Social Security News 7-17-12

 Huffington Post (NAT)

The Slick "No Labels" Plan to Duck Debate, Cut Social Security and Coddle the 1%

07-17-12

Richard (RJ) Eskow

No Labels is the creation of overpaid political insiders who work hand-in-glove with longtime opponents of Social Security and Medicare, pushing the agenda of the wealthiest among us by exploiting the public's understandable frustration with gridlocked government.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/the-slick-no-labels-effor_b_1678389.html

 

Huffington Post (NAT)

Social Security Disability Enrollment Rising Due To Demographic Trends, Not Obama 'Slavery' Plot: CBO

07-17-12

Michael McAuliff & Arthur Delaney

Some members of Congress have begun leveling accusations that rising enrollment in Social Security's disability insurance program is evidence of growing American dependence on the government, and even a "slave" mentality. But a new report  out Monday says the rise in America's ranks of disabled to 8.3 million in 2011 stems from an aging population, a surge in women workers, changes in the law in the 1980s and a terrible economy in which disabled people can't find jobs.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/17/social-security-disability_n_1678773.html

 

ABC (NAT)

Biden Targets GOP, Ryan Budget on Medicare & Social Security

07-16-12

Arlette Saenz

Vice President Joe Biden pointed to Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget as an example of Republicans adhering to a “different value set” than Democrats when it comes to reforming Social Security and Medicare, issues that he called “a family affair.” “These are decent, honorable men and women. I’m not playing the game that these guys are bad guys. They just have a different value set as to what is the most important thing that we should be doing,” Biden said of congressional Republicans Monday during the White House Community Leaders briefing on senior issues. “Folks, we’d be much better off if…

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/biden-targets-gop-ryan-budget-on-medicare-social-security/

 

Think Progress (Blog)

How Income Inequality Has Hurt Social Security

07-17-12

Jeff Spross

Inequality has been front and center this political season, but one relatively unexamined aspect of the problem is the way it has exacerbated the financial distress of Social Security. As work by Monique Morrissey at the Economic Policy Institute shows, the spike in income inequality in recent decades accounts for as much as half of the program’s long-term financial shortfall.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/07/17/532621/how-income-inequality-has-damaged-social-security/?mobile=nc

 

The Boston Globe (MA)

Don’t mess with public employee pension system that works

07-17-12

Sandy Pooler

The Massachusetts pension system is a forced savings program for public employees. It ensures that we will have money set aside for our retirement so that we can live decent lives. Edward L. Glaeser’s suggestion to allow cities and towns to negotiate higher current wages for lower pensions will lead to the classic mistake of seeking short-term gratification in place of long-term investment. It is a bad idea.

http://bostonglobe.com/opinion/letters/2012/07/16/don-mess-with-public-employee-pension-system-that-works/jF9wuPQ9w1roV2QlIQFABN/story.html

 

Crooks and Liars (Blog)

Still Looks Like A Push For The Grand Bargain After The November Election

07-16-12

Susie Madrak

Hard to say how hard Obama is going to push for his Grand Bargain before the election, because he's having a hard time getting the base as motivated as they were the last time he ran and it would piss working people off in a major way. Remember, the …

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/still-looks-push-grand-bargain-after-

 

Huffington Post (NAT)

Cut Medicare and Social Security Now

07-16-12

Eli Lehrer

The "third rail" of American politics -- cuts to Social Security and Medicare entitlements for current and near future beneficiaries -- is the best, most humane, and least painful targets for real cuts in the short term.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eli-lehrer/cut-medicare-and-social-s_b_1672855.html

 

NJ Today (NJ)

Social Security Recipients Report Satisfaction With Debit Card Program Everything New Jersey

07-17-12

Staff

As the deadline approaches for Social Security benefit recipients to switch to direct deposit or a debit card program.

http://njtoday.net/2012/07/17/social-security-recipients-report-satisfaction-with-debit-card-program/

 

Yahoo (NAT)

First Person: 70 Is My New Retirement Age and That’s Just Fine with Me

07-16-12

K. W. Callahan

From Yahoo! Finance: A recent MSN Money article regarding retirement age noted the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College found that 51 percent of working households are "at risk of being unable to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living in retirement."

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-person-70-retirement-age-just-fine-150300949--finance.html

 

Wall Street Journal (NAT)

Answers to Social Security Questions

07-15-12

Karen Damato

How to calculate Social Security retirement benefits, suspend payouts and file complaints: The Wall Street Journal's Ask Next column shows you the way.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303444204577460950999066574.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

Wichita Eagle (KS)

Social Security system is desperately broke

07-17-12

Laurence Kotlikoff

The proof is buried deep in the trustees’ own 2012 report in a complex table, numbered IV.B6. The system’s actuaries prepare the report’s tables. But what the trustees make of them is up to the trustees. Clearly this year, as in others, the trustees ignored table IV.B6. How else could they have come up with their blase statement that Congress should address Social Security’s finances “in a timely way”?

http://www.kansas.com/2012/07/17/2409852/social-security-system-is-desperately.html

 

Deseret News (AZ)

There is no easy way to fix Social Security system

07-16-12

Kerk Phillips

The U.S Social Security system is in big trouble. While the trust fund balance today is just over $2.5 trillion, this amounts to about four years of

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765590316/There-is-no-easy-way-to-fix-Social-Security-system.html

 

Politics

 

Politico (DC)

McCain: Palin was 'better candidate' than Romney

07-17-12

Manu Raju

Mitt Romney's tax returns had nothing to do with Sen. John McCain's decision to choose Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008, according to the Arizona Republican, saying he chose the former Alaska governor because she was a "better candidate." McCain received more than two decades worth of Romney's tax returns as the former...

http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/07/mccain-i-wasnt-scared-off-by-romney-tax-returns-129201.html

 

The Hill (DC)

Romney seizes on Obama comments as anti-business

07-17-12

Justin Sink

Mitt Romney ramped up his attacks on President Barack Obama's economic policies in a retooled stump speech Tuesday that accused the president of practicing crony capitalism and looking to shift blame through his attacks on the Republican hopeful's tenure at Bain Capital. Romney, who has seen his campaign besieged by questions over his involvement in the investment firm, looked to pivot Tuesday, accusing Obama of providing special access to campaign contributors.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/238413-romney-obamas-bain-attacks-try-to-shift-blame-for-failure-of-crony-capitalism

 

The Washington Post (NAT)

Romney’s risk-free deal with Bain

07-17-12

Ezra Klein

Romney’s risk-free deal with Bain

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/07/17/romneys-risk-free-deal-with-bain/

 

Yahoo (NAT)

Sununu: The Obama campaign is a ‘bunch of liars’

07-17-12

Holly Bailey

The call was organized by Romney aides to attack Obama's handling of the economy, which they argue has stifled job creation and hurt small business. But Sununu seemed to take it a step further, telling reporters at one point, "I wish this president would learn how to be an American." http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/sununu-obama-campaign-bunch-liars-162012671.html

 

The New York Times (NAT)

In Report on States’ Finances, a Grim Long-Term Forecast

07-17-12

Mary Williams Walsh and Michael Cooper

Long after the economy rebounds, states will face financial problems that include rising health care costs and underfunded pensions, a task force of budget experts said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/18/us/in-report-on-states-finances-a-grim-long-term-forecast.html?_r=1&hp&gwh=516AB574C530832D9EF3F3B1FEBBA905