Bush radio address: "The American people did not place us in office to..."

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

...pass on problems to future generations and future Presidents and future Congresses. I will work with both parties to fix Social Security permanently. Social Security has been there for generations of Americans, and together we will strengthen it for generations to come."



http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/03/20050312.html

You younger workers know what is happening to Social Security. The present pay-as-you-go system is going broke. Huge numbers of baby boomers, like me, will be retiring soon, and we are living longer and our benefits are rising. At the same time, fewer workers will be paying into the system to support a growing number of retirees. Therefore, the government is making promises it cannot keep. Still, some folks are playing down the problem, and say we can fix it later. The fact is, we have got a serious problem and we need to fix it now. If you are in your 20s, or if you have children or grandchildren in their 20s, the idea of Social Security collapsing is no small matter, and it should not be a small matter to the Congress.

Putting off real reform makes fixing the system harder and more expensive. As one Democrat leader observed recently, "Every year we delay adds at least $600 billion to the cost of saving the system." And the Social Security trustees agree. Postponing reform will leave our children with drastic and unpleasant choices: huge tax increases that will kill jobs, massive new borrowing or sudden, painful cuts in Social Security benefits or other programs. Our children deserve better and we can give them better. I have told Congress all ideas are on the table, except raising the payroll tax rate. Some of the options available include indexing benefits to prices, rather than wages; changing the benefit formulas; raising the retirement age -- ideas Democrats and Republicans have talked about before.

Whatever changes we make, we must provide a better and stronger system for younger workers. And that is why I have proposed allowing younger Americans to place some of your payroll taxes in voluntary personal retirement accounts. You would have a choice of conservative bond and stock funds, with the opportunity to earn a higher rate of return than is possible under the current system. If you earn an average of $35,000 over your career, you can build up nearly a quarter-million dollars in your account, on top of your Social Security check. This would be real savings you own, a nest egg you could pass on to your children.

The American people did not place us in office to pass on problems to future generations and future Presidents and future Congresses. I will work with both parties to fix Social Security permanently. Social Security has been there for generations of Americans, and together we will strengthen it for generations to come.

[kohodog]

1. Maybe he should work on the Defecit, Trade balance, Medicare, etc.

Asshole. He wants to destroy the one thing that isn't broken.

[achtung_circus]

2. .

"I will work with both parties to fix Social Security"

Like I had my cat fixed. He's really happier that way.

[FtWayneBlue]

3. "The American people did not place us in office."

Let's just stop there and quit while we're ahead, OK Georgie-boy?

[signmike]

9. Rats! Ya beat me to it...

[hootinholler]

13. But the whole sentence has such an irony factor.

to pass on problems to future generations and future Presidents and future Congresses.

I see my children having to clean up his mess, and possibly my grandchildren in the event my children survive and they are actually born. Sad, but at 44 I don't expect to live that long.

-Hoot

[flpoljunkie]

4. Bush lying when he says all options on table. Cheney admits as much on Fox

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,150205,00.html

CAMERON: Democrats say take personal retirement accounts off the table and it's time to talk.

CHENEY: Won't happen.

CAMERON: Which means we go where? Because the president, according to the critics and according to the plan, hasn't really addressed the solvency issue himself. That's the part that's missing.

CHENEY: But we've encouraged people to participate, engage in that debate. At the appropriate time, we'll be willing to zero in, sit down and negotiate with Congress. Congress ultimately will write the legislation. But we'll be a major part of that.

_________________

Don't bother to read more. Cheney doesn't answer the question about solvency--because he can't and furthermore, they are not interested in the solvency of Social Security--but of course, they will never admit that.

[bvar22]

5. Didn't bush* say last week that he would consider...

raising the payroll tax rate?
Raising the rate is technically different from raising the cap, is raising the cap still on the table?

Raising the cap or rolling back the tax giveaway for the rich are the only proposals that will Fix Social Security!

Why don't the Democrats come out and simply say that:
bush* is flat out LYING
and trying to STEAL YOUR MONEY
and GIVE IT TO HIS RICH FRIENDS!!!

[TrustingDog]

6. ""numbers of baby boomers, like me, will be retiring soon""

not soon enough for you

[tinfoilinfor2005]

7. Finally he is absolutely right.

The American people did not place him in office. He just forgot to end the sentence in the right place.

edit for spelling

[fooj]

8. Yes. For once, he speaks the truth. The American people did not

put him in office. Period.

[Clarkie1]

10. Bush doesn't believe in social security.

"If you earn an average of $35,000 over your career, you can build up nearly a quarter-million dollars in your account, on top of your Social Security check. This would be real savings you own, a nest egg you could pass on to your children."

He's not even thinking in terms that many retires would need that hypothetical 1/4 million "nest egg" themselves in order to offset the reduced guaranteed benefits.

The idea that many people need their full guaranteed social security benefit to survive is not part of Bush's reality, nor is the concept that as a society we choose to guarantee a comfortable retirement to our elders out of respect.

Perhaps Bush should visit some Native American leaders to better understand a tribe's duty to the elders.

Bush's way of thinking is Un-American in every sense of the word.

[adwon]

11. He's absolutely right

Now will he fix the $700 billion Medicare snafu? After all, at worst Social Security has 13 years til it goes revenue negative. Medicare has 2 at most before it alone will take up 1/4 of the budget.

[applegrove]

12. Kerry camp brought up SS during election and Bush refused to talk about

it. People didn't vote for SS to be changed.

[bvar22]

14. Borrowing $2Trillion to "fix" SS...

...IS passing the problem on to the next generation AND their children!!!!

Make NO mistake about it....bush* and the republicans are literally STEALING money from YOUR CHILDREN and giving it to their rich friends.
YOUR children will pay bush*s bill for:

1) The WAR in Afghanistan
2) The WAR against the Iraqi People
3) The TAX break to the RICH
4) The $700Billion gift to the Drug Companies!!!

The OTHER cost that bush* and the republicans are passing on to YOUR children is the bill for cleaning up the Environmental Disaster bush*s deregulation of Environmental Standards is causing.

[kodi]

15. chockfull of lies

"If you earn an average of $35,000 over your career, you can build up nearly a quarter-million dollars in your account, on top of your Social Security check. This would be real savings you own, a nest egg you could pass on to your children."

is downright false. any funds will have subtracted from it fees and require that it be used to purchase a private annuity. only aftr that is done can any additional funds be used as a part of an estate.

the overwhelming number of people will see no such money.

bush is a goddamned liar who i hope burns in hell for all eternity with the anguished screams of all those his actions have killed ringing in his ears.

[Niccolo_Macchiavelli]

16. ...pass on problems to future generations and future Presidents and future

what? you won't pass along that bulky social security to the next fascist leader & claqueurs you will hack in and continue to empoor the subjugates to coerce them into your imperial army? (which is your real problem in fact).

No shit Sherlock

We know that already...doh!