Social Security Information Page
Last update: 5/28/00
Things labeled "NEW" are now actually new! All links actually work! Huzzah!
Campaign 2000
The 2000 Presidential campaign is looking more and more like a referendum on Social Security privatization. George Bush supports setting up a system of individual private accounts, essentially destroying Social Security. Check some of the new links below for information on Bush's dangerous Social Security plan, and check out this link:
Table of Contents
II. Information on contacting your elected representatives
III. Links to articles on Social Security privatization
IV. Organizations fighting Social Security privatization
What is the purpose of this page?
This page is a gathering place for information on Social Security privatization. These links will take you to various websites containing the facts about privatization, facts that the major media tend to ignore in their analyses of the situation. This information needs to get out to as many people as possible so that we can begin to build a grass-roots movement against bankrupting Social Security to improve the bottom line of Wall Street firms.
How can I get this information out?
You can send links to these articles to people you know on the Internet. You can write letters to the editor, so we can reach those who do not have Internet access. You can write letters to your elected representatives, urge others to do the same, and circulate petitions to be sent to your representatives; this will probably have the greatest impact on getting privatization stopped.
How can I stay informed about what's going on?
The best way to keep up with news coverage on Social Security is Yahoo's Full Coverage section, which is constantly updated with new wire service reports, editorials and so on. Contains both pro- and anti-privatization information, so you can stay up on what the privatizers are saying and doing. Be aware, however, that much of the media coverage is incredibly slanted in favor of privatization; for documentation of this, check out the articles in EXTRA! listed below.
Another excellent resource comes from the Campaign for America's Future. They will send you, via e-mail, regular reports on what is happening in the fight to maintain Social Security. An absolutely essential resource, that you can sign up for by clicking on this link. Also, be sure to check out the Campaign's Social Security Superpage.
Contacting Your Elected Representatives
How can I contact my Representative or Senator?
To get the addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses for your members of Congress, click on this link, and enter your zipcode or the last name of your Representative or Senators.
You can click on this link for a guide to writing an effective letter to Congress.
Use the sample letter as a guide for your own letter. While you can use the sample letter as written, it will be more effective if you modify it to reflect your own writing style and concerns. If members of Congress get too many identical letters, they will not take them as seriously, since they will think they are all coming from one or two people.
What if I need help?
Feel free to e-mail Chris DeMarco at demarco.chris@acd.net or Brian Walsworth at walswor452@aol.com. We will be happy to give you sample letters to the editor, letters to Congress, and various other resources. Let us know what you need, and we will do our best to accommodate you.
These articles give you valuable data showing that (a) Social Security isn't broken, (b) the "fix" that Wall Street firms are pushing wouldn't help Social Security, and (c) the media are going along with Wall Street.
From The Atlantic Monthly
"Nine Misconceptions about Social Security" contains excellent "talking points" you can use when discussing privatization with friends, writing letters to the editor, and so on.
"Two Cheers for Clinton's Social Security Plan" is an analysis by economist Dean Baker of the Clinton-Gore plan to maintain Social Security solvency through 2055.
"The Great Social Security Scare" explains how Wall Street and the media have been lying about how much trouble Social Security is actually in, and why.
"The Privateers' Free Lunch" shows how the financial assumptions made by advocates of privatization are just flat wrong.
"Rampant Bull" discusses how the privatizers have been able to shift the political landscape so that politicians are no longer scared of destroying the most successful public program in history.
Click on this link for more Social Security articles from The American Prospect.
From The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor's David Francis has done some good reporting on this issue. His articles include:
"Problems with Taking Social Security Private"
"Privatizing Social Security: Not Many Dividends for Women"
From EXTRA!
EXTRA! is the magazine of the media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR). Over the last several years, FAIR has shown how the news media have been willing partners in lying to the American public about the state of the Social Security system, and about the plans to "fix" it.
"TV On Social Security: It's Broke, Fix It" gives the results of a 13-month survey of network news broadcasts. FAIR found the central (false) assumption, that Social Security is bankrupt, was never questioned on the major nightly news programs.
"The Derailing of Social Security" discusses how studies from the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation are fatally flawed, a fact not reported in the major media, which uses their "experts" as neutral commentators, and not the shills for Wall Street that they are.
FAIR has added the excellent Economic Reporting Review to its site. This feature, by Dean Baker of the Economic Policy Institute, fact-checks and reveals the biases behind articles on economics featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post. You can get a list of ERR articles related to Social Security at this link.
"Here We Go Again" tells the little-known story of the misleading and inaccurate news coverage of the 1983 attempt to fix Social Security, and shows how these same tactics are being used again.
"The Myth of Social Security's Imminent Collapse" lists the ridiculous assumptions made to "show" that Social Security is in trouble. Also, the article reminds us how Chile was sold as the shining example of Social Security privatization. (Augusto Pinochet, currently on trial for crimes against humanity, forced this on his people, though not himself, while dictator of Chile.)
Click on this link for more Social Security articles from EXTRA!
From Mother Jones
Mother Jones has their excellent overview of Social Security privatization available online.
From The Nation
"Social Security for Women" shows how Social Security privatization will have a negative impact on women.
"The Real Threat to Social Security" documents just who is driving the debate on privatization, and just how much they are spending to make sure the debate comes out in their favor.
"Social (In-)Security" contains more "talking points" that can be helpful in letter writing.
"Social Insecurity" (not the same as the above article) gives a history of the privatization movement in the US, reveals who is behind this movement, and the tactics the privateers are using.
From The New Republic
"Bold Over: Bush versus Social
Security" explains how George W. Bush is unwilling to admit that his
privatization plan to "save" Social Security would almost certainly lead to
reduced benefits.
"Payroll Payback" discusses the most progressive and reasonable reform of Social Security, which involves removing the "cap" on contributions. Currently, individuals pay into Social Security only on the first $68,400 of income. If this cap were removed, Social Security would basically be solvent forever.
"Security Risk" shows that plans to privatize Social Security are really plans to dismantle it.
A series of links put together in June of 1998, when Social Security was policy.com's "Issue of the week." Contains various data on Social Security, and a section on articles against privatization.
From The Polling Report
This link takes you to recent polling data on Social Security.
From Salon.com
Salon.com's Politics 2000 site
contains up-to-date information on both campaigns, and the various issues being dealt with
(or avoided). Be sure to check out the section
on Social Security.
Yahoo! Full Coverage: Social Security Debate
This site contains links to the latest news reports concerning Social Security privatization, as well as links to various organizations involved with Social Security.
These organizations are fighting to raise public awareness of the attack on Social Security, and to mobilize people against the privateers' plans.
The AARP website has a Reality Check page which debunks most of the myths concerning the supposed collapse of Social Security.
Stopping Social Security privatization is at the top of the AFL-CIO's legislative agenda for the coming year; they have some helpful resources online.
American Association of University Women
The AAUW has several factsheets and position papers about Social Security privatization. Check out their analysis of plans involving individual private accounts and their factsheet on the impact of privatization on women.
The Campaign for America's Future
The CAF's "Social Security Superpage" is an excellent resource. If you'd like to receive regular e-mail updates on Social Security privatization from this organization, click on this link.
The site also has information on the New Century Alliance, a new coalition of various progressive organizations dedicated to seeing that Social Security reforms benefit working people.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
This independent organization engages in research on various issues of public policy. Here are a couple of their recent excellent reports:
"Voluntary Individual Accounts for
Social Security: What Are the Costs?" is an excellent analysis of the
overwhelming costs that would ensue in any attempt to replace Social Security with a
system of individual private accounts. These costs would be paid by the taxpayers, and by
benefit cuts for retirees.
"Impact of 2 Percent Individual Accounts
on Social Security Solvency" shows that even a 2 percent diversion of incoming
Social Security contributions into individual accounts will force benefit reductions, or
an increase in the payroll tax.
Various other publications are available in the Social Security section of their site.
The Century Foundation's "Social Security Network" is one of the best sites around on Social Security privatization proposals, Congressional testimony, position papers from various activist groups, and other very useful information.
A good place to
start is with their revamped page The
Facts about Social Security which contains several informative documents on what
privatization would actually mean. But be sure to check out the whole site!
Social Security and
the 2000 Elections is a new section of their site dealing (obviously) with the Gore
and Bush campaigns positions on Social Security.
They also have an excellent, detailed economic analysis of privatization by Dean Baker of the Economic Policy Institute, entitled "Saving Social Security with Stocks: The Promises Don't Add Up". Highly recommended!
Common Cause, a watchdog group that monitors the effect of money in politics, recently released a report on Wall Street's $53 million effort to use campaign contributions to "persuade" your elected officials to support dangerous and unwise Social Security privatization proposals. The largest single donors are also listed.
Congress of California Seniors
The Congress of California Seniors is very active in fighting for issues of concern to present and future seniors (i.e. all of us). They have a variety of information on Social Security and retirement issues, as well as other information at their site.
Their redesigned
website has a new page of talking
points with links to further information.
A progressive think tank which has steadfastly presented the facts about privatization. Check out the following:
"The Perils of
Privatization" explains the drawbacks of George W. Bush's plan to replace Social
Security with individual private accounts.
"Funding the
Social Security Program" contains some sane proposals for maintaining Social
Security's strength.
"A Deal
Privatization Can't Beat" punctures the oft-repeated claim of the privatizers
that the stock market can provide a much greater rate of return than Social Security
currently provides.
"Making Social Security Work" is a transcript of a statement given by EPI's president before the White House Conference on Social Security.
Employee Benefits Research Institute
The EBRI has a Social Security page collecting their research and other related material on various privatization plans.
Institute for Women's Policy Research
This site has a
couple of position papers on the effect of Social Security privatization on women. Check
them out at this link.
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
The name says it all. Contact them at this link; they also have links to other organizations. Check the Social Security Reform section for various articles on the hazards of Social Security privatization.
The site has an excellent analysis by economist John Mueller on the "Winners and Losers from Privatizing Social Security".
You should also check out the Congress Watch section, which allows you to see how your member of Congress is voting.
National Council of Senior Citizens
This activist organization has a Social Security page with lots of cool features.
They have added an
archive of several anti-privatization
articles.
Social Security Administration
The SSA's official site, with lots of information. Particularly useful is "The Future of Social Security," which documents the benefits that Social Security has provided the nation's retirees and others for the last 60 years.
The 2030 Center is an action tank founded and run by young leaders to conduct research and advocacy about economic issues affecting America's future, including Social Security. If you'd like to receive regular e-mail updates from this organization, click on this link.
The Center has a new report on Social Security available.
The Acrobat reader is required to read this document; the reader is available for free at this link.
This organization
recently commissioned a new poll on young persons' attitudes towards Social Security and
Social Security reform plans which can be accessed at this link.
The 2030 Center has recently released a report entitled "Strengthening Social Security for Young Workers" which discusses the value of Social Security for workers of all ages, including younger people just entering the work force. The Acrobat reader is required to read this document.
Other 2030 Center research is available on their resource page.
Once again, if you need help locating other resources, or if you have additional links you think should be added to this page, please e-mail Chris DeMarco at demarco.chris@acd.net or Brian Walsworth at walswor452@aol.com.
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