For Immediate Release
Thursday, May 06, 1999
AFSCME President Criticizes Efforts to Privatize Social Security
WASHINGTON —Gerald W. McEntee, international president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO today joined the New Century Alliance for Social Security in criticizing proposals by members of Congress that would replace portions of Social Security with private investment accounts. The coalition outlined a number of principles they say should guide Social Security reform efforts, including:
- Social Security benefits should not be reduced in order to finance individual accounts. Similarly, Social Security payroll taxes or trust funds should not be used to finance individual accounts, and private investment accounts should not be used to substitute for Social Security.
- No reforms to Social Security should undermine the program’s important disability, dependents and survivors benefits.
- The budget surplus should not be used for unnecessary and unwise tax cuts which jeopardize our ability to finance future Social Security and Medicare benefits.
“This coalition has not changed its position once since we became a part of this debate,” McEntee said at a press conference held by the New Century Alliance, a coalition of policy, labor and citizen advocacy groups led by the Institute for America’s Future. “We have always stood firmly against privatization. We have always stood against making any cuts in guaranteed benefits or raising the retirement age. We have, since day one, been fighting to preserve this system that has helped so many for so long.”
McEntee criticized recent Congressional proposals that would replace portions of Social Security with private investment accounts. “Americans don’t like the idea of privatization,” he said. “They want to maintain the most successful social insurance and anti-poverty program ever created by the American government. They know that the program is not in crisis and is not going bankrupt. They know that with moderate changes, the Social Security program can and will be there for future generations.”
News Advisory: On Tuesday, May 18 AFSCME, in conjunction with the New York-based Segal Company, will release a report on the cost impact of mandatory Social Security coverage for state and local government employees. The report contains state-by-state analysis of cost projections for states where public employees are not covered by Social Security. For information, contact Tony Copeland at 202-429-1130.
