My father's middle name was Franklin. He was named after Franklin Roosevelt. And today, we celebrate the anniversary of Franklin Roosevelt's greatest accomplishment -- Social Security.
We call it Social Security. In other countries, they call it a public pension. But Roosevelt chose the term Social Security because the word "security" went right to the heart of what he was trying to accomplish for Middle Class America. It was one of Roosevelt's famous Four Freedoms: "Freedom From Want."
Without Social Security, seniors would be forced to work into their seventies, eighties and nineties. When they would become too sick or frail to work, they would have to beg. And then they would die.
That's the way it was in America when my father was growing up. Before Franklin Roosevelt's Social Security. No wonder my grandparents named him Franklin.
Today marks the 75th anniversary of Social Security. Without it, many of our seniors would be so poor that they'd have to eat cat food just to survive.
That's why many are calling the Deficit Commission, run by extremist right-winger Alan Simpson, the "Catfood Commission." It's the culmination of decades of plotting by right-wingers to destroy Social Security.
As you read this email, the Catfood Commission is plotting behind closed doors to find a way to force Social Security cuts on the American people. In a few months, when they come out with their cruel "recommendations," you're going to hear all over the media that we have to destroy Social Security in order to save it.
Where have I heard that before?
We've got to stop them. If enough of us speak out against Social Security cuts now, then people like me, fighting to protect Social Security, can show the media where We, The People stand on this.
That's why I've started a petition telling Congress and the President, "Don't Steal My Social Security." It tells every Federal official with a say on this that if they vote to cut Social Security, then they're going to have to find another line of work. You know that extension in unemployment benefits that we just passed? That will be for them.
Sign the petition now, and pass it along to your friends.
Together, we can send a message that if you try to steal my Social Security, then your security is gone, forever.
Follow Rep. Alan Grayson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/alangrayson
Now as much of a waste as I think NASA is and we are a country that needs to start making Computers, microwaves and flat screens more than we need to go to MARs... I say get out of IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN and close half of those 700 foreign bases, cut the defense budget in half (350 Billion for fighters that cant fight???) and I'm more than willing to waste a little money on NASA... Heck double or even triple its budget, NASA will at least find an acorn once in a while!
And by the way if you spent a few months at Johnson Space Center watching how contracts are awarded and bid, you would never complain again about the Soc Sec Administration or Food stamp programs. White collar welfare is not pretty.
Regards
Be careful when reaching in to pull a rabbit out of the hat, it could be a greedy racist chronic underachieving Republican.
fred dont know sh*t
The GOPers Never liked any of the NEW DEAL..........inventions.
Did you hear and see the VIDEO of what REAGAN said about MEDICARE.............in 1965
no one in dc cares if we have jobs.
Plus, the fact that Pelosi did a little parliamentary razzle dazzle to schedule an up or down vote which won't require the full House anyway is VERY worrisome to me.
And we were led to believe we elected a DEMOCRATIC president!
Remember? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe751kMBwms&feature=related
All the money that was supposed to be held in trust for retirements was "borrowed" by unscrupulous, corrupt politicians over the years. They took the FICA money that came out of all our paychecks and they spent it on pork projects to buy votes or toline their own pockets. Senior citizens are disgusted. The rich millionaires on Wall St didn't steal the money from the social security trust fund...the politicians in Washington did it!
Ben Bernanke said "that's where the money is" I saw him on TEEVEE in a congressional hearing.
Most people say there's 2.5 TRILLION in the trust.
So, it seems the only people who say it's broke are the people who want to steal it.
Read Greenwald on Salon:
The fear campaign and Social Security
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/08/16/democrats/index.html
Social Security is NOT in crisis until 2037 and then will be able to pay 78% of benefits from then on until eternity.
And this is all Obama's baby.
What in the hell do millionaire politicians have against the elderly and poor, anyway?