A news report from Curtis Black’s Newstips Blog, Community Media Workshop
Senior citizens and their supporters will protest the appearance of the leading proponent of Social Security privatization at a Chicago fundraiser today. The action is part of a growing effort to defend the nation’s retirement insurance program.
The Illinois Alliance of Retired Americans, the Main Street Alliance, Citizens Action Illinois and Chicago Jobs With Justice are among the groups calling a rally at 12 p.m. (noon) today, Wednesday, Sept. 1, outside the Four Seasons Hotel, 120 E. Delaware in Chicago. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc) will be one of the speakers at the fundraising luncheon for Joel Pollak, Republican House candidate in the 9th district.
Ryan’s controversial Roadmap for Recovery proposes privatizing Social Security and Medicare as part of a deficit reduction plan. According to Media Matters, the deficit reductions claimed by Ryan depend on budget tricks.
For John Gaudette of Citizen Action, the bigger trick is the notion that Social Security is a component of the federal deficit – or that the program faces any kind of imminent financial crisis.
“There is no crisis,” Gaudette said. “It’s one of the healthiest programs we’ve got.”
Social Security is fully funded for the next 25 years, and with no changes could pay 80 percent of promised benefits after that, he said.
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