The following statement was issued today by Janice Laue, President of the Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans:
“When Mitt Romney chose Representative Paul Ryan as his running mate, he locked in place the most anti-senior ticket ever. The Romney-Ryan presidential team poses unmatched threats to Social Security and Medicare, not to mention the middle class.
“On Tuesday, August 14, Social Security celebrates its 77th birthday. Before Social Security, seniors worked until the day they died because they could never afford to retire. This week, retirees across the country celebrate the program that they contribute to in their working years and can rely on for modest benefits when they need it most. The program is more important than ever with the decline of defined-benefit pensions, plummeting 401ks and scanty savings.
“Even though the self-funded Social Security program has not added one dime to the deficit, Ryan and Romney would like to cut it. Paul Ryan has wanted to privatize it since at least 2005. The Ryan-Romney plan would turn Social Security over to Wall Street, cut benefits, and raise the retirement age. Not to mention, it would end Medicare as we know it, turning it into a voucher program that would have seniors paying more money for less medical coverage.
“While the Romney-Ryan team is a match made in heaven for billionaires, big banks and insurance companies, it could spell disaster for most Iowa seniors. Members of the Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans will do all they can the next three months to educate seniors and make sure they understand where this new Romney-Ryan team stands on the issues.
“Today we are celebrating 77 years of the most successful social program in America’s history. Don’t let this be the last generation to retire.”
5 thoughts on “Iowa Retiree Leader Condemns Anti-Senior VP Pick Ryan”
Over all, as a Fiscal Conservative, I think the choice was good, until you look into the fine print.
One such proposal of Ryan’s budget was to lump a privately funded, fully funded retirement system into the General Budget, and link it’s benefits to Social Security. Including benefit levels equal to SS.
Of course I am talking about Railroad Retirement. Raiding that fund, which is what will happen when it is transferred to the general budget, (just as what happened to Social Security in the ’70’s) will be a disaster. Men and women who worked all their lives paying into a system will see their benefits cut under this proposal. Cut to unsustainable levels.
That, is not the right way to balance a budget. Again, we saw what happened to Social Security once it was merged into the Federal budget. Why take that risk with private monies (which by the way, are invested not just in Federal Treasury notes, but the whole market).
This is a typical obmama sheeple talking points article. Full of liberal B.S. and lies!
Untill the politicians are on the same medical, benefits and retirement plan as we are, the people of the United States should not budge one inch on giving away or spending more for our benefits.
Why is it that all the politicians have such fantastic benefits yet wan’t to cut or eleminate ours? What is fair for the goose is fair for the gander. They like to sit in there fine offices an come up with all these ideas on how we are going to do with less and have it cost the citizens more, yet they have nothing to loose.
Lets make it equal for all.
Here’s a thought, if you are a multi millionaire or greater politician, you don’t get paid anything or recieve any benefits for doing your public service. After all, the small some they are recieving is not really adding much to there checking account and they certainly can afford whatever health care plan they would care to purchase. I’ll be you’ll never hear them bring that up though will you?
Good points, Janice! If you are in the top 1% income level, vote for Romney/Ryan. But for MOST of us it spells diastor.
The article by Laue is full of nonsense and political talking points (the same thing).
It is high time that we have an adult conversation about all these issues – if we don’t good luck – just take a look at the situation unfolding in Europe. The current administration had an opportunity to rectify the situation but took a pass.
We would not be talking about this if Obama was any kind of a leader – which we now know he is not.