Democrats Use Public Employees To Sir Up Fear Over Social Security
Monday, January 31, 2005
The first is about a taped telephone message one of their readers received explaining that their congressman supported the President’s Social Security reform plan that would cost taxpayers $2 Trillion and cut future benefits by 47%. The call recipient was given a toll free number to call their congressman to complain about his support for the plan. The number was not in operation, but was traced back to the American Federation of Teachers.
The second tells about a Social Security claims representative from Seattle that recently testified before an all-Democrat Senate panel. The SS claims representative stated that SSA employees have been told that Social Security is in a crisis that only private accounts can salvage. He said the employees "have been directed to share this message with the public at every opportunity." He said: "I do not believe it is proper for public funds or public employees to be used to stir up fear" and push the White House agenda.
The President has not put forward a Social Security reform plan and has only spoken of allowing younger workers to put a portion of their SS taxes into private accounts. This is not a plan, it is an idea. It’s impossible to cost out or determine benefit reductions without knowing the scope and details of an actual Social Security reform plan. So the scare campaign by the public school teachers union is bogus.
Social Security Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart said in a statement, "I have never, nor will I ever, ask or direct Social Security employees to promote or advance any specific proposal for Social Security reform." So you can make what you will of the guy from Seattle’s story.
Amazing isn’t it, the Dems had to spend taxpayer money to bring in someone from Seattle to make their point. If SSA employees had been directed to share the “Social Security is in crisis and only private accounts can save it” message, couldn’t the Senate Democrats have found someone say, in D.C. to testify?
We agree, public employees are being used to stir up fear and push an agenda - the agenda of public employee unions and the Democrats.
