Social Security News 6-13-12

Public News Service (NY)

Antidote for Campaign Baloney? – NY “Truth Squad”

06-13-12

Staff

Truth Squad member Eric Kingson is a professor at Syracuse University's School of Social Work who served on two presidential commissions - during the Reagan and Clinton terms - which dealt with Social Security. "In my case, I'm firmly supportive of Social Security - a program that, whether you ask Tea Party households or union households, they all say they don't want to see it cut."

He points out that Social Security provides New Yorkers with $43 billion a year, helping one in six households in the state.http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/26909-1

 

ABC News (NAT)

Meet Ron Barber, Newest Member of Congress

06-13-12

Elizabeth Hartfield

Barber made his campaign a referendum on his views rather than his opponent’s, hitting him hard on entitlement issues, particularly on privatizing Social Security. His candidacy was viewed in large part through the prism of his former boss; he was Giffords’ choice to replace her, and she was the strongest ally he could have in the more Republican-leaning district.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/06/meet-ron-barber-newest-member-of-congress/

 

The Hill (DC)

Former Giffords aide Barber wins race to replace her in the House

06-13-12

Josh Lederman

Amid the GOP wave of 2010, when Kelly ran against Giffords, Kelly had taken a hard line against entitlement spending, arguing that both programs for senior citizens are Ponzi schemes that should be privatized, phased out and eventually eliminated. When he attempted to whitewash those positions in 2012, Democrats pounced, impugning his credibility and the sincerity of his vows to protect Arizona seniors.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/house-races/232461-former-giffords-aide-wins-race-to-replace-her

 

The Atlantic (NAT)

Why the Millennials Aren't a Slam Dunk for the Democratic Party

06-13-12

Andrew Baumann & Anna Greenberg

Even though they're more liberal, standard party rhetoric about Social Security and Medicare just doesn't motivate them.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/06/why-the-millennials-arent-a-slam-dunk-for-the-democratic-party/258465/

 

Christian Science Monitor (NAT)

D.C. Decoder 101: How Washington spends your money

06-12-12

Peter Grier

Just behind health is Social Security, which provides income benefits to retired folks, the disabled, and some other recipient categories. This program accounts for 20 percent of Washington’s budget, figures CBPP.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2012/0612/D.C.-Decoder-101-How-Washington-spends-your-money

 

Queens Courier (NY)

Social Security at center of 6th District contention

06-13-12

Melissa Chan

Assemblymember Rory Lancman, said his proposal to lift the exemption on Social Security taxes for individuals with incomes over $110,600 would force “high-income earners to pay their fair share” into the Social Security fund. Scrapping the cap, Lancman said, would guarantee the program’s solvency for the next 75 years.

“That is what is bankrupting Social Security,” he said before taking swipes at his two major primary challengers, Assemblymember Grace Meng and Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley. “The challenge facing Social Security is immediate and severe, and so far I’m the only candidate in this race that has offered a real plan to save Social Security without reducing benefits, raising the retirement age or privatizing Social Security altogether.”

http://queenscourier.com/2012/social-security-at-center-of-6th-district-contention/

 

The Maui News (HI)

Debate focus on elder issues 

Brian Perry

06-13-12

Hirono opposed cutting benefits or raising the current retirement age of 65 to 67 years old. She advocated increasing the Social Security income tax cap above its current $106,000. Case supported raising the cap but not abolishing it, and he advocated raising the retirement age - not for seniors who've retired or are nearing retirement, but for people currently in their 20s and 30s.

http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/561973/Debate-focus-on-elder-issues.html?nav=10

 

WCF Courier (IA)

Seniors speak out on Medicare, Social Security

06-13-12

Jon Ericson

Kent Sovern, state AARP director, led the discussion. When he asked the group of more than 90 people for their personal view of how Medicare should be handled, 84 percent favored a balance of revenue enhancement and benefit cuts. A similar result came when seniors were asked about how to deal with Social Security.

"Do you know what this tells me? You guys don't deserve that 'greedy geezers' moniker I've heard about," Sovern said to the group.

http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/seniors-speak-out-on-medicare-social-security/article_2967abe8-b5b4-5772-8654-812bd470129f.html

 

VT Digger (VT)

Sanders addresses Medicaid rally on Capitol Hill

06-12-13

Press Release

“Yes, we have to deal with deficit reduction, but not on the backs of the most vulnerable people in this country,” Sanders told 200 people gathered on the west lawn of the Capitol.

http://vtdigger.org/2012/06/12/sanders-addresses-medicaid-rally-on-capitol-hill/

 

Daily Finance (NAT)

80 Is the New 65: How High Should We Boost Retirement Age?

06-12-12

Adam J. Wiederman

For starters, Social Security is an antiquated system. When it was created in 1937, most citizens didn't live past 60. Social Security was set up so that you'd begin receiving benefits at 65 when -- if, really -- you had outlived the normal lifespan.

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/06/12/80-is-the-new-65-how-high-should-we-boost-retirement-age/

 

Businessweek (NAT)

Sperling: Spending Cuts May Hurt Growth

06-06-12

Mike Dorning

The U.S. needs long-term savings on entitlement spending, higher taxes on the wealthy and “immediate support for jobs and the recovery,” Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, said today in a speech to the Economic Club of New York, according to excerpts released by the White House.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-06/obama-adviser-sperling-says-spending-cuts-may-hurt-growth

 

Deseret News (UT)

Sorry, but Social Security is just another government handout

06-13-12

Walter E. Williams

Here's my question to those who protest that their Social Security checks are not handouts: Seeing as Congress has not "set up a Social Security account for you" containing your 45 years' worth of Social Security contributions, where does the money you receive come from?

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765582736/Sorry-but-Social-Security-is-just-another-government-handout.html

 

Also appeared in: http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/social-358501-security-congress.html

 

OECD

Pensions: Raising retirement ages and expanding private pension coverage essential, says OECD

11-06-12

Staff

Governments will need to raise retirement ages gradually to address increasing life expectancy in order to ensure that their national pension systems are both affordable and adequate, according to a new ...

http://www.oecd.org/document/35/0,3746,en_21571361_44315115_50555875_1_1_1_1,00.html

 

Politics

 

Associated Press (NAT)

Justice Department Sues Florida Over Voter Purge

06-12-12

Gary Fineout

The governor's contentious push to remove thousands of potentially ineligible voters from Florida's lists has been met with a lawsuit from the Justice Department and handled very differently by the state's independent election supervisors, many of whom questioned the accuracy of the effort. Gov. Rick Scott initiated the push last year to identify and remove non-U.S. citizens.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/12/justice-department-sues-florida-voter-purge_n_1591354.html

 

The Washington Post (DC)

Jeb Bush’s heresy

06-12-12

Dana Milbank

Republican scion takes his party to task.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-jeb-bushs-heresy/2012/06/12/gJQAQrhLYV_story.html?hpid=z

 

theGrio (NAT)

Why Holder is likely to survive a Republican barrage

06-13-12

Perry Bacon Jr.

But Holder, who has been a lightening rod in the administration since he declared the U.S. was a “nation of cowards” on racial issues three years ago, is likely to survive this latest challenge, as he has weathered those throughout his tenure.

http://thegrio.com/2012/06/13/why-holder-is-likely-to-survive-a-republican-barrage/

 

The Miami Herald (FL)

A boomlet of change

06-12-12

William H. Frey

Recent Census numbers show that white babies are, for the first time, a minority of all births, putting an exclamation point on a trend that has been building for decades. A glance around schoolyards and community centers shows that children are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse than ever.

It is this diverse youth population that the largely white baby boomers will rely upon in their retirement years to keep paying into Social Security and Medicare.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/12/2846141/a-boomlet-of-change.html#storylink=cpy

 

The Washington Post (NAT)

Senate primaries in four states set key matchups

06-12-12

Staff

Primary voters went to the polls Tuesday to finalize general-election matchups in some key contests that will help determine control of the Senate next year.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/senate-primaries-in-four-states-set-key-matchups/2012/06/12/gJQA0D6cYV_story.html

 

The New York Times (NAT)

Putin’s Return Brings Rapid Chill to U.S.-Russia Ties

06-13-12

Peter Baker

An impasse over Syria and fractious domestic politics in both countries have underscored the limits of President Obama’s ability to “reset” ties between the nations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/world/europe/putins-return-brings-rapid-chill-to-us-russia-ties.html?_r=1

 

CNN Money (NAT)

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon: I can't publicly defend the trade

06-13-12

Maureen Farrell

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon told Senators Wednesday that he couldn't defend the trades that led to the bank's massive loss and said executives could subject to clawbacks.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/13/investing/jpmorgan-jamie-dimon/

 

NPR (NAT)

Here's The International Skinny On The U.S. Election

06-13-12

Linton Weeks

Political scientists worldwide are watching the U.S. presidential race. Some wonder how a President Romney would change military policy. Some worry that the U.S. economy overseen by President Obama is hurting them. And some see Europe in the unusual position of affecting the election's outcome.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/06/13/154924680/international-skinny-on-the-u-s-election