WHEREAS:

President Barack Obama has established a bi-partisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform mandated to “propose recommendations designed to balance the budget, excluding interest payments on the debt, by 2015... [and to] propose recommendations that meaningfully improve the long-run fiscal outlook, including changes to address the growth of entitlement spending and the gap between the projected revenues and expenditures of the federal government”; and

WHEREAS:
Republican and other conservatives have immediately targeted Social Security for massive reform, including reducing benefits, raising the retirement age, reducing the COLA, and allowing investment in private accounts.   Former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), the Commission’s co-chairman, has signaled he plans to push for Social Security reforms by saying, “this country is going to go to the bow-wows unless we deal with entitlements, Social Security and Medicare.” He further described Social Security recipients as “people who live in gated communities and drive their Lexus to dine out”; and

WHEREAS:
As in the past, Republican and conservatives blame Social Security for the nation’s economic problems. In 2005, President Bush tried to overhaul Social Security and create private investment accounts, which would have drained money from the Social Security Trust Fund and worsened its solvency; and

WHEREAS:
Social Security benefits represent at least 90 percent of the income for a large proportion of the elderly, African Americans, Hispanics, and unmarried women who receive such benefits. Overall, Social Security benefits represent 41 percent of the income of beneficiaries age 65 and over. The poverty rate for beneficiaries would rise from 10 percent to 46 percent without Social Security benefits. After the meltdown of the stock market, pension plans, 401(k)s, IRAs, and home value, program beneficiaries, including over 3 million children, will depend more heavily than ever on Social Security’s modest benefits.
 
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will lobby President Barack Obama and Congress to create reforms that will really help strengthen Social Security; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will join forces with concerned organizations to develop a common strategy that will help to strengthen and protect Social Security.
 
 
SUBMITTED BY: 
Juan Fernandez, President and Delegate
Egbert Isaacs, Vice President and Delegate
Sheera Glass, Secretary and Delegate
Thomas Orawiec, Treasurer and Delegate
Morris Johnson, Delegate
Alan Mendelson, Executive Board Member
Diana Thillet, Executive Board Member
AFSCME Local 154, Council 37
New York