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2109, 2011

Massive “No Cuts” Campaign Begins

By |September 21st, 2011|Budget, entitlement reform, Max Richtman, Medicare, Social Security, Super Committee|

Battle Over Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid Heats Up as Seniors? Organization Launches Seven-Figure ?No Cuts? Campaign

Grassroots, Media & Internet strategies will build national protest movement

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare has launched the largest grassroots mobilization and media campaign in its long history of defending programs vital to millions of Americans. Grassroots field workers are in Washington for an intensive training session this week and will begin field operations immediately in Congressional Districts from coast to coast. Already, the ?No Cuts? campaign has generated 20 thousand calls to Congress from Americans who oppose cutting the nation?s most successful programs to reduce the deficit. In addition to this massive grassroots mobilization, the National Committee will also launch an expansive media campaign in Washington and beyond; including, new bipartisan national polling to be released tomorrow Thursday, September 22nd, television and radio ads, mobile billboards, advocacy videos and a social media campaign to engage the National Committee?s online community.National Committee Grassroots Volunteers & District Field Directors joined NCPSSM President/CEO, Max Richtman, at today?s launch of the first of two Mobile Billboard ?NO CUTS? campaign trucks which will cover every mile of official Washington?from Capitol Hill to the White House and beyond?with a high visibility message that can?t be ignored. We?ll also make stops along the way collecting petition signatures and engaging and mobilizing Americans who demand Congress hear their message, ?No Cuts to Social Security and Medicare?. ?While the American people have said time and time again they do not support reducing our deficit on the backs of working Americans, retirees and their families, Washington is poised to do just that. Outside Washington, most people don?t even know there is a ?Super Committee? yet these twelve members could decide the future of generations of middle class Americans before the average American knows what hit him. That?s why we?re making the biggest investment in our organization?s history to help the American people organize and deliver their message to Washington loud and clear?cutting benefits to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to pay for fiscal failures of the past is not fiscal responsibility.? Max Richtman, President/CEO


1909, 2011

The Good News and Bad News in the President?s Deficit Plan

By |September 19th, 2011|entitlement reform, Max Richtman, Medicare, Social Security|

?For too long, Washington?s fiscal hawks have co-opted the deficit conversation suggesting the only way to restore our nation?s fiscal balance is to slash Social Security and Medicare. At the same time many of these ?safety net? opponents were signing pledges to protect tax breaks for millionaires and corporations. That is not fiscal responsibility. Our National Committee members understand this and, thankfully so does our President. The White House has given us a desperately needed reality check offering a deficit plan providing the common-sense balance most Americans know is necessary. President Obama has flatly rejected conservatives? calls to cut Social Security since this program did not create our deficit crisis. In fact, Social Security has a surplus of $2.6 trillion in its trust fund and can pay full benefits for at least 25 more years. Added to that good news is that the President will not recommend raising Medicare?s eligibility age ? safeguarding healthcare access for millions of future retirees.Unfortunately, the President?s other proposals on Medicare are more of a mixed bag offering increased cost-shifting to seniors rather than continuing the work begun with healthcare reform. Medicare is affected by the same rising costs experienced by the rest of our healthcare system. We need to tackle the true problem, not just pass those costs on to seniors. That?s why the National Committee supported health care reform as the best way to bring spending under control, though cost savings have not yet been fully realized since many provisions are still being implemented. Raising premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs for seniors doesn?t address the real challenge facing our nation but merely shifts costs to retirees who are losing an increasing share of their Social Security checks.??Max Richtman, President/CEO


1509, 2011

More Evidence that Social Security is a Lifeline – Especially During Tough Times

By |September 15th, 2011|Budget, entitlement reform, Medicare, Social Security, Super Committee|

While most in the media would rather focus their limited attentions on Rick Perry?s Ponzi claims and parrot statistics provided by billion dollar campaigns designed to convince us that our nation can?t afford vital safety net programs like Social Security and Medicare, every once in awhile someone just reports the facts. Here is one of those instances. Suzy Khimm at Wonkblog uses 5 graphs from the latest (and most depressing in memory) Census report on poverty. Please take the time to read her entire post. But here are some key points usually just glossed over in Washington?s race to cut deficits:

?Poverty for Americans age 18 to 64 is at a record high: at 13.7 percent. It?s highest poverty rate for this age group that the Census has on record since 1959. (The next highest rates for this group happened in 2009, then 1983.) By contrast, the poverty rate for seniors is at a record low: in 2009, it was at 8.9 percent, and it?s remained essentially flat since then. Why? It seems that Social Security has provided a safety net that?s weathered the recession: without this income, the poverty rate for Americans over 65 would have risen by 13.8 million, the Census says.And as bad as things look for other age groups, the safety net has also prevented even more younger Americans from falling into poverty: without unemployment insurance benefits, the poverty rate for other adults would have risen by 2.3 million and children by 900,000.?

So when someone tells you ?we just can?t afford America?s safety net programs? you must then ask them ??Can this nation afford to have another 17 million Americans in poverty??It’s incredible that now Congress? Super Committee and the White House both appear willing to support cuts to many of these programs which have served us so well.No surprise here, but the health care industry would rather raise the Medicare eligibility age, forcing 5 million seniors into the private market where they can pay more for less. They figure pushing costs to seniors is a better option that facing other reforms that might actually hurt their bottom line.

?There?s a pretty simple explanation for why hospitals and some insurers would favor raising the eligibility age: Hospitals receive higher payments from private insurance than they do from Medicare. The payments that hospitals receive from private insurers are 28 percent above the break-even point for providing treatment, according to a recent report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Medicare pays only 91 percent of what it costs a hospital to provide care.Heath insurers, too, could stand to benefit if 5 million seniors in that age bracket move into the private market.?

So while the Super Committee meets behind closed doors and the White House prepares it?s deficit cutting proposal for release next week, you have to wonder. Did they read this Census Report?


1309, 2011

Social Security & Medicare Didn’t Cause our Budget Mess

By |September 13th, 2011|Budget, entitlement reform, Max Richtman, Medicare, Social Security, Super Committee|

The Congressional Super Committee held it’s first hearing today. CBO Director Doug Elmendorf testified about the budget deficit and warned the U.S. won?t be able to keep up its spending programs and policies while keeping current tax policies in place. As expected, fiscal hawks continued to try and blame our fiscal failure on programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security today while sticking to their pledge to ignore the revenue side of any deficit reduction equation.It’s going to be a long few months.Here’s today’s reaction from our President/CEO, Max Richtman:

?It?s clear, after listening to statements made by many members of the Deficit Super Committee today, that cutting Medicare, Medicaid and even Social Security, to cut the deficit remains their primary goal. Repeated statements that these programs are the primary drivers of our current debt, contrary to the facts, do a disservice to the process and impede finding real solutions to the real problems. Conflating current debt and future obligations is a political strategy designed to target these programs to pay the price for years of failed fiscal policies and tax cuts for the wealthy. America?s workers, especially the baby boomers, built up a $2.6 trillion dollar Social Security trust fund to pay for their future retirement. In fact, the latest projections from the Congressional Budget Office show that Social Security can pay full benefits through the year 2038 and slightly more than 80 percent of scheduled benefits in subsequent years. The challenges facing Medicare are more immediate. Solutions are needed to bring down the high cost of healthcare system-wide, however, benefit cuts for seniors is not a remedy. Lumping Social Security and Medicare together, while ignoring the true drivers of our current debt, puts politics over policy and turns this Deficit Reduction Committee into nothing more than an entitlement chop-shop. That is not what the American people expect or will accept in the name of deficit reduction.? Max Richtman, President/CEO


909, 2011

Payroll Tax Cuts Threaten Social Security’s Promise

By |September 9th, 2011|Budget, Max Richtman, Social Security|

Here is our reaction to President Obama’s jobs address:

“Putting Americans back to work is critical to our economic recovery. It’s unfortunate that for most of this year Washington’s attention has been diverted to deficit reduction rather than finding ways to stimulate our still flagging economy, which will itself reduce the deficit. We applaud President Obama for refocusing our national attention to where it should be–economic recovery–while offering relief that many Americans desperately need. We agree wholeheartedly with the President, the time to act is now and we hope Congress will move quickly to make job creation priority #1. Putting Americans back to work is also critical to keeping Social Security and Medicare strong. However, this proposal to extend and expand the payroll tax cut threatens Social Security’s independence by forcing the program to compete for limited federal dollars from general revenues, and by breaking the link between contributions and benefits. As we predicted back in December, there’s no such thing as a temporary tax cut. Just months after being reassured that diverting contributions from Social Security would last for just one year, Congress is now being asked to extend and even increase this diversion of payroll taxes for another year. Doubling-down by also cutting employer contributions greatly worsens the situation, and makes it even hard to restore the Social Security system to self-financing. If this extension passes, there is no guarantee that Congress won’t be asked to extend it yet again, for a 3rd or even a 4th year or longer, and expand it even more, making it a de facto permanent part of the tax code. This is death by a thousand cuts. Social Security is paid for, earned by and promised to American workers. We call on the President and the Congress to reaffirm the fact that Social Security has been, is, and will continue to be, a self-financed insurance program; and that this temporary payroll tax cut does not constitute a precedent that would undermine this principle.” Max Richtman, NCPSSM President/CEO


Massive “No Cuts” Campaign Begins

By |September 21st, 2011|Budget, entitlement reform, Max Richtman, Medicare, Social Security, Super Committee|

Battle Over Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid Heats Up as Seniors? Organization Launches Seven-Figure ?No Cuts? Campaign

Grassroots, Media & Internet strategies will build national protest movement

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare has launched the largest grassroots mobilization and media campaign in its long history of defending programs vital to millions of Americans. Grassroots field workers are in Washington for an intensive training session this week and will begin field operations immediately in Congressional Districts from coast to coast. Already, the ?No Cuts? campaign has generated 20 thousand calls to Congress from Americans who oppose cutting the nation?s most successful programs to reduce the deficit. In addition to this massive grassroots mobilization, the National Committee will also launch an expansive media campaign in Washington and beyond; including, new bipartisan national polling to be released tomorrow Thursday, September 22nd, television and radio ads, mobile billboards, advocacy videos and a social media campaign to engage the National Committee?s online community.National Committee Grassroots Volunteers & District Field Directors joined NCPSSM President/CEO, Max Richtman, at today?s launch of the first of two Mobile Billboard ?NO CUTS? campaign trucks which will cover every mile of official Washington?from Capitol Hill to the White House and beyond?with a high visibility message that can?t be ignored. We?ll also make stops along the way collecting petition signatures and engaging and mobilizing Americans who demand Congress hear their message, ?No Cuts to Social Security and Medicare?. ?While the American people have said time and time again they do not support reducing our deficit on the backs of working Americans, retirees and their families, Washington is poised to do just that. Outside Washington, most people don?t even know there is a ?Super Committee? yet these twelve members could decide the future of generations of middle class Americans before the average American knows what hit him. That?s why we?re making the biggest investment in our organization?s history to help the American people organize and deliver their message to Washington loud and clear?cutting benefits to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to pay for fiscal failures of the past is not fiscal responsibility.? Max Richtman, President/CEO


The Good News and Bad News in the President?s Deficit Plan

By |September 19th, 2011|entitlement reform, Max Richtman, Medicare, Social Security|

?For too long, Washington?s fiscal hawks have co-opted the deficit conversation suggesting the only way to restore our nation?s fiscal balance is to slash Social Security and Medicare. At the same time many of these ?safety net? opponents were signing pledges to protect tax breaks for millionaires and corporations. That is not fiscal responsibility. Our National Committee members understand this and, thankfully so does our President. The White House has given us a desperately needed reality check offering a deficit plan providing the common-sense balance most Americans know is necessary. President Obama has flatly rejected conservatives? calls to cut Social Security since this program did not create our deficit crisis. In fact, Social Security has a surplus of $2.6 trillion in its trust fund and can pay full benefits for at least 25 more years. Added to that good news is that the President will not recommend raising Medicare?s eligibility age ? safeguarding healthcare access for millions of future retirees.Unfortunately, the President?s other proposals on Medicare are more of a mixed bag offering increased cost-shifting to seniors rather than continuing the work begun with healthcare reform. Medicare is affected by the same rising costs experienced by the rest of our healthcare system. We need to tackle the true problem, not just pass those costs on to seniors. That?s why the National Committee supported health care reform as the best way to bring spending under control, though cost savings have not yet been fully realized since many provisions are still being implemented. Raising premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs for seniors doesn?t address the real challenge facing our nation but merely shifts costs to retirees who are losing an increasing share of their Social Security checks.??Max Richtman, President/CEO


More Evidence that Social Security is a Lifeline – Especially During Tough Times

By |September 15th, 2011|Budget, entitlement reform, Medicare, Social Security, Super Committee|

While most in the media would rather focus their limited attentions on Rick Perry?s Ponzi claims and parrot statistics provided by billion dollar campaigns designed to convince us that our nation can?t afford vital safety net programs like Social Security and Medicare, every once in awhile someone just reports the facts. Here is one of those instances. Suzy Khimm at Wonkblog uses 5 graphs from the latest (and most depressing in memory) Census report on poverty. Please take the time to read her entire post. But here are some key points usually just glossed over in Washington?s race to cut deficits:

?Poverty for Americans age 18 to 64 is at a record high: at 13.7 percent. It?s highest poverty rate for this age group that the Census has on record since 1959. (The next highest rates for this group happened in 2009, then 1983.) By contrast, the poverty rate for seniors is at a record low: in 2009, it was at 8.9 percent, and it?s remained essentially flat since then. Why? It seems that Social Security has provided a safety net that?s weathered the recession: without this income, the poverty rate for Americans over 65 would have risen by 13.8 million, the Census says.And as bad as things look for other age groups, the safety net has also prevented even more younger Americans from falling into poverty: without unemployment insurance benefits, the poverty rate for other adults would have risen by 2.3 million and children by 900,000.?

So when someone tells you ?we just can?t afford America?s safety net programs? you must then ask them ??Can this nation afford to have another 17 million Americans in poverty??It’s incredible that now Congress? Super Committee and the White House both appear willing to support cuts to many of these programs which have served us so well.No surprise here, but the health care industry would rather raise the Medicare eligibility age, forcing 5 million seniors into the private market where they can pay more for less. They figure pushing costs to seniors is a better option that facing other reforms that might actually hurt their bottom line.

?There?s a pretty simple explanation for why hospitals and some insurers would favor raising the eligibility age: Hospitals receive higher payments from private insurance than they do from Medicare. The payments that hospitals receive from private insurers are 28 percent above the break-even point for providing treatment, according to a recent report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Medicare pays only 91 percent of what it costs a hospital to provide care.Heath insurers, too, could stand to benefit if 5 million seniors in that age bracket move into the private market.?

So while the Super Committee meets behind closed doors and the White House prepares it?s deficit cutting proposal for release next week, you have to wonder. Did they read this Census Report?


Social Security & Medicare Didn’t Cause our Budget Mess

By |September 13th, 2011|Budget, entitlement reform, Max Richtman, Medicare, Social Security, Super Committee|

The Congressional Super Committee held it’s first hearing today. CBO Director Doug Elmendorf testified about the budget deficit and warned the U.S. won?t be able to keep up its spending programs and policies while keeping current tax policies in place. As expected, fiscal hawks continued to try and blame our fiscal failure on programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security today while sticking to their pledge to ignore the revenue side of any deficit reduction equation.It’s going to be a long few months.Here’s today’s reaction from our President/CEO, Max Richtman:

?It?s clear, after listening to statements made by many members of the Deficit Super Committee today, that cutting Medicare, Medicaid and even Social Security, to cut the deficit remains their primary goal. Repeated statements that these programs are the primary drivers of our current debt, contrary to the facts, do a disservice to the process and impede finding real solutions to the real problems. Conflating current debt and future obligations is a political strategy designed to target these programs to pay the price for years of failed fiscal policies and tax cuts for the wealthy. America?s workers, especially the baby boomers, built up a $2.6 trillion dollar Social Security trust fund to pay for their future retirement. In fact, the latest projections from the Congressional Budget Office show that Social Security can pay full benefits through the year 2038 and slightly more than 80 percent of scheduled benefits in subsequent years. The challenges facing Medicare are more immediate. Solutions are needed to bring down the high cost of healthcare system-wide, however, benefit cuts for seniors is not a remedy. Lumping Social Security and Medicare together, while ignoring the true drivers of our current debt, puts politics over policy and turns this Deficit Reduction Committee into nothing more than an entitlement chop-shop. That is not what the American people expect or will accept in the name of deficit reduction.? Max Richtman, President/CEO


Payroll Tax Cuts Threaten Social Security’s Promise

By |September 9th, 2011|Budget, Max Richtman, Social Security|

Here is our reaction to President Obama’s jobs address:

“Putting Americans back to work is critical to our economic recovery. It’s unfortunate that for most of this year Washington’s attention has been diverted to deficit reduction rather than finding ways to stimulate our still flagging economy, which will itself reduce the deficit. We applaud President Obama for refocusing our national attention to where it should be–economic recovery–while offering relief that many Americans desperately need. We agree wholeheartedly with the President, the time to act is now and we hope Congress will move quickly to make job creation priority #1. Putting Americans back to work is also critical to keeping Social Security and Medicare strong. However, this proposal to extend and expand the payroll tax cut threatens Social Security’s independence by forcing the program to compete for limited federal dollars from general revenues, and by breaking the link between contributions and benefits. As we predicted back in December, there’s no such thing as a temporary tax cut. Just months after being reassured that diverting contributions from Social Security would last for just one year, Congress is now being asked to extend and even increase this diversion of payroll taxes for another year. Doubling-down by also cutting employer contributions greatly worsens the situation, and makes it even hard to restore the Social Security system to self-financing. If this extension passes, there is no guarantee that Congress won’t be asked to extend it yet again, for a 3rd or even a 4th year or longer, and expand it even more, making it a de facto permanent part of the tax code. This is death by a thousand cuts. Social Security is paid for, earned by and promised to American workers. We call on the President and the Congress to reaffirm the fact that Social Security has been, is, and will continue to be, a self-financed insurance program; and that this temporary payroll tax cut does not constitute a precedent that would undermine this principle.” Max Richtman, NCPSSM President/CEO



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