Reply #16: Alan Simpson alone is a sign of poor judgement at the very least. Co Chair?!! [View All]

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/deficit-commission-co-cha_b_617468.html
Dave Johnson Fellow, Campaign for America's Future
Posted: June 18, 2010

Deficit Commission Co-Chair: Social Security T-Bills Have "Been Used"
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The Commission: Now there is the Deficit Commission looking into how to raise money to cover what the government handed out as tax cuts to the rich. Rather than get the money from where the money went, the plutocrats are instead trying to convince people that it would make more sense to just cut Social Security instead, so they don't have to pay it back. The commission is meeting in secret, preparing to recommend cutting Social Security benefits. Hence the nickname for the Commission: "Catfood Commission," because cutting Social Security would force as many as 1.5 million old people into poverty and eating cat food for dinner because it costs less.

After Bush and Wall Street destroyed the economy older people were laid off in waves (because they're past a certain age), can't get jobs (because they're old), now have been denied extended unemployment and denied COBRA subsidies. Now they're called "lazy". They're threatened with the humiliation of drug tests. And finally, the Catfood Commission, meeting in secret, threatens any retirement security they have. Digby calls it "simple cruelty." And, as sTiVo pointed out in a comment at Open Left yesterday,
"Since raising the retirement age is now on the table as a solution to the non-problem of Social Security, it is VITAL to raise this issue. WHAT JOBS????"

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This is really important. They increased the Social Security tax on working people, gave the money out as tax cuts for the wealthy, created deficits on purpose to defund government, created a huge debt mess, and now the next stage of this plan is to gut social programs.

This is what the Deficit Commission is about. Tax cuts for the rich and military spending caused the borrowing and raising taxes on the rich can stop it. But the plan was to force a perception of a debt emergency to stampede people into accepting a dismantling of government that works for We, the People, and provides for us, empowers us and protects us. This is the confrontation of plutocracy vs democracy. We can't let them get away with it.

Here are 2 more reads I reccomend

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http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2010041624/week-obama-s-deficit-commission-or-pete-peterson-s
This Week: Obama’s Deficit Commission – or Pete Peterson’s?
By Roger Hickey

April 24, 2010 - 7:11pm ET

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http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20008479-503544.html
June 22, 2010 3:43 PM
Obama's Deficit Panel Draws Ire from Liberals
Posted by Stephanie Condon