Labor & Employment Law

Deficit Commission?s Not So Secret Target?Social Security

By Mike Hall

The federal budget deficit commission?actually just a front group to cut Social Security?is trying desperately to keep a lid on its closed-door deliberations. But as David Dayen on Firedoglake points out, the worst kept secret inside and outside the Beltway is the panel’s push to raise the retirement age and make other cuts. Most of which, he writes:

hit the middle class and the working poor directly.

Read his whole column here.

Meanwhile, as part of Social Security?s 75th birthday celebrations this month, Will Parry told a big crowd of Alliance for Retired Americans members in Seattle last week that in 75 years, Social Security

hasn?t made a single millionaire, but in every one of those 75 years, it?s kept millions of people out of poverty.

Watch the video (above) to hear more from Parry and from Bette Read and Marilynn Watkins who tell how Social Security has been a vital help to keeping them afloat.

Now we have to make sure political hacks like Republican Rep. John Boehner (Ohio), who promises to raise the Social Security eligibility age to 70 if the Republicans take Congress, don?t cut Social Security?s lifeline to seniors, families and people with disabilities.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on August 23, 2010 (boomark / email).