Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) just went to the floor of the House of Representatives and denounced President Obama’s proposed Social Security benefit cut, saying that it would induce seniors into having to eat “cat food” to survive:
KUCINICH: Will Seniors be pushed off the ai???fiscal cliffai??i??? Social Security did not cause the deficit, but the White Houseai??i??s plan to lower Social Security cost-of-living benefits could eventually reduce Seniorsai??i?? annual benefits by hundreds of dollars. The gimmick is called the ai???Chained Consumer Price Index.ai??i?? The Chained C.P.I. works this way:Ai?? As the cost-of-living goes up, seniors inevitably turn to cheaper alternatives.
ai???For example, if seniors usually eat steak but then canai??i??t afford its higher price, they can switch to something cheaper, like cat food- – and the cost-of-living calculation would be ai???chainedai??i?? to the cheaper item – -Ai?? cat food. So, the less you pay for food the less benefits you get. The ai???chained CPIai??i?? benefit cut will chain aging seniors to a poverty of choices, a lower standard of living, with cheaper products.
ai???The chained CPI formula doesnai??i??t take into account seniorsai??i?? rising health care costs. If it did benefits would go up. There is no justification to cut Social Security benefits. No to throwing seniors off the fiscal cliff.Ai?? No to a Cat Food Christmas.ai???
Watch it:
We set up an ActBlue page to highlight and reward bold progressive members of Congress who are speaking out publicly today.Ai??Check them out and donate $3 to them here.
Click hereAi??to pledge to hold any Democrat who agrees to a deal that cuts Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits accountable.
Click hereAi??to call your Member of Congress and demand that they oppose this bad deal.
Obama and pelosi are dead wrong to concede a single nickel of our social security. We have been taxed to pay for this our entire working lives. The only reason this program is in the red is because the fund has been stolen blind by those whose job was to safeguard it. As it stands, we would be into the black again if you just do the right thing and raise the cap. Fuck every plutocratic, speculative banking son of a bitch wanting to balance the national budget on the backs of those least able to support these hits.
Have you used the link above to call Congress yet? If not, do it!
I cannot believe the President and Democrats who benefited greatly by Senior Voters supporting them are now going to throw them over the cliff.
I recall under Reagon’s Budget cuts, seniors were actually forced to eat dog food and cat food – I still can see the trash cans out by their doors in the projects and senior housing unites filled to the top with dog food and cat food cans. They showed this on the news at the time. Big cities in Chicago, New York.
Are we going back to that – are the Democrats going to balance the budget by giving into the cuts on and Medicare the Repubs. are demanding. Don’t the words promised by high ranking Democrats mean anything at all??? Lets go over the cliff and start from there! God help America and the elderly and poor who are going to suffer because of all of this. God forbid that the rich give up one penny of their tax breaks!!!
Use the link above to call Congress!
What will it take to get a government that represents the people and not the wealthy and corporations? I am now at the stage in life where I am too old and too sick to take to the streets like the people of Europe do when confronted with self-serving politicians. I wish more would join with Occupy and try to stop the madness! Instead, like lambs to slaughter they march.
I can’t believe this. We worked many years for our Social Security. It was deducted out of our checks, and now Obama wants to cut it. Why doesn’t he cut Welfare? They can even use their checks and food stamps to buy liquor. Our insurance costs go up so we can make sure those that cannot afford insurance will have it, now our income is going to go down. People can barely make ends meet on what they are now receiving let alone if it goes down. I wish Obama and Congress paid into Social Security. Why don’t they take a cut in their pay? How about that wonderful draw they will get when they decide to retire!!!!!!! Obama, and whomever agrees with him, SUCK!!