RIGHT to WORK for LESS in 24 STATES NOW !

Gov. Snyder Signs Both Michigan 'Right to Work' for Less Bills

12/11/2012

Jackie Tortora

Gov. Rick Snyder just signed the "right to work" for less bills into law (S.B. 0116 and H.B. 4003). Gov. Snyder and House Republicans rammed through  “right to work” for less legislation with no input from the voters. 

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement:

Gov. Snyder showed his true colors today: He’s a puppet of extreme donors, and he is willing to ignore and lie to his constituents. His action will undoubtedly please the Koch Brothers and corporate CEOs, but it will diminish the voice of every working man and woman in Michigan.

To make ‘right-to-work’ a reality, Governor Rick Snyder ignored working Michiganders, the faith and civil rights community, President Obama, people in his own party, autoworkers, nurses, teachers, firefighters, the Detroit Free Press editorial board and voters. He listened to Grover Norquist, Dick DeVos, the Koch brothers and the extremes of his party. In Gov. Snyder’s office, they might call that political reality. On Main Street, we call it a sham of democracy.

The so-called ‘right to work’ laws have never fostered employment, but they do bring out the worst kind of divisiveness. Gov. Snyder knows this is true. He publicly acknowledged this reality for years, and yet ultimately he chose to ignore it and embrace extreme politics under the guise of a job creation agenda.

But working people are resilient – and just like we’ve patiently worked together to rebuild after the Great Recession, we will continue to come together to say ‘no’ to overreach and to oppose this radical governor and state legislature. And we will continue to work for policies to put America back on track with good jobs and shared prosperity, because working people have always been the solution, not the problem. 

What ‘Right to Work’ Really Means for Real People:

• Average worker makes $1,540 less per year
• Median household income $6,437 less
• 28%more people lack health insurance
• Average poverty rate is 18% higher
• Rate of workplace death is 36% higher

PUT THE POLITICIANS ON MINIMUM WAGE......AND WATCH HOW FAST THINGS CHANGE !

 "Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!

Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

Fiat Lux

TENNESSEE SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE CUTS ? ? ?

Click below for a sample script and the number to call: With Congress headed for a showdown on the federal budget, we need to get senators on the record about where they stand on cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits. Pick up the phone and ask Sens. Alexander and Corker: "Do you oppose any benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid?" Congress is headed for a major showdown over federal spending before the end of the year. And far too many Democrats and Republicans are part of a concerted push to put Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits on the chopping block. Some senators, like Bernie Sanders and Tom Harkin, are on the record as standing strong. But others, like Sens. Alexander and Corker, have yet to publicly commit to protect our social safety net. Negotiations are already happening and Congress only has a few weeks left in session. That's why we're working with our friends at MoveOn and other progressive organizations to get senators on the record about where they stand on benefit cuts. Pick up the phone and ask Sens. Alexander and Corker: "Do you oppose any benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid?" Click here for contact information and a sample script. Let's be clear, there are any number of crises that demand urgent action by Congress — the foreclosure crisis, the unemployment crisis, the climate crisis to name just a few — but reducing the deficit isn't one of them. It's true that without a new deal to decrease the deficit before the end of the year, we'll see the automatic cuts and tax increases start going into effect in January. But no deal is far better than a bad deal. If we do nothing, the Bush tax cuts will expire and we'll see automatic, in some cases brutal, cuts to government spending. But these cuts include significant reductions to defense spending while sparing Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits (not to mention a host of programs that help the most vulnerable). As painful as the status quo might be, it's substantially better than the deals that have been floated thus far. And it's hard to imagine that President Obama and the Democrats could cut a better deal with Republicans in the next two weeks than what they could accomplish in the next Congress with more Democrats in the House and the Senate, the Bush tax cuts already expired and (quite possibly) filibuster reform that reduces the power of obstructionist Republicans. We need to create a bulwark in the Senate to block any deal that cuts Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits. Pick up the phone and ask Sens. Alexander and Corker: "Do you oppose any benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid?" Click the link below for contact information and a sample script. http://act.credoaction.com/call?tg=FSTN_2.FSTN_1&cp_id=285&id=51871-3026155-3Thj_ux&t=8 Thanks for all you do, "Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"! Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

SOCIAL SECURITY & MEDICARE...HANDS OFF !

Last week, 300 demonstrators set up a "Durbinville" shantytown, protesting efforts by Democratic leaders to unfairly trade Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefit cuts for Republican support for raising taxes on the wealthy.¹
The ensuing outcry is working to keep benefit cuts out of the Grand Bargain for now: Sen. Durbin walked back a proposal to raise the medicare eligibility age on Meet The Press this weekend. But the negotiations are far from over and we have to stay vigilant in our defense of these programs.²
If you haven't already, please join 70,000 FDL activists in making this clear to our elected representatives with our pledge:

"I will not support any elected official who votes to cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits."

In solidarity,

UNDERDOG = DON JONES

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

FIAT LUX

OBAMA on RIGHT to WORK for LESS !

 Obama jumps head-first into fight over Michigan labor laws 

By Amie Parnes

President Obama on Monday weighed into the fight over changing Michigan into a right-to-work state, saying the move was all about politics and about your “rights to bargain for better wages.”

During a visit to a Daimler Detroit Diesel plant in Michigan, Obama signaled the White House will be more active in this labor fight than it was during a similar fight in Wisconsin in 2011. He described the proposed changes in Michigan as being part of a “race to the bottom” that won’t help the economy.

“What we shouldn’t be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages,” Obama told a small crowd at the plant. “We don’t want a race to the bottom. We want a race to the top.”

Obama said the laws “don’t have to do with economics. They have everything to do with politics."

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, who greeted Obama at the airport in Detroit on Monday, is expected to sign legislation on Tuesday to make Michigan the 24th right-to-work state. The move has angered Union workers who protested the legislation in Lansing.

We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers salaries and take away their right to strike." !   

Adolph Hitler - May 2,1933

 

 

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

Fiat Lux

Read the story here.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT ACT ! STEVE COHEN District#9~Tennessee

Equal Employment for All Act ~  Cong. Steve Cohen DISTRICT#9-TENN

This week several of my House colleagues including Congressman John Conyers joined me in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi asking them to include my Equal Employment for All Act in any potential jobs legislation that is introduced before the end of the 112th Congress.  Credit reports have increasing importance in consumers’ lives because they are used as a way to screen job applicants. The Equal Employment for All Act would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit the use of consumer credit checks in relation to current and prospective employees for the purposes of making employment decisions.Too many Americans are caught in a cycle of debt. They have fallen into bad credit and when employers deny them jobs because of it they cannot do what is necessary to climb out: find a job, work hard, pay their bills, and earn a better credit score.  My Equal Employment for All Act would give some of our most vulnerable, “credit challenged” citizens (students, recent college graduates, low-income families, senior citizens, minorities, among others) the opportunity to begin rebuilding their credit history by obtaining a job. Far too often, employers turn down applicants because they erroneously link credit scores to potential job performance. Even worse, many people fall victim to deceptive marketing practices by credit report companies or credit counseling services. These companies charge outlandish fees for supposedly rehabilitating credit scores to help with employment but rarely succeed.  A person’s credit history has no bearing on their job performance and we should continue to do everything in our power to help people land jobs during these tough economic times and not hinder them.

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

Fiat Lux

NO CUTS for TAX BREAKS !

Tell Congress No Cuts for Tax Breaks!

Join in a National Day of Action on December 10th

Right now, Congress is taking on high stakes issues that could have devastating effects on working people and the economy. We have a responsibility to let them know that we will NOT stand for cuts in our Social Security benefits. We will NOT allow them to raise the retirement age for Social Security and Medicare. We will NOT allow them to carve deep cuts in Medicaid. We have worked too long and too hard to take steps backward! We need to send a strong message to Congress so they know that we will not allow them to impact working families to pay for outrageous tax breaks for the richest 2% of Americans.

Join us for a National Day of Action!

Monday, December 10th, is International Human Rights Day.  All over the nation we will be joining with allies to speak out and send Congress a message:

• NO benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid!
• NO more tax cuts for the richest 2%!
  

Find Local Events and Get More Information at: www.americawantstowork.org

Photo: Members from USW Local 10-00086 speak out in support of "jobs, not cuts" when the President visited a toy manufacturer in Pennsylvania on Friday.

 "Loyalty to country, always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it." !

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"! Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

TRUMKA on RIGHT to WORK for LESS !

Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on Right to Work in Michigan

December 6, 2012

Political partisanship reigns supreme in Michigan today, thanks to a radical group of Republicans ramming through so-called right to work legislation in the lame duck session, despite massive protests in the state’s capitol building. The people in the capitol and around the state are demanding that legislators  focus on an agenda that puts families and communities first, yet these Republican legislators and Gov. Rick Snyder are willing to put politics ahead of Michigan’s well-being.

This legislation is about silencing the voices of working families in our democracy at a time when what we need is for people to have a stronger voice in building our future.  Now, more than ever, people in Lansing and Michigan need to work together to rebuild and focus on the big issues that bring people together. This could not be more divisive.

Gov. Snyder’s sideshow of a press conference today was an utterly disingenuous attempt to mislead. With his announcement, Gov. Snyder joins a list of other governors - John Kasich, Scott Walker, and others -- who have acted to put the future of their states in the hands of big corporations and CEOs and leave working families behind.

We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers salaries and take away their right to strike." !   Adolph Hitler - May 2,1933

 "Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!

Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

FIAT LUX

TENNESSEE/US TAX CUTS ?

Tennessee Voters Ask Tennessee U.S. House Representatives to Sign Discharge Petition to Allow Vote on Middle Class Tax Relief Bill

To Avert ‘Fiscal Cliff’ and Harming the Economy, Reps. Fleischmann, DesJarlais, Duncan asked to Sign ‘Discharge Petition’ Allowing Vote on Senate-Passed Bill to Continue Tax Cuts for 98% of Americans, 97% of Small Businesses Before They Expire at Year’s End

 NOTE: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN INTERVIEWS WITH THE DELEGATION OF TENNESSEE VOTERS TO LEARN ABOUT THEIR VISITS WITH SENATOR CORKER, ALEXANDER, AND REPRESENATIVE DUNCAN, DEJARLAIS etc, please contact 615-717-7050.

 
Washington, D.C. – December 5^th, 2012 - Tennessee voters from multiple districts across Tennessee met with their U.S. Representatives in Washington, D.C. to ask them to put partisan politics aside for the good of the middle class families they represent and to help avoid pushing our economy off the “fiscal cliff.” 

Democratic leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives filed a discharge petition that would force a vote on legislation passed earlier this year in the U.S. Senate – and that GOP House leadership has ignored – to allow tax cuts to expire for those making more than $250,000 a year while preserving them for 98% of Americans and 97% of small businesses.  The petition requires at least 218 signatures to bring the bill forward, making bipartisan support essential. 

The voters asked that each member sign the petition and send a message that when it comes what’s best for  TN they are not beholden to selfish special interests or their irresponsible party bosses -- a message that it is not worth holding middle class families tax relief hostage a minute longer to protect tax breaks for the richest 2%.

The group of Tennesseans at the meeting included long time Chattanooga resident Lenda Sherrell (now of Monteagle); Meechie Biggers of Lewisburg who cares for her mother on Medicare; and former small business owner, Donna Seely of Tullahoma; Colleen Janus who has a young son in college and depends on the Pell Grant; Joan Nelson of Oak Ridge, June Jones of Knoxville among many others.

The American people want action – and will blame Republicans in Congress for inaction.  According to a recent Washington Post-ABC poll, 60% of the American people support raising taxes on incomes over 250-thousand dollars a year.  And a new Washington-Post poll out today found that a majority [53 percent] of Americans say that if the country goes over the fiscal cliff on Dec. 31, congressional Republicans should bear the brunt of the blame. 

Small businesses want action. An American Sustainable Business Council survey in February found a majority of small business owners believe Congress should let tax cuts on taxable income over $250,000 a year expire as scheduled on December 31, 2012, while only 40% said they should be extended.

Even Congressman Tom Cole, member of the House Republican leadership, wants action.  According to Politico, 11/27: Republican Rep. Tom Cole urged colleagues in a private session Tuesday to vote to extend the Bush tax rates for all but the highest earners before the end of the year — and to battle over the rest later. ... “I think we ought to take the 98 percent deal right now,” [Congressman Cole] said of freezing income tax rates for all but the top 2 percent of earners.

See coverage of their visit below.
Talk Radio 102.3 Interview Recording
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOj8lwm0Sxk&feature=youtu.be

Statewide Press Conference Call Recording: http://mcrecordings.s3.amazonaws.com/PD8LK77B990CDVPJLUX1JPE0HHV0RQVQ.mp3

Marshall Tribute:
http://www.marshalltribune.com/story/1919444.html

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

FIAT LUX

AL SHARPTON on the 2%...You Bet`Cha !

Rev. Al Sharpton

Rev. Al Sharpton

President, National Action Network

If We Did Not Share in the Prosperity, Why Should We Have to Share in the Sacrifice ?

Posted: 12/05/2012 6:02 pm

When the great recession of 2008 struck, it hit some of us harder than others. Middle class families, the poor, people of color and the workers of America suffered the most, while those that caused the crisis were largely unscathed -- many even increased their wealth. Today, when we are in danger of going over the notorious fiscal cliff, some repeatedly speak of 'shared sacrifice.' But when the top 2 percent were enjoying their tax breaks and stockpiling their prosperity, there was no sharing with the masses. And instead, these individuals and groups now have the audacity to ask seniors, minorities, folks whose children fought in our wars, the disenfranchised and the most vulnerable among us to sacrifice some more. Does that seem fair to you?

On Monday, I was in the nation's capital with Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, Ben Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP, and Melanie Campbell, the Executive Director of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation as we convened a meeting on the 'Agenda for Black America.' We gathered a group of African American and civil rights leaders representing 62 organizations as we collaborated on national priorities for the coming Presidential term. We will be laying out the specifics of this agenda (addressing everything from economic disparity to the criminal justice system) to Congress and the White House in the next several weeks. But the very first thing that all of us who care about the future of our nation must agree on is that middle class tax cuts must be reissued and tax breaks for the top 2 percent must expire. About two weeks before our 'Agenda for Black America' coalition, progressive leaders (including myself), met with President Obama to advocate on behalf of our respective communities. Representing a diverse group of organizations -- White, Black, Latino, gay/lesbian and female -- we highlighted ways in which we can collectively continue moving forward. As we expressed to the President in that meeting, it's abundantly clear that Republicans simply do not understand the new electorate.

Back in 1988, George H.W. Bush won approximately 61 percent of the White vote and was swept into office. In 2012, Mitt Romney won about the same percentage of White voters and lost. The demographics of the country have undeniably changed. There's a new America and a new electorate. And those who do not comprehend this notion will continue losing support and continue losing elections. Any further negotiations regarding the looming fiscal cliff must also keep this new America in mind.

The new majority of Americans -- Blacks, Whites, Latinos, gays/lesbians, seniors -- cannot pay the bill of the elite 2 percent by having 'entitlement programs' that they disproportionately depend on eliminated or cut, while we continue to give tax breaks to those that have benefitted the most from those tax loopholes. In a recent speech in Atlanta, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke even stated that communities of color must be included on the road to recovery and that they have suffered extensively during these tough economic times, especially with regards to home ownership.

With limited time remaining for talks about the fiscal cliff, the degrading language and the blame game will likely fire up. They will try to paint the new America, the majority of us, as somehow lazy or jealous of their wealth. But it is the majority that played by the rules, paid into Medicare, into Social Security and into other essential programs, and yet still suffered the most while the ones who caused the financial crisis continued to enjoy their tax breaks and amass their riches.

Simply put: if we did not share in the prosperity, then we should not be asked to share in the sacrifice. Period. The New America spoke on Election Day and we want the 2 percent to make sure they hear us now.

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!

Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

Fiat Lux

READ MY LIPS : NO CUTS IN SOCIAL SECURITY !

If you agree with President Obama that it’s time to end reckless tax breaks for the rich, now’s the time to say it.

Add your name in support of ending the Bush Tax Cuts for the rich >>
Here’s where we stand: The Senate has already passed a plan to protect middle-income tax cuts, but Boehner, Cantor, and House Republicans refuse to budge even one inch.

They’re willing to hold the middle class hostage just to get more tax breaks for the top 2%.

It’s time for Republicans in Congress to ditch Grover Norquist and his tax pledge once and for all.

Help us reach 500,000 strong telling Boehner, Cantor and House Republicans to end irresponsible tax cuts for the rich:
I don’t want to be part of the last generation to retire.  Cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid can’t be part of any deal to avoid the fiscal cliff.

http://dccc.org/Stand-With-President-Obama

PUT THE POLITICIANS ON MINIMUM WAGE......AND WATCH HOW FAST THINGS CHANGE !

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

Fiat Lux

AGAIN ~ RIGHT to WORK for LESS !

TENNESSEE HAS The RIGHT to Work for less, How`s That Working For you ? Not too Good !

Working America recently created a petition on SignOn.org entitled ""Right to Work" is Wrong for Michigan"—and we'd like to know what you think of it.

The petition is addressed to The Michigan State House, The Michigan State Senate, and Governor Rick Snyder, and reads:

Please support Michigan workers and vote against the so-called "right to work" bill. Instead of attacking worker's rights, the Michigan legislature should focus on the issues they were sent to address: creating good-paying jobs for Michiganders.

Here's what Working wrote about it:

A group of right-wing politicians in Lansing want to push through a harmful "right to work" bill in Michigan. In states that have passed so-called "right to work" laws, wages are lower and worker injuries are more common. Tell Michigan lawmakers to protect workers and vote against the so-called "right to work" bill.

Can you click to let us know what you think?

I want to sign this petition.

I don't think MoveOn should support this petition.

We'll decide whether to send this petition out to additional MoveOn members in your area based on your feedback. In case you haven't heard about it, SignOn.org is a new website where anyone can start an online petition and share it with friends and neighbors to build support for their cause.

Thanks for all you do. 

Underdog = Don Jones

Fiat Lux

“We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers salaries and take away their right to strike." ! Adolph Hitler - May 2,1933

 

 "Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!

Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote

Editorial : Thanks to my friend in Hersey Michigan for this one.

"There is only one thing worse than unanswered questions...unquestioned answers."

ANDY HOLT 76th. District Representative ?

OPEN LETTER to STATE REP. ANDY HOLT ~ DRESDEN 

                                                                                       

My recently elected State Representative  from our 76th. District in Tennessee, Andy Holt (R) of Dresden, of whom, I did`nt vote for or support. First of all ,congratulations Andy ! I do not think, it comes as any surprise I did`nt vote for Andy Holt. Perhaps, I was too hard on the newly elected House member in his first term ? I have voted Republican, Democrat and Independent, in my life-Time ! Maybe, just maybe Andy had  'the trying to hard first term complex ? Let`s start with a clean slate, this time. No more unwanted or unneeded gun laws. The constitution is very clear on this right. I`m offering forth the right hand of fellowship. The olive branch, so to speak. After all, he is now my State Representative also ! I differ with Andy, on some key issues. He is very aware of that fact. One of which, and our most difficult to overcome, is I believe in free-democratic trade unions. Andy does not ! I`m not sure how he arrived at the conclusion, UNIONS are bad ? Can we work together to make Tennessee a better place to work and live ? Just, have to wait and see !  He is entitled to his opinion. So am I ! Can we over come our differences ? Only time will tell. Andy seems to believe, he knows what is good for 76th. District Tennesseans ? I would offer, that they/we know what is needed or not needed. That maybe, just maybe, he needs to listen more and talk less. Tennessee is now a Republican/Tea Party red state. I would submit, it has not always been a red state. Andy, listen to your constituency. You will be successful. If I can help aid or assist in any matter concerning the 76th. District Tennessee, do not hesitate to contact me. With sincerity and respect, I remain

“We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers salaries and take away their right to strike." ! Adolph Hitler - May 2,1933

 

 "Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!

Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

Fiat Lux

Underdog = Don Jones

THE FISCAL CLIFF ? ? ?

FISCAL CLIFF = POLITICS AS USUAL !

The first thing to know about the so-called "fiscal cliff" is that it's not a cliff—it's a choice. It's a choice between making the 1% richer at the expense of everyone else, or lifting up 100% of Americans. It's a choice between American prosperity and European austerity.

In this sharp new video, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich breaks down the fiscal choice in 2 minutes and 30 seconds—with pictures too. And he gives Democrats the inside scoop on how to fight and win this fiscal showdown for the middle class.

Even if you don't usually watch videos like this, you've got to watch this one. Reich's video on Mitt Romney's economic plan went viral—half a million people watched and shared it—because it was so illuminating. Share this one with your friends and family so they understand what's at stake now, and how we can win.

Watch the video

Thanks for all you do.

Underdog = Don Jones

PUT THE POLITICIANS ON MINIMUM WAGE......AND WATCH HOW FAST THINGS CHANGE !

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

Fiat Lux

PUT THE BUSH TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH...Back in Place

White House: No Debt Deal Unless Tax Rates on Top Earners Go Up !

By Amie Parnes - 11/29/12 01:52 PM ET

 

White House press secretary Jay Carney said Thursday there will be no deficit deal unless Republicans agree to raise tax rates on the wealthiest households.

“There can be no deal without rates on top earners going up,” said Carney, who reiterated that the president will not sign legislation that extends the Bush-era tax rates for the wealthy.

“This should not be news to anyone who was not in a coma during campaign season," Carney said of the president’s stance on taxes.

Carney’s ultimatum came on a day in which both sides dug in and appeared to move farther apart on a deal to prevent tax hikes on most households and crippling spending cuts to defense and non-defense budgets set to hit in January.

Talks have focused on taxes, with Republicans offering new tax revenues but holding firm that they will not agree to raise tax rates on households with annual incomes above $250,000.

The president wants tax rates extended on all households below that threshold, but says rates above it should be phased out. If the sides don’t reach a deal, all of the Bush-era rates will simply expire at the end of the year.

Republicans want to focus the talks on spending and entitlements.

Speaker John Boehner on Thursday said there had been no progress in the talks over the last two weeks, and demanded that the White House offer specific spending cuts as a concession.

Carney called Boehner’s demand that for spending cuts to be equal to any increase in the nation’s debt limit “deeply irresponsible.”

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and legislative affairs director Rob Nabors met with Boehner and other leaders on Capitol Hill Thursday following a 28-minute phone call between the Speaker and president on Wednesday.

“It was frank and direct and a good conversation,” Carney said of the call.

He said Obama has “put forward very specific cuts” but that the White House hasn’t seen “movement” from Republicans.

“We have seen some important signs of recognition of work that has to be done,” Carney said, but “we're not there yet.”

Still, he acknowledged: “We remain optimistic that this can get done.”

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

Fiat Lux

SOCIAL SECURITY ~ MAKE IT BETTER !

Leave Social Security off the Table !

By Max Richtman, president and CEO, The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare - 11/28/12 05:30 PM ET

 
For too long, many in Washington have been obsessed with using Social Security’s revenues as the solution for a whole host of fiscal problems that have nothing to do with the Social Security program. Whether it’s cutting benefits in the name of deficit reduction (even though Social Security by law can not contribute to the debt) or diverting payroll taxes to stimulate the economy, these  approaches ignore the fact that Social Security is paid for, earned by, and promised to American workers. Thankfully, the White House and many in Congress are finally acknowledging Social Security should not be used as political leverage in Washington’s version of “Let’s Make a Deal” and simply does not belong in this deficit debate. However, as long as the chained CPI and extension of the payroll tax holiday remain under consideration, Social Security is still in the political cross-hairs.

Cutting Social Security benefits for millions of Americans by adopting a stingier cost of living formula is anything but the administrative “tweak” many claim. The proposed chained CPI would cut benefits for millions of seniors, veterans, federal retirees, and people with disabilities. Cutting the cost of living allowance by 3% for workers retired for ten years and 6% for workers retired for twenty years translates to a benefit cut of $130 per year in Social Security benefits for a typical 65 year-old. By the time that senior reaches 95, the annual benefit cut will be almost $1,400. That may seem like no big deal to the well-funded anti-deficit lobby and corporate CEO’s who want middle-class Americans to pay down the debt but those dollars mean a lot to seniors living on the average Social Security income of just $14,000 per year. That’s why the vast majority of Americans and more than 50 of the nation’s leading military, veterans, seniors, disability, and federal employees’ organizations joined the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare in opposing adoption of the chained CPI.
 
When the president and Congress promised the Social Security payroll tax “holiday” was only temporary two years ago, I said “who’s kidding whom?” There is no such thing as a temporary tax cut in Washington and Congress is proving that fact yet again. Diverting money from Social Security was a bad idea when it was first enacted in 2010, it was a bad idea when extended last year, and is still a bad idea now that this alleged “temporary holiday” has lasted two years.
 
Providing tax relief to middle class Americans has been important to our continued economic recovery. However, extending the payroll tax cut is not the only or even best way to accomplish this goal. Instead, we believe the “Making Work Pay” tax credit would do more to boost the economy. The payroll tax cut, coupled with general fund transfers to replace the lost revenue, leaves Social Security increasingly dependent on both general revenue and Congress for its funding. This is a dramatic and dangerous departure from relying on workers' contributions, which have so successfully funded the program since its inception in 1935. Extending the payroll tax cut another year threatens Social Security's financial integrity and makes it even more vulnerable to benefit cuts or privatization if Congress puts Social Security back on the table in 2013.
 
Between plans to divert revenue from Social Security and proposals to cut Social Security benefits it’s no wonder the middle-class has so little faith in Washington. Not only is diverting billions in Social Security contributions for a seemingly endless “tax holiday” not the best stimulus for middle-class workers; it’s also bad business for the program that current and future generations of middle-class Americans desperately need. Cutting middle-class benefits under the guise of a formula “tweak” hurts millions of veterans, seniors, people with disabilities and federal retirees. The American people understand this. Hopefully, Washington may also be coming around. 
 
Richtman is president and CEO of The National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare.

"Democracy...is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch"!
Liberty...is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.

Fiat Lux