A screenshot of the Fix the Debt campaign’s logo.
The so-called Ai??”Campaign To Fix The Debt” is being run by Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles and is designed to pressure Congress to enact an austerity plan that cuts Social Security and guts investments in Main Street America while lowering corporate taxes.
To pass this unpopular plan, Simpson and Bowles have amassed a massive $25 million war chest. As the Huffington Post just reported, it is likely that the group is being funded by the right-wing billionaire Pete Peterson; its steering committee includes billionaire CEOs like Honeywell’s Dave Cote.
If you sign up as a volunteer for the group, you’ll be e-mailed a “toolkit” that you’re supposed to use to engage in pro-austerity activism on behalf of the billionaires who run the group.
One of the instructions in the tool kit is to “bird dog” campaign events and town halls that feature Members of Congress. Here’s the sample questions that the campaign is asking people to dog lawmakers with. Notice that they are designed to pressure legislators to agree to cuts to Social Security and enact other devastating spending cuts:
The took kit also instructs activists to “get to the event early to hold signs or pass outAi??literature about the debt,” and to “have somebody ready to record the answer with video, if possible.” Finally, it reminds you to “raise your hand as quickly as possible when theAi??candidate takes questions, speak clearly andAi??confidently!”
This bird-dogging isn’t too different from what a lot of grassroots activists do. The difference, however, is that this group is run by billionaire CEOs who are trying to cut Social Security. They know their plan is unpopular and they are trying to create a perception of a public demand for austerity by financing this astroturf movement. Lawmakers and the public should not be fooled.
there has always been an element in the republican party who doesn’t like social security. here are the facts the way to fix our deficit problem is to put people back to work not cut everything in sight. austerity has been tried all over the world and has failed to help anyone it only hurts. you have to spend for jobs, help those who need it, and cutting the safety net for the poor and middleclass is never the answer. besides a word to the fat cats, it’s not your money to do anything with. you use social security as your own personal slush fund, then complain when you have to pay it back. if you had kept your fingers out of it to begin with social security would be solvent from now on. and if you would pay into the program it would mean an end to the worry of running out of money.
Why don’t they start a grassroots movement to freeze all these billionairs assests, if anyone should be cut from humanity are these greedy jackasses that have had ther greedy hands in every thing if they ever made a honest dollar they would think twice before trying to cut Social Security, by what right do they have to try to destroy the only thing that sustains millions of eldery and disabled people what business is it of there’s, why don’t they pay there fair share of taxes and stop trying to control other peoples lives!!( besides there all a bunch of old windbags that are not long for this world anyway give your money tho feed childern and the poor you greedy vultures you can’t take it with you anyway)!!!!!!!!!!
I’m sure when FDR signed in the Social Security Act of 1935 as a part of his New Deal for the People, he didn’t imagine 77 years later a group of billionaires would desecrate the program through megalomanic greed.
This money belongs to the People in the manner in which FDR meant it to be. Leave it alone. To take it away and/or privatize it could very well cause another American Revolution in which the 1% would be enormously out numbered.
Just sayin’.
We need an Egyptian style revolt in this country. With right wing Democrats like Obama plotting as this is written to get his Big Deal with Repelicans to screw the 99 %,
“Right wing democrats like Obama”? You need your meds adjusted, Betty.
Lol Joe. I think Betty didn’t take her meds today.
People like her shouldn’t drink the bong water then go trolling on Democratic web sites!!!
The only important question to ask!!
Will you commit to not cutting a dime from Medicare or Social Security?
Social Security and Medicare are separate income streams and DO NOT contribute to the deficit. They both have easily resolvable issues. Everyone should pay the same percentage of FICA (Federal Insurance Contribution Act) withholding on every dime earned (that should appeal to the FLAT TAXERS).
Open Medicare for everyone or raise OASDI (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) withholding 1/2 a percentage point for everyone (another FLAT TAXER dream).
Over the last 30+ years much, much more FICA was paid in than paid out, as a result of the Greenspan Commission change to “fix Social Security” for the boomers. It was noted in the Greenspan Report there would still be a small shortfall but they expected that in the years after ’82 it would be adjusted, NOBODY has done anything for 30+ years.
To change the rules now is tantamount to defaulting on the debt and robbing the American people. STOP THE DEFAULT ON DEBT TO THE PEOPLE of the USA. 61% of the money the US owes is owed to the American people.
Cutting Social Security or Medicare less than the other party isn’t good enough.
Buying into the Grover Norquist tax dementia and Lafler Curve, under new names, after thirty years of watching them not work is fiscal insanity.
Now they pull the old divide and conquer, anyone 55 and over is expected to agree to throwing everyone else, including their children and grand children, under the bus to save the politicians buts.
I do believe the next step would be to come for the over 55‘s because they can’t have anyone who might appose them once they move everyone to the working poor category.
I refuse to throw my children and grandchildren or anybody else under the bus.
The military is willing to reduce spending why doesn’t the congress listen to them.
Institute a truly progressive tax system (we had one for 65 years) with more brackets at the top and higher marginal rates as the brackets go up. It’s “the American way” to start rebuilding America. This country had it’s greatest growth when we had a truly progressive tax system. Simplify the tax code and eliminate obscure and obsolete “tax breaks” and/or subsidies to industries that are extremely profitable like CORPORATE farming.
Everyone who ever got a paycheck earned their benefits. I view Social Security as a 401k I paid into and my employer matched my payment and it does a lot better than most employer sponsored 401k’s it certainly is better than mine.