Dennis Kucinich at Highline Community College (WA State)

[eridani]

6. Email commentary from a friend

The Threat to Social Security: An issue for all generations-

Main points:
•We have to vote for the whole liberal package not just Social Security. Healthcare as a human right, tax equity, cut the military, campaign finance reform, limit the Supreme Court, invest in green energy/infrastructure, eco-consciousness, regulate financers/wall st, affordable education ????
•Americans deserve full employment-government sponsored jobs programs
•Americans deserve tax equity
•Scrap the cap-high earners don’t pay taxes after a cap of $110,100. Thus lower earners pay a higher percentage
•Support groups and communities that support the right to organize
•Threats to Social Security are just the tip of the iceberg
•High healthcare costs are caused by for profit health insurance companies—90 billion in yearly profit!
•Non-profit health insurance (single payer) will preserve not only Medicare but Social Security too
•Without pensions the tax payer will pick up the slack
•Stand up for the post office, oppose privatization
•this nation or any nation of the corporations, by corporations, for the corporations shall not perish from the earth?
•Stop money to the pentagon for unnecessary wars
•Privatizing Social Security will result in trillions for Wall St profit, CEO’s salaries and bonuses
•Call to action-communicate with state and federal legislators and legislation for a commitment to scrap the cap.
•Other presenters talked about how crucial Social Security is to Latinos and women


Sponsors include:
Social Security Works—Washington at www.ssworkswa.org
Why Social Security is important?
1.1 in 4 today’s 20 year old will be disabled before reaching 67 (retirement age)
2.50% of the workforce has no private pension: 31% have no retirement savings
3.Without Social Security, half of American women 65 and older would live in poverty
4.“Scrapping the Cap” would protect and preserve Social Security for future generations

Health Care For All-Washington www.healthcareforallwa.org
Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans www.psara.org

Summary
It pleased me greatly to see a lot young people there as well as many organizers for other groups . I was, as usual, inspired by Kucinich and found that after the forum was an excellent time to network. I was late arriving and missed the time before the forum to smooze. In future forums I plan to arrive early and leave late. The main point I got was how important it is to discuss these issues with everybody in my life to organize and communicate with legislators and support legislation that commits to “Scrap the Cap”. Also it is important to participate in and support financially activist groups that promote removing the cap on social security and preserving it for future generations. It seems to me that all these different activist groups and liberals need to wake up to the danger ahead and organize a voting block to push these powermongers out of the government or we will lose in November. Ron Ragan Jr hit it on the head when he said at ast years 1090am Progressive talk forum, “If we lose this go around-we will never get it back”

Power to the people --Robert M.