"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
Social Security Increase Good News, but Seniors Face Uncertain Future
October 16, 2012
For Immediate Release
October 16, 2012
The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to a 1.7 percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Social Security.
“The modest inflationary increase in Social Security benefits is good news for seniors, but it could soon be greatly overshadowed by troubling political and legislative developments.
“Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are running on a platform that would badly damage Social Security for current and future retirees. They continue to perpetuate the false and corrosive myth that Social Security fuels our national debt, wanting workers and retirees to pay the price for a budget deficit they did not cause. The Romney-Ryan plan would cut benefits, raise the retirement age, and let Wall Street profit from a risky privatized system.
“The second threat to Social Security will be a lame-duck session of Congress that will meet in November to consider cuts in federal spending. Turning a blind eye to the budgetary impact of tax cuts for the wealthy, some in Washington are proposing devastating changes to the formula used to calculate the Social Security COLA.
“The current formula, used for today’s announcement, already badly understates the inflation experienced by seniors and disabled Americans, who make up the majority of Social Security beneficiaries. However, the change some in Congress want would exacerbate this flaw in a way that is particularly damaging for women who, because of their greater life expectancy, receive benefits over a longer period of time.
“While today’s modest adjustment will provide some help for retirees, I am deeply disturbed that too many in politics see Social Security as yet another pension fund that can be raided to advance the interests of a select few.”
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Contact: David Blank (202) 637-5275 or dblank@retiredamericans.org
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