Saving Social Security

WASHINGTON, D.C.

On a breezy but beautiful April day, a park on Capitol Hill became the focal point for the growing opposition to President Bush's effort to privatize Social Security. AFSCME members and retirees joined an estimated 3,500 other union activists from around the country. In a dramatic and historic procession, scores of U.S. senators and representatives filed onto the layered stage to stand as one to send Bush and his congressional allies a roaring message: "Don't privatize Social Security!" Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), President McEntee and other speakers denounced Bush's plan to weaken the program, cut the guaranteed benefits and divert funds into private accounts. McEntee proclaimed that the Bush admini-stration has a larger goal: "to dismantle all the retirement systems in this country, including public employee pension plans."

Troy Foraker, a shop steward with Local 879 (Delaware Council 81), explained why he joined the rally, "I'm only 38, but if the Bush plan goes through, I'm afraid that when I retire, Social Security won't be there. Let the present system run the way it was designed to run."

A member of Maryland Retiree Chapter 1, Dorothy Rather, 64, pointed out: "If you invest your retirement savings, you might wind up without anything. And I'm concerned about my children and grandchildren; I'm not going to be around a whole lot longer — I need to speak up now."