No New Retirement Plans

A guess it's not really a pledge, just a promise, but I'm at a loss to explain how the kind of commitment described in this press release from Americans United differs in form from supporting a "No New Taxes" pledge. It's an inflexible commitment to an outside interest group.

One can argue the details and practicality of various social security "choice" or "privatization" plans, but the motivation behind them is looking for a way to provide a higher monthly retirement income for people, enabling an estate to inherit a person's total social security payments plus interest in the event a person dies before retirement, secure a person's retirement income in a personal account with real money and not a government IOU, create a system that is not dependent on workforce size fluctuations and finally create a system that is not subject to government increasing taxes or retirement age to make it solvent.

Making the “Golden Promise” says we’re not going to look at any of those possible benefits. Instead, we’re going, without any flexibility, to preserve the current system irrespective of whether it provides the best possible retirement scenario for American seniors. Sounds a lot like “No New Taxes” to me.

Americans United
www.americansunitedforchange.org

MEDIA ADVISORY CONTACTS: Tom Kelly (612) 309-3303
November 1st, 2006 Jeremy Funk, (605) 366-3654

Press Conference: Americans United to Salute Patty Wetterling for Making A “Golden Promise” to Protect Social Security From Privatization

Patty Wetterling has graciously accepted the invitation to attend and will highlight her commitment to preserving America ’s most cherished retirement program

Candidates for Congress Owe it to the Voters to Make Clear Whether They Support the Bush Social Security Privatization Plan

St. Paul, Minnesota (November 1st, 2006) – Patty Wetterling will join Americans United for a press conference on the future of Social Security tomorrow, November 2nd, at 10:30 am at the Whitney Senior Center in St. Cloud. As President Bush and his allies in Congress renew their efforts to privatize Social Security early next year, Americans United invited US Rep. Gil Gutknecht (MN-01), his opponent Tim Walz, State Senator Michele Bachmann (MN-06) and her opponent Patty Wetterling, to sign the Americans United “Golden Promise” – a pledge to protect and strengthen Social Security by opposing President Bush’s privatization plan. To date, Walz and Wetterling are the only candidates to have taken the pledge.

Since June President Bush and his allies in Congress have stated that they will bring back the Bush Social Security privatization plan after the November election. Americans United has asked Congressional candidates across the nation to make the “Golden Promise” and tomorrow AU will recognize Patty Wetterling as a champion of Social Security. Minnesotans deserve to know where the candidates stand on the Bush Social Security privatization plan. Congressional Candidates Tim Walz (MN-01) and Patty Wetterling (MN-06) oppose the Bush Privatization Plan and have signed the “Golden Promise” pledge to protect and strengthen Social Security.

Text of the Golden Promise:

Social Security guarantees Americans that if they work hard, contribute, and play by the rules, they have earned the right to retire in dignity, and their families will be protected in the event of disability or death.

We are united in our commitment to strengthen Social Security, not privatize it. We will work to improve the retirement security of all Americans and will oppose any scheme for deep benefit cuts or massive debt to fund risky private accounts. Protect Social Security, Stop Privatization