailed all my congress persons and everyone on my e-mail list. E-mailed ARRP also. Tomorow I will cancel my membership with ARRP. I am geting the facts for a letter to the editor. After that I don't know what else to do. Will be working hard for our candidate for President.

[dusty64]

18. Gotta love the "modernization"

shit. Hopefully the truth of aarp will get out now.

[jpgray]

21. Yes, that was the most frightening thing about the piece:

No one likes "privatization", so let's call it "modernization". Jesus, we are through the looking glass, aren't we?

[Upfront]

19. Please Contact Your Congress People

and oppose both the proposed Medicare and SS changes. They are a bad deal. AARP has sold out and is now an arm or the republican party. If they let there members vote on this they could not support either plan. I am dropping my membership in ARRP.

[madfloridian]

22. I think our candidates support this scheme.

I have throughout the past year talked to all the offices, and I have perused their websites. The word "modernization" is there at all of them. I know that Graham and Nelson will most likely go along with whatever the GOP wants on this, Nelson most probably will.

I talked to both offices today, and I got nothing.

[54anickel]

23. OMG! WTF! Medicare AND SS down the crapper in the

same day? Rant warning!

"In a compassionate society, people respect one another and they take responsibility for the decisions they make in life."

WTF is he trying to say in that sentence? Who's THEY? Certainly not *!!! So when THEY loose there ass in the market it ain't *s fault? What, WTF is he trying to say?

"younger workers should be allowed to invest a portion of their payroll taxes in the stock market."

So where will the funds for current distributions come from since *s already robbed SS! How different is this from the 401Ks that the younger folks don't seem to take advantage of now?
STOP SCREWING THE WORKING CLASS!!! Raygun made it easier than ever for corps to rob pensions. Most corps did away with defined benefit pensions and dropped folks into these WONDERFUL 401Ks. The corps got us by the shorthairs coming and going now! Anything a working stiff manages to save for their future is going back into the corps pockets as investments. And we've all seen they give a rats ass for their shareholders lately. WTF!!!

:wtf:

Oh, and this whole new management idealogy.....I'm sick of it! Had this crap where I worked, seems to be a movement or something. I know GE practices this shit.
1) Set a bunch of goals
2) Do the minimal to meet them, just pay a lot of lip service
3) Check the goals off as complete
4) Watch the little guys scramble to make that have baked scheme work, oh and by the way, it'll end up doing "more with less"

Obviously, the same mentality working here:

"Going into the campaign, the White House wants to be able to check off major legislation it has proposed and achieved: education reform, tax cuts and economic recovery, homeland security and potentially an energy plan and a Medicare prescription drug benefit.."

Someone, please, just stop the world and let me off!

Where are we going and what am I doing in this handbasket!!!

[KoKo]

24. Unless one is depending on AARP Supplemental Insurance/DUMP 'EM!

If they lose their subscribers over this....they go out of business in their recruiting of the new "retirees" including the upcoming Boomers.

So, cancel that subscription....I'm sure that doesn't mean you have to give up your supplemental which AARP probably is just the front man for.

You can probably continue your payements through the provider who uses AARP until you find another alternative? No? ???Yes?? :shrug:

[54anickel]

26. Cancel, Ha. My Dad's been dead 3 years now, I've notified AARP

3 or 4 times, the magazines and junk mail for insurance offerings keep on rolling in. They did stop the Modern Maturity magazine though. Damn, I sort of liked that one.

[Mountainman]

25. I hope the Dems can get the truth out in spite of the media whores

The problem I see is that most people don't know how bad they are being screwed. I use to think that the reason that the repugs are in power is because people are not hurting enough yet and I still believe it but for many of us it will be too late to do anything about it.

Get ready to step over the dying seniors on the side walks as you go to your convienient WalMart.


The nightmare is coming true. Americans if you want your country and democracy back you had better vote for a Dem next time!

[ninkasi]

27. For what it's worth...

I dropped in on the AARP website, went to discussion message boards about this issue, and every message I read was someone extremely pissed off about this. They are cancelling memberships, calling this the "Bush 2% solution", and just in general irate with Republicans, Insurance Companies, and Congress.

If as many more seethe, but don't post, this is going to hurt AARP, and they will deserve it. They feel sold out, betrayed, and are very, very, very angry. I only hope this will translate to voting Democratic.

[madison]

29. Tell it to AARP directly, here's the link

Here is the link to send AARP a message that you are OPPOSED to their endorsing the Republican-created prescription drug plan, the real purpose of which is to drain the Medicare bank dry and then claim bankruptcy - so the Bush gang can privatize and/or END Medicare.

http://www.aarp.org/contactaarp/Articles/a2003-01-28-contact-issuesform.html

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
For more details on the Republicans' plans, see:

"Medicare Drug Benefit Isn't a Nice Bill to Swallow" at: http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-saul3542886nov15,0,7918238.column?coll=ny-health-headlines


and

"The Trojan Horse" at: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/14/opinion/14KRUG.html

[dusty64]

31. Important and

also another aarp outrage.

:kick: