"Raising the retirement age would inflict further hardship among a group of workers who are likely to face health and economic problems in their 60s." –Doug Hart, President, Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans
"Of all the lies and confusion that still surround the Affordable Care Act, perhaps the greatest is that it is bad for seniors." - Dave Meinell, President, Missouri Alliance for Retired Americans
"My father died when I was three. Because of Social Security (survivors) benefits, my Mom, my younger sister and I survived." – Diane Fleming, DC Alliance Member
"We fear that Congress will balance the budget on the backs of the 98 percent, which is working Montanans and retired Montanans. We simply cannot afford these devastating cuts to vital services such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid," –John Forkan, President, Montana Alliance for Retired Americans
"Along with national parks and Social Security, Medicare is one of the best ideas we Americans have ever devised." -Tim Cunningham, New Mexico Alliance Member
"Seniors have earned and deserve their Social Security checks, and they shouldn't have to go to Congress every 10 years and beg for the program to be renewed." –James Parent, Alliance for Retired Americans Regional Board Member
"Today's retirees paid Medicare and Social Security taxes in every paycheck we ever earned. Now that we are retired, these programs help us to be able to stay healthy and pay our bills. They are the promise we make to people who worked hard all their lives, and we need to keep that promise for today’s workers." –Tony Fransetta, President, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans
"Today's seniors want to lower the budget deficit. We do not want a large debt to be the legacy we leave to future generations, but we should not punish people who have paid Social Security taxes all their lives." –Jim Moore, President, North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans
"Social Security should remain what it has been for 77 years – a solid, reliable way that generations of workers have been able to retire with dignity, economic security, and peace of mind." –Barbara J. Easterling, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
"The fight for Social Security and Medicare is part of a larger fight for justice and fairness"—Barbara J. Easterling, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
"The health insurance reform helps not just seniors, but also middle-class families and young Americans, who are just starting to see the benefits. Don’t let Republicans take all that away." –Don Rowen, President Emeritus, Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans
"Honoring the promise of Social Security and Medicare should not be a partisan issue. Honoring the contributions that we make throughout our working years so that we may feed and clothe ourselves, keep a roof over our heads and those of our family, there is no reason for that to be a hotly contested partisan issue." –Edward Coyle, Executive Director, Alliance for Retired Americans
"We need to make sure that people who need Social Security to make ends meet will have it, and not fall victim to ill-informed and unnecessary cuts to these vital programs."
–Barbara J. Easterling, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
Press Releases
Retiree Leader: Fiscal Commission Seeks to Balance Budget on Backs of Workers and Retirees
December 01, 2010
Social Security, Medicare Cuts Would Hurt Current and Future Retirees
For Immediate Release
December 1, 2010
The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to proposals formally unveiled today by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.
“The Commission’s recommendations turn a blind eye toward tax cuts for millionaires, and instead choose to callously make workers and retirees pay the price for our nation’s badly-flawed tax and spending policies. Moreover, by so aggressively targeting Social Security, the Commission is going after one of America’s greatest success stories, one that has not contributed a single penny to our budget deficit.
“Increasing the Social Security retirement age to 69 and reducing monthly benefits would be devastating for current and future retirees. Today’s workers would have to stay on the job longer, only to receive lower benefits when they retire. This would cause far more pain for blue collar and service sector workers on Main Street than it would for speculators on Wall Street.
“The Commission’s proposed cuts to Medicare, including long-term care, would further hurt retirees who will enter their retirement years later and in worse economic and physical health.
“Retirees know that it is not what you say, it is what you do. Since Commission members of all ideologies today acknowledged that Social Security does not add to the deficit, why are these callous, draconian cuts the centerpiece of the Commission’s recommendations?
“Our nation’s retirees want to lower the deficit. They do not want a large debt to be the legacy they leave behind to their children and grandchildren. But there is a right way and a wrong way to do this. The Alliance for Retired Americans urges the Commission to reject these recommendations when they vote on Friday.”
# # #
Contact:
David Blank (202) 637-5275
dblank@retiredamericans.org
Download a printable version
FIND A CHAPTER
IN YOUR STATE
SUPPORT US-
CONTACT YOUR
MEMBER OF CONGRESSEnter your zip code below
Latest Videos
Search
