Social Security News 10-3-12

 SSSC/SSW mention**

Madison County Courier (NY)

RC 8 Retired Educators Luncheon is Oct. 18

10-03-12

(Camden, NY – Oct. 2012) Retiree Council 8 of the New York State United Teachers will hold its annual fall luncheon on Thursday Oct. 18 at Katie & Karl’s Restaurant, 9501 Harden Blvd. in Camden.   The event will start at 11:30 a.m. with lunch served at noon.  An extensive buffet menu is available for $18.50 that includes tax and gratuity or a gluten-free option will be available.  Donations will be collected to benefit military personnel.

Dr. Eric Kingson, co-director of Strengthen Social Security, will be the featured speaker and is considered an expert on Social Security.  Kingson is a professor of social work at Syracuse University’s School of Social Work and a Senior Research Associate in the Maxwell School’s Center for Policy Research.  He has served as policy advisor to two presidential commissions – the 1982-3 National Commission on Social Security Reform and the 1994 Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform.

http://madisoncountycourier.com/?p=36181

 

SSSC/SSW mention**

 

Huffington Post (NAT)

Paul Ryan Was Never a Moderate on Social Security

Dana Bell

10-2-12

In the recent article "Documents Show Changes to Ryan Social Security Views," BuzzFeed's DC Bureau Chief John Stanton mistakenly argues that Rep. Paul Ryan's positions on Social Security have become more extreme over time. While it is tempting to look at Paul Ryan's record and find the instances of moderation, Ryan has worked to privatize Social Security, raise the retirement age, and otherwise cut benefits throughout his career in Congress.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-bell/paul-ryan-was-never-a-mod_b_1932865.html

 

The Hill (DC)

Ryan gives some detail on Romney tax plans

Erik Wasson

10-3-12

Ryan reiterated his opposition to the Bowles-Simpson deficit plan, which he voted against and signaled he would not support as an alternative to the year-end fiscal cliff of spending cuts and tax increases. He again said he opposes it over its failure to deal with runaway healthcare spending, rather than mentioning its revenue increase. “What I don’t want to see us high-five each other at a podium in Washington, say we fixed the problem, know we didn’t and then the bond markets get you,” he said.

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/domestic-taxes/259709-paul-ryan-gives-some-detail-on-romney-tax-plans

 

The Nation (NAT)

Why Obama?

Deepak Bhargava

10-2-12

We need to protect and strengthen Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other critical programs, particularly those serving the most vulnerable people. It has become conventional wisdom that we must “reform” entitlements—which is code for reducing benefits and raising the retirement age, since “we” are all living longer anyway, aren’t we? This is nonsense. As Paul Krugman has put it: “the people who really depend on Social Security, those in the bottom half of the distribution, aren’t living much longer. So you’re going to tell janitors to work until they’re 70 because lawyers are living longer than ever.” Simple measures such as lifting the cap on the payroll tax threshold would guarantee solvency for Social Security for more than seventy-five years and allow us to finance more generous benefits for low-income beneficiaries.

http://www.thenation.com/article/170309/why-obama

 

Reuters (NAT)

Future U.S. healthcare customers to challenge insurers: report

10-02-12

U.S. health insurers will face challenges over the next decade as they expand their marketing to individuals who in many caseswill be less educated and poorer than their current policyholders, according to a report released on Tuesday. As a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 30 million Americans are expected to gain access to health insurance through regulated exchanges in each state, more plans from employers, and an expansion of the federal Medicaid program for the poor

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/02/us-healthinsurance-report-idUSBRE8910ZG20121002

 

NewsMax (NAT)

A Possible First Debate Game-Changer

Lanny Davis

10-3-12

My game-changer — if EITHER candidate turns to the other and says: "Yes or no — will you join me tonight, on the record, and say yes or no — not maybe, not if, and, or but — will you join me and endorse the bipartisan recommendations of the Simpson-Bowles Commission — endorsing substantial spending cuts, raising revenues through closing tax loopholes, reducing corporate tax rates and undertaking major reform to save Social Security and Medicare from insolvency and bankrupting us all?" If the other candidate says no, or equivocates in any way, and the candidate who has asked the question says, "Well, I say yes — I say it is immoral to equivocate about $16 trillion that our children and grandchildren have to pay off; I say the time to pay our bills and pay down our debt is now. I say yes — let's pass Simpson-Bowles," then I say the candidate who has committed to support Simpson-Bowles wins the election.

http://www.newsmax.com/LannyDavis/First-Debate-Simpson-Bowles/2012/10/03/id/458559

 

Yale Daily News (CT)

Senate race focuses on Social Security, Medicare

Payal Marathe

10-03-12

The most recent round of political attacks began when Democrat Murphy called McMahon’s stance on Social Security “radical” at a rally in Hartford last Thursday. He was referring to McMahon’s endorsement of a “sunset provision” for Social Security — a legislative term for placing an expiration date on a law unless it is renewed.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2012/oct/03/senate-race-focuses-on-social-security-medicare/

 

Politics

 

Concord Monitor (NH)

Ex-Clinton staffer backs Bass

Molly A.K. Connors

10-3-12

Former president Bill Clinton is stumping for Democrats in New Hampshire today as his former chief of staff endorses Republican Charlie Bass for Congress. In full-page ads running in the Monitor, the New Hampshire Union Leader and the Nashua Telegraph, Erskine Bowles, who served as Clinton's chief of staff from 1996 to 1998, says Bass has "the guts to ignore scare tactic and look at the substance of real solutions that will help get our great nation on track." The endorsement comes as a joint letter with former U.S. senator Alan Simpson, a Republican from Wyoming. In it, the men say that Bass, a Peterborough Republican, has "put partisanship aside and stepped forward to make the tough decisions our nation needs."

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/358849/ex-clinton-staffer-backs-bass?CSAuthResp=1349296825%3Av90n63hp7mt2f8ao6bgqdo9un7%3ACSUserId%7CCSGroupId%3Aapproved%3AAF922DE61416143B0489B896A890A39E&CSUserId=94&CSGroupId=1

 

LA Times (NAT)

Unmasking the most influential billionaire in U.S. politics

Michael Hiltzik

10-2-12

If you answered one of the Koch brothers (Charles or David) or George Soros, you're wearing your partisan blinders. The former are known for their devotion to conservative causes, the latter to liberal. In either case, you're wrong. The most influential billionaire in America is Peter G. Peterson. The son of Greek immigrants, Peterson, 86, served as Commerce secretary under President Nixon, then became chairman and chief executive of Lehman Bros. Subsequently, he made his big money as co-founder of the Wall Street private equity firm Blackstone Group.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20121003,0,376906.column

 

CBS News (NAT)

Eight House races to watch

LEIGH ANN CALDWELL

10-1-12

FL-18: Republican Rep. Allen West vs. Patrick Murphy

His challenger, Patrick Murphy, is a 29-year old Republican-turned-Democrat who says the Republican Party has become too "extreme" and says his opponent is, too. Murphy has also launched a website documenting West's comments, including saying most members of the Democratic Party are Communist and that Social Security disability is a "form of modern...slavery."

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57523182/eight-house-races-to-watch/

 

Des Moines Register (IA)

Rep. Boswell: Bowles-Simpson report offers hope for solving $16 trillion federal deficit

9-28-12

William Petroski

U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell said Friday that just as Americans set aside their differences to write the U.S. Constitution in the 1700s, they can get together to reduce the nation’s $16 trillion deficit. The eight-term Democrat congressman said he doesn’t support a federal budget plan proposed by Rep. Rep. Paul Ryan, who is Republican Mitt Romney’s vice presidential candidate.But he thinks a bipartisan plan proposed by a commission appointed by President Barack Obama should receive consideration.

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/09/28/rep-boswell-bowles-simpson-report-offers-hope-for-solving-16-trillion-federal-deficit/article