Disabled Man to Tea Party: 'Reforming Social Security Would Cut My Lifeline'

Michael Lion says he was watching "The Ed Show" at his parents' house on Monday, September 20, when conservative radio host Scott Hennen came on to talk about Social Security reform. Hennen announced his support for Congressman Paul Ryan's (R-WI) proposed budget plan, which includes cutting Social Security benefits for anyone under the age of 55.

"Look at the Paul Ryan plan," Hennen said on the show. "Paul Ryan says, you know what, if you are 55 and older, we're not touching your benefits.  Fifty-five and younger, we are.  We'll phase that in.  That makes sense.  Now you guys are going to call that a cut. I'd call that good fiscal common sense."

The 31-year-old Lion, who was born with cystic fibrosis and depends on his $440-a-month Social Security checks to get by, says he was outraged by Hennen's comment.

"They obviously don't go out and talk to the people who do actually need those programs," he told HuffPost. "How could anyone could look a disabled person in the face and say, 'You should be working?' I was born with this disease, I didn't ask for it. I didn't smoke for 30 years. This is a genetic condition. It just seems really out of touch with reality to say we're gonna cut these things."

Lion says he graduated from college in 2004 with a degree in business administration, and he aspired to work as the manager of a bank. Unfortunately, his condition deteriorated so quickly after college that he was forced to move in with his parents in a small retirement community in Ladylake, Florida.

"I don't like being this old and living with my parents," he said. "It's a situation forced upon me --my medical bills cost six figures a year.  At least with Social Security, I can pay for my gas and my food and my co-pays. If they actually got rid of Social Security for someone like me, I'd be completely dependent on my parents."

Many conservatives and Tea Party candidates, including Michele Bachman and Joe Miller, are hoping to reform Social Security "entitlements," beginning with those recipients who are under the age of 55. This would effectively cut Social Security benefits for people who are either disabled or a survivor of deceased parents.

"It's not right that they want to use the disabled of this country as their campaign stepping stone," Lion said. 'I would hope the people that are making these pledges actually go out and meet some of the people they're talking about cutting, so they can know how much these people really need it."

Comments

[Sandman911]

08:10 PM on 10/02/2010

"Progressive Socialists".... Don't threaten this guys $440.00 a month! He needs it.

"Conservative".... Train the guy and give him a job earning $4000.00 and pride in himself.

[TenFeet2Hands]

05:55 PM on 10/01/2010

It always amazes me how some people only see the world from the point of their own abilities and beliefs. Maybe someone should visit him from the V.A. Hospital who has had a head injury, walks and talks with no discernible issue until you ask them a question. Or, an auto, or bicycle accident survivor who also appears not to have any limb issues, until you ask them to shake your hand, or raise a fork to feed themselves or maybe sign their name.

These apathetic thinking speeches are telling of where the real disability lives with in the conscience and minds of some able-bodied folk who measure everyone by their abilities and over look their own limitations while waving the flag.

[Sandman911]

10:14 AM on 10/01/2010

$440 a month ??? Why not give disabled training and job placement to earn $4000 a month and give him the pride of being self sustaining instead of living in poverty and being a dependant on government ?

[brainfire]

05:47 PM on 09/30/2010

As heartless as Dick Chaney :-/ their leaders really reflect the "Core" of the Party. Hey, when Dems leave office they "keep working" for the people...Carter=habitat for humanity, Clinton= Global Inititive...Repugs..."crikets, crikets"....only for me, myself & I egotistical mentality. should tell you something about the soul of the Repugs... right? A vote for them is a vote to put a stake in the Heart of the USA. "LOVE CONQUERS ALL"

[Peter Cullen]

02:01 PM on 09/30/2010

Here's some magic math: Cut defense spending by 50%. Stop the nation building. Lift the cap on the SSI tax. Let the bush tax cuts expire. Guess what we would have......SURPLUS.

Perhaps at that point the wealthiest nation in the world would stop victimizing it's more powerless members. Yes Tea Baggers, you are valuable and worthy of a good life, as is every other citizen of this country. Let's invest in ourselves, our least fortunate, our next generation, and our future.

[DavidinStLouis]

02:23 PM on 09/30/2010

No... what "we" would have would be terrorists running amok; a federal government running amok; a nation of workers DIS-incentivized to work hard (because the government will be taking more and more of THEIR earned money).

Also, note, "we" are not the "wealthiest nation in the world" - we are the nation that OWES THE MOST MONEY to the rest of the world.

[Peter Cullen]

04:27 PM on 10/01/2010

Look deep into your soul, and you will find that your fear and belief that people are evil, lazy, and undeserving is coming from within. Don't get me wrong, some people are too broken to function, but you don't shape a society around the worst among you, you shape it around the best.

Oh---here's a little fact about all that "money" we owe....it's a "floating currency" system now...easily manipulated by countries who make it a policy objective. It's the equivalent of monopoly money in intrinsic terms.

[Ana4]

12:23 PM on 09/30/2010

"Destructive attitudes are our internal enemies, the basis for all problems. How are they produced? From lust (greed) and hatred, whose root is ignorance. Since these afflictive emotions cause only harm and never help, they must be overcome. In order to do so we must deal with their causes.

All problematic emotions derive from the basic destructive emotion, an ignorant consciousness that both does not know how persons and things actually are and actively misconsrues their nature.
Understanding the ultimate nature of persons and things calls to mind limitless sentient beings who are similar to you in wanting happiness and not wanting suffering...

Be willing to familiarize yourself with this attitude, taking on yourself the burden of protecting all sentient beings from all problems; do it repeatedly and with regular analysis. Your empathy will be so great that it will suffuse your entire being. Without any desire for reward, your aim will be solely the development of others, never disheartened or discouraged in your task."

H.H. Dalai lama
On Love and Compassion

[Ana4]

12:03 PM on 09/30/2010

"Even though it is necessary in the beginning to have a strong will in order to develop love and compassion, will is not sufficient to develop these altruistic attitudes limitlessly. It is important to join the practice of love and compassion with the practice of insight."

H.H. Dalai Lama

[Joan Odom]

11:57 AM on 09/30/2010

Did anyone else notice that Mr. Lion is collecting cans in his wheelchair? OMG what is wrong with Republicans? Where is the compassion? They use the Bible to judge and threaten. What about the emphasis on loving folks? This is Twilight Zone stuff. Parallel Universe time...

[ThirdPartyVoter1023]

10:12 AM on 10/07/2010

But I have seen them use the bible, and one of their favorite verses is Malachi 3:6-10 but they always skip over Malachi 3:5 because it talks about God's Judgment against those who oppress widows, orphans and who turn aside aliens (SB 1070..jan Brewer). As soon as you mention those verses which go against the heartlessness of the GOP, they, who were spouting scripture suddenly say "Oh but we aren't using scripture." As a Christian, frankly I wish the G.O.P would make up their mind if they want to go by the bible or now. Oh incidentally, Rev 11:18 shows god says he will "Destroy those who destroy the earth" but they don't like that environmentalist verse either. They are full of BALONEY in the G.O.P. And I love Jimmy Carter and I have been to his bible study. I believe in Jesus but I sure as I sit here do not trust the G.O.P AT ALL!!!

[aaronman]

11:16 AM on 09/30/2010

Not all tea partiers want to cut welfare, I would rather we start with warfare.

Either way, we can't just keep living beyond our means forever. Appeals to emotion works for politicians who want votes, not for economics.

[LaurieAnn]

01:38 PM on 09/30/2010

If we cut the budget of the War and Weapons department by 50% (I'd go for an even bigger cut) and eliminated the cap on SS income tax withholding we could provide for thousands more disabled citizens.

[MiHi]

02:07 PM on 09/30/2010

People on Social Security are living far, far below their means. There are many tragic cases of people having to literally go days without food simply so they can afford the robbery that are high medical bills.

[Ioan Lightoller]

11:32 PM on 09/30/2010

Fanned and faved. Social Security in most cases is ridiculously low. Before I retired, I noticed quite a few elderly women working a few hours a week to supplement a ridiculously low Social Security check. But that is what these heartless jerks want...keep em working as long as they can.

[plan-uts]

10:58 AM on 09/30/2010

I have seen nothing in Ryan's plan that would cut off this guy. I have a disabled friend who does not have living parents, who gets around 550 per month. Now you can not live on 550 month. He is on medicaid and those benefits are very good, so he has 0 medical cost. I subsidize him every month. I never give him cash because he is a gambling degenerate. I know it is not too smart but what are you going to do.

[DeeFromTheD]

10:56 AM on 09/30/2010

Why do the teapublicans love the fetus but, h8 the baby?

[sloreader]

11:08 AM on 09/30/2010

Same reason they want the government out of their private lives and into yours.

[DeeFromTheD]

11:48 AM on 09/30/2010

The teapublicans want to tell people what to do with they're bodies and religion. The teapublicans and corporate america are the ones that want to be over your life. You are slo.

[DavidinStLouis]

02:25 PM on 09/30/2010

They don't.

[Toonguy]

10:54 AM on 09/30/2010

And Jesus said, "Get a job, you lazy bums!"

[sloreader]

10:43 AM on 09/30/2010

Ever woneder what % of tea party types are already receiving benefits?

[DeeFromTheD]

10:51 AM on 09/30/2010

Probably high. Also, an overall percentage is probably high for them to receive other type of government assistance, grants, farm aid, and tax benefits.

[sloreader]

11:05 AM on 09/30/2010

Can't wait for the tea party's next "Rally Against Your Own Self-Interests". Should draw a huge crowd of angry folks who want the government to keep their hands off their government benefits and government regulators off the backs of the benevolent corporations who do so much to make America a better place to live.

[Joan Odom]

11:39 AM on 09/30/2010

And I would imagine a good percentage of teabaggers are on mental disability. The ones I saw on television looked anything but wealthy. They also looked a good bit over 55. What do they think is going to happen in the future? Their church is gonna support them? Good luck with THAT!

[yellowdawgdem]

10:37 AM on 09/30/2010

This guy will get no sympathy from the g.o.p., whose slogan for the poor, oppressed and down-trodden:
"I got mine, screw you.:

[NikkiNY12]

10:29 AM on 09/30/2010

I think all republicans need to read "The Giver" by Lois Lowry then think about it...

[Joan Odom]

11:48 AM on 09/30/2010

You are assuming the majority of 'baggers CAN read...

[DavidinStLouis]

02:27 PM on 09/30/2010

YOU are presuming the majority of ('b*gg*rs) CAN'T read....

[LaurieAnn]

01:34 PM on 09/30/2010

Bravo!  I read that book a few years ago (I'm almost 50) and found it very powerful.