By Barbara McDaniel October 20, 2014
Funding shortfalls for Social Security are expected within 20 years. Taking action now to boost and preserve Social Security is urgent. Despite the urgency, Alaska Dispatch recently reported senate candidate Dan Sullivan “hasn’t endorsed specific legislation.” The report stated he’s interested in “raising the age of eligibility for recipients or means testing” as solutions. Those are not solutions for most Americans--those earning middle class or lower incomes. Raising seniors’ age of eligibility would cut years of needed benefits and means testing would deny benefits to seniors who paid for them. While Mr. Sullivan evades telling voters his plan, his Club for Growth endorsement is telling. Club for Growth is famous for demanding Social Security benefit cuts through privatization, increasing the eligibility age to 70, eliminating COLA, and means testing. Women (and men) should beware. At an October 3rd, Big Lake event, during the short Q&A, Dan Sullivan hinted at the strategy for winning cuts to Social Security. He stated that voters under 40 believe Social Security will not exist for them at retirement age and, smiling slyly at the group, suggested “that gives us opportunities.” If young voters believe today's Social Security benefits won’t exist in the future, will they passively allow its demise, playing out the subconscious human behavior of “self-fulfilling prophecy?” It would be very sad if young voters chose to do that to themselves. They have better options. At a recent event for Mark Begich at the Palmer Senior Center, Max Richtman, JD, CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSS), pointed out that right now the income cap on Social Security payroll tax is $117,000. Mr. Richtman went on to explain that currently all income over that amount is not taxed, meaning “a person who earns $117,000 a year pays the same (Social Security tax) as the person who earns $117,000,000 dollars a year,” which is not equitable. Mr. Richtman announced his prestigious organization’s endorsement of Senator Begich because Begich is “fifth in leadership” and a “champion on middle class issues.” He added that Alaska is in a uniquely powerful position right now because “both (Sen. Begich and Sen. Murkowski) sit on the Senate Appropriations Committee” and because Senator Begich has a concrete plan for preserving Social Security and Medicare that will ensure it is robust and solvent for at least another 75 years. That is, to raise the $117,000 income cap on the Social Security payroll tax. It is inevitable that we will all reach an age when gainful employment is unrealistic. It is also unrealistic to think that most hard-working Americans will ever be members of the wealthy 1% club or currently have the means to save enough money to adequately cover the costs of their end-of-life years. Social Security and Medicare are wonderful gifts Americans gave themselves 79 years ago to help ensure modest dignity and health in their final years. Social Security has met that goal and kept millions of senior citizens--our parents, our grandparents, and our great-great grandparents from living in miserable poverty. The National Organization for Women NOW-PAC has also endorsed Senator Mark Begich for re-election and applauds his efforts to preserve Social Security and Medicare indefinitely for all future beneficiaries. Barbara McDaniel Received October --, 2014 - Published October 20, 2014 Related Viewpoint: Viewpoints - Opinion Letters:
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