Social Security ~ Don`t Mess With Success...

Social Security, Medicare Under Attack (Sen. Bernie Sanders)

February 23rd, 2009

Social Security and Medicare are likely to come under new attack at a “fiscal responsibility summit meeting” on Monday at the White House. The huge and growing national debt is a major problem which must be addressed, but there are ways of doing that without cutting Social Security benefits or decimating Medicare. During the last decade the wealthiest people in our country have become wealthier while working people have struggled desperately to keep their heads above water. It would be a betrayal of the needs of the middle class of this country if we lowered Social Security benefits or raised the retirement age for Social Security eligibility.The truth is that there is no crisis in Social Security. Social Security will remain solvent until 2041, according to projections by the system’s trustees. I am unalterably opposed to raising the retirement age or lowering benefits. I will propose legislation to strengthen Social Security by lifting the cap on contributions that now allows upper-income wage earners avoid payments. It is absurd that billionaires are contributing the same amount into Social Security as those who earn $105,000 a year.
There is a financial crisis in Medicare, but it is directly related to the disintegration of our entire health care system – the most costly and wasteful in the world. The way to address that crisis is to join the rest of the industrialized world and create a national health care program guaranteeing health care for all.

Common Sense Died Yesterday...

An Obituary printed in the London Times -

Interesting and sadly rather true "Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.. Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason...

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights. I Want It Now. Someone Else Is To Blame. I'm A Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Editorial : How sad ! Thanks to, Bro. Mike Stanley for this one.

Managers Overpaid, Not Workers !

Managers, Not Workers, Overpaid in Manufacturing Jobs
by James Parks, Feb 17, 2009

Some pundits and lawmakers—Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) comes to mind—falsely claim that union workers are overpaid and are to blame for the decline of U.S. manufacturing. But a new report, released last week by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), busts that myth and shows the convenient conventional wisdom to be wrong. EPI economist Josh Bivens lays out the facts in Squandering the Blue-Collar Advantage, which show that U.S. manufacturing’s blue-collar workforce, far from destroying U.S. competitiveness, is actually one of the key elements making a positive contribution to competitiveness—a contribution being undermined by a variety of other factors. Click here to read the entire report. Says Bivens: If the story of U.S. manufacturing began and ended with its blue-collar workers, the outcome would be far different from what we’re seeing today. In hourly pay and productivity, U.S. manufacturing workers give their companies a significant competitive edge—one that is being drained away by other negative forces. Bivens identifies three key factors undermining U.S. competitiveness: The overvalued U.S. dollar, which artificially drives up the price of U.S. goods abroad and drives down the cost of foreign-produced goods here. Over the past 10 years, this imbalance alone has created a 10 percent to 16 percent cost disadvantage for U.S. goods, compared with the previous decade.
The high cost of U.S. health care is another significant factor. Reducing these costs to the same level as our comparable trading partners could create a 4.6 percent cost advantage. U.S. managers—not workers—are overpaid. Bringing white-collar wages in line with those in comparable countries could result in a 6.4 percent cost advantage for U.S. manufacturers. Bivens adds: If we want to restore the strength of U.S. manufacturing in our economy and in the world, we have to address the real anti-competitive factors that are dragging it down. In this effort, the wages and productivity of the unionized blue-collar workforce are an important asset.

Editorial : Poor ole Bob Corker(R)TN, he just does`nt get it ! Or Does He ? Hey Bob, still have illegal aliens working for you ? Bob, are you listening ?

Buy American ! Help Yourself !

Senator John McCain wanted to be President of America. Now he tried to strip

” Buy American “out of the Stimulus Package that passed the US Senate. McCain sponsored an Amendment that would take the Buy American paragraph out of the Stimulus Package. What in the world is he thinking? Thank goodness the American people did not vote him into the White House. McCain and 29 other Republicans and 1 Independent voted for the Amendment to strip the Buy American out of the Stimulus Package. Below are the US Senators that voted to strip Buy American out of the package. All Democrat US Senators voted against stripping Buy American out of the Stimulus Package. How did your US Senator Vote. Those listed below Voted No to "Buy America"

Alexander ( R ) TN Barrasso ( R ) WY Bennett ( R ) UT

Bond ( R ) MO Bunning ( R ) KY Chambliss ( R ) GA

Coburn ( R ) OK Cochran ( R ) MS Corker ( R ) TN

Cornyn ( R) TX Crapo ( R ) ID DeMint ( R ) SC

Ensign ( R ) WY Enzi ( R ) WY Hatch ( R ) UT

Inhofe ( R ) OK Isakson ( R ) GA Johanns ( R ) NE

Kyl ( R ) AZ Lugar ( R ) IN Martinez ( R ) FL

McCain ( R ) AZ McConnell ( R ) KY Murkowski ( R ) AK

Risch ( R ) KS Roberts ( R ) KS Sessions ( R ) AL

Shelby ( R ) AL Thune ( R ) SD Wicker ( R ) MS

Lieberman ( ID ) CT

Editorial : Good ole Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker (R`s)Tennessee, are`nt we proud of Them ? Sure we are ! Both Tennessee Senators voted against Buy America ! Shame on You both. lest we forget our turncoat Lieberman.