News Release

Activists Ask Congress to Repeal the Sequester

Liz Rose — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:18:46 -0400

Washington, DC – Campaign for America’s Future has a simple message for Congress, “Cancel the Sequester!” Campaign for America’s Future (CAF) joined with allied groups to convey that clear message from more than 300,000 people. CAF, MoveOn, Social Security Works and many others have sent communications to Congress from those 300,000 activists, saying it’s time to Cancel the Sequester. CAF also joined with more than 60 national organizations, including the AFL-CIO, to ask Congress to cancel the sequester. Click here to see CAF’s action to repeal the sequester.

“We are proud to join with 60 national groups and 300,000 individuals to send a clear message to Congress: End the Sequester,” said Roger Hickey, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future. “The Members of Congress at the event today understand the sequester was created by legislative action when conservatives threatened to destroy our economy by failing to raise the debt ceiling. What Congress created, Congress can end. And Rep. John Conyers’ proposed law does it in one sentence. The American people do not want to paralyze important public services or choke of a very weak economy, and that’s why the movement is growing to repeal the sequester,” said Hickey.

Reps. John Conyers, Raul Grijalva, Keith Ellison, Alan Grayson held a media availability today, demanding a vote on the one-sentence “Cancel the Sequester Act of 2013.” And then Rep. Grayson took our 300,000 plus signatures to House Speaker John Boehner’s office. You can see a video of the event here: http://strengthensocialsecurity.org/SequesterShowdown

Click here to see the letter signed by 60 national groups and many local organizations.

Reacting to Reports of a Schumer Proposal, Campaign for America’s Future Warns Democrats: Do Not Cut Social Security

Isaiah J. Poole — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:05:16 -0500

Washington, D.C. – In response to a report in The Hill that Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) may be floating a proposal that includes cuts to Social Security and Medicare, Roger Hickey, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future made the following statement:

“If Sen. Schumer's proposal was accurately reported, the senator could not be more wrong. Just as President Obama declared in his inauguration speech that America does not have to cut Social Security or Medicare, Sen. Schumer reportedly offers up cuts to those crucial programs in vain hope of getting Republican support for tax increases. Just as Republican leaders have been forced to back away from threatening to crash the economy to force Democrats to accept cuts to Social Security and Medicare, Sen. Schumer capitulates to the hostage taking that Republicans appear to be abandoning.

“I hope the news reports are wrong because Sen. Schumer has previously been a strong opponent of cuts to Social Security. The Campaign for America’s Future reminds him and all Democrats that the chained CPI would mean an immediate cut to current Social Security benefits. These cuts are very unpopular with all Americans, and Democrats should be leading the fight to protect Social Security and Medicare, not helping Republicans accomplish their harmful goals.”

According to The Hill: “Schumer’s plan to enact tax reform through the budget process would ensure additional tax revenues would be matched by an equal amount in spending cuts.” And, “The joint budget resolution could also call for Medicare reforms and using the chained CPI formula to curb the cost of Social Security benefits.”

Progressives Say Trustees’ Report Shows More Health Reform Needed to Solve Rising Medicare Costs, Not Cuts to Benefits

Liz Rose — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:33:35 -0400

Washington, DC -- The report released yesterday by the Trustees of the Social Security Administration has already elicited some of the usual nonsense from millionaires, billionaires and conservatives who are pushing for a so-called Grand Bargain that would drastically cut Medicare and Social Security benefits and turn Medicare into a voucher.

The Campaign for America’s Future’s co-director Roger Hickey warned today that such a deal, expected to happen during a lame duck post-election session of Congress, would mean financial doom for America's seniors, hurting current disabled and retired Americans and creating even more pain for the generations to come – and it is already threatening to undermine Democratic prospects in the upcoming elections.

Hickey said, “Those who have always wanted to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits are trumpeting the new Trustees report to argue that austerity and benefit cuts are the only way to avoid budget disaster. But they are wrong.”

Longevity and the Baby Boom didn't cause this downturn in these programs' finances, and it certainly isn't contributing to a long-term deficit. In a new article Campaign for America’s Future’s Richard Eskow writes, “Medicare and Social Security don't have a long-term problem: Medicare has a problem. No amount of spin or double-talk can change that. David Shure at Media Matters links to this CNN chart, which undercuts the conventional wisdom.”

[Note: Read Richard Eskow’s supplementary piece: Medicare and Social Security Fact v Myth.]

Hickey and Eskow argue that if growing Medicare expenditures are the problem, the solution should not be slashing Medicare benefits or turning the program into a voucher. According to Eskow, “Every other industrialized nation has some form of public health financing system - and costs that are so far below ours that it would fix our budget fears entirely if we could match them.”

The problem isn't that Medicare is a government program: The problem is the power of insurance companies and drug companies. For-profit hospital and other medical providers have increased their hold over the U.S. healthcare system. Our system for reimbursing doctors encourages overtreatment. We refuse to allow our government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies. And for-profit health insurance companies fail to manage costs, which makes it increasingly difficult to rein in that portion of the health economy that Medicare supports.

Hickey said that Democrats have a big decision to make, “Republicans have clearly committed to the benefit cuts and plan to turn the program into a voucher, which is central to Paul Ryan’s budget, which in turn is central to the Republican message this year. Democrats should instead stand with the strong American majorities, who want the political system to protect Social Security and Medicare. They can demonstrate that their party has a plan to control health care costs – the true drivers of America’s Medicare cost problem.”

Over the next few months, activists with the Campaign for America’s Future and other groups will be showing voters how painful proposed Medicare benefit cuts would be to all Americans. And they will be asking Democrats whether they will fight for Social Security and Medicare or whether they will join conservatives in destroying these programs. Eskow said, “The question is: what king of legacy do Democrats want for themselves and their party?”

Read Richard Eskow’s article: Medicare and Social Security Fact v Myth: http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2012041724/medicare-and-social-secur...

Read this fact sheet on Social Security and the new trustees report from Social Security Works: http://strengthensocialsecurity.org/2012-social-security-trustees-report....

# # #

Progressive Groups Demand that Super Committee Democrats Preserve Social Security and Medicare

Liz Rose — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:26:06 -0500

Washington, DC – As the so-called Super Committee nears its deadline, activist groups have become increasingly alarmed that Democrats on the Committee (and Democratic leaders) may go along with a deficit deal that might cut Social Security and Medicare benefits in exchange for small revenue increases. Many organizations have released strong statements warning Democrats that such a deal would be bad policy AND bad politics. These groups are meeting with Senators and Representatives in DC and in their home states and districts. Thousands of Americans are sending emails, letters and faxes to the Members of the Super Committee and to Democratic Leadership in Congress to remind their Representatives that Americans want jobs not Social Security and Medicare cuts.

In recent days, strong statements and action emails (See below) have been issued by the Campaign for America’s Future, the AFL-CIO, Social Security Works, , Credo, the National Organization for Women, and Progressives United -- all asking activists to send a strong message to the Super Committee.

Roger Hickey, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future, said, “Organizations representing millions of Americans are rallying and urging our elected leaders to work on creating jobs now and not on cutting badly needed programs. We need to get our economy going again, so let's keep Social Security and health care benefits that put money in Americans' pockets and customers in stores.” Hickey said, “Congress should take away deficit-busting tax giveaways for millionaires.”

Each progressive group’s campaign is slightly different, but the points are the same in all: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are lifelines that help millions of Americans stay out of poverty. They tell politicians that we can strengthen Social Security's financial future – and reform health care to control costs -- without cutting promised benefits. For example, gradually raising the payroll tax just two percent over the next two decades would generate enough income to keep Social Security up and running for 75 years. Americans oppose cuts to Social Security, and almost 90% of Americans say Social Security has been good for our country.

Here are only a few of the public statements and action emails by leaders and groups in recent days:

1. Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO:
"According to press reports, Democratic senators on the “Super Committee” have proposed hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits, as well as Medicaid, while Republicans proposed even bigger and more harmful cuts to these essential middle class benefits. These “Super Committee” Democrats have put all their concessions on the table up front in the vain hope that the Republicans might reciprocate. But it doesn’t work that way. In this political climate, concessions beget more concessions – not a workable compromise … The AFL-CIO will oppose any cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits or to the federal contribution to Medicaid. We call on politicians of both parties to stand firm and demand that Wall Street and the wealthy finally pay their fair share – given the extraordinary increases in corporate profits and income inequality in recent years.
http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/10/28/trumka-proposed-super-committee-cuts-to-social-security-medicare-medicaid-unacceptable/

2. Roger Hickey, Director of Campaign for America's Future: “Leaks … indicated that Democrats were proposing at least $200 billion in cuts to Medicare benefits. Today, the Wall Street Journal reports the Democrats also support moving the government to a `chained CPI’ cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) calculation for Social Security. That would shortchange everyone receiving benefits, including people already receiving them. The Campaign for America’s Future has helped lead a large coalition of senior groups that has generally been able to prevent President Obama and the mass of Democratic legislators in the House and Senate from embracing conservative cuts to Social Security and other health and safety net programs. But with the latest news, we are once again urging activists to call, fax and email their representatives and Democratic leaders (like Sen. Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi) – and members of the Super Committee – urging them to reject these proposals that would do damage to the bottom 99 percent of Americans – and to the reputation of the party that represents working and middle class people in this country. http://www.ourfuture.org/news-release/2011104328/attacking-super-committee-plans-cut-medicare-and-social-security-benefits-ca

3. Nancy Altman and Eric Kingson, co-chairs of the Strengthen Social Security Campaign: "Rep. John Conyers stood with nine other members of Congress and more than 100 seniors and supporters, to deliver more than 2.3 million petitions from the 99% along with a resolution put forward by 82 members of Congress representing the will of the 99%, with a single message: Hands Off Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid! Almost immediately after these 2.3 million petitions were delivered, the Democrats on the Super Committee completely ignored their message and pushed more cuts to the middle class and less tax increases for millionaires and billionaires than any previous "bipartisan" commission." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-altman/super-committee-social-securi... "> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-altman/super-committee-social-securi...

4. Robert Greenstein, President of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: "The new deficit-reduction plan from a majority of Democrats on the congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the “Super Committee”) marks a dramatic departure from traditional Democratic positions — and actually stands well to the right of plans by the co-chairs of the bipartisan Bowles-Simpson commission and the Senate’s “Gang of Six,” and even further to the right of the plan by the bipartisan Rivlin-Domenici commission. The Democratic plan contains substantially smaller revenue increases than those bipartisan proposals while, for example, containing significantly deeper cuts in Medicare and Medicaid than the Bowles-Simpson plan. The Democratic plan features a substantially higher ratio of spending cuts to revenue increases than any of the bipartisan plans." http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3605

5. Jim Dean, Co-Chair of Democracy for America: "Democrats on the so-called Super Committee are caving to Republican demands and pushing a plan that would make drastic cuts to Medicare. This is bad policy and bad politics. Cuts like these are the worst possible way to reduce the deficit. They protect the status quo for the richest 1 percent while the 99 percent are expected to sacrifice vital healthcare that they need to survive in tough economic times like these -- and they'll hamstring Democrats running for reelection in 2012. We've been down this road before. Republicans and some Democrats have been pushing plans to destroy Medicare and Social Security for months. We've beat them then and we can beat them now with an overwhelming show of grassroots opposition to any plan that cuts Medicare." http://www.democracyforamerica.com/blog_posts/37806-super-committee

6. Terry O’Neill, President of the National Organization for Women: “Women will not be the only ones who lose out as a result of a so-called `grand bargain’ that trades away the economic security of seniors, children, people of color, persons with disabilities and millions of low-income families in exchange for continued tax breaks for the wealthiest. Elected officials, including the president and Democrats, who have claimed to embrace the values represented by Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, will surely lose out as well.” http://now.org/press/07-11/07-22.html

7. Russ Feingold, Progressives United: “Tens of thousands of progressives have told the super committee Democrats to walk away from any deal that includes cuts to Medicare or Social Security benefits. The super committee has until November 23 to recommend $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade, and that means the pressure from corporate lobbyists, the administration, and more is only going to grow. We need to make sure Democrats on the super committee feel the pressure only progressives can bring. We need to urge them to stand by our progressive principles:
1. Ensure millionaires, billionaires, and big corporations pay their fair share of debt reduction,
2. No cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits,
3. No giveaways to corporate interests,
4. Or no deal.”
http://www.progressivesunited.org/action/contact-the-super-committee-protect-medicare?sc=c4_rotator_sc-medicare

8. Max Richtman, CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare: The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare’s “Hands Off-No Cuts” campaign unveils its second television ad airing in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia markets beginning on Wednesday, November 2nd. Featuring young and old individuals from different walks of life, the ad tells Congress that whether we’re Republican, Democrat or Independent, “one thing we all agree on is Hands Off, No Cuts to Social Security and Medicare.” Richtman said, “This ad reminds Washington’s leaders of the vital role Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid play in the lives of middle-class Americans already suffering in this tough economy. The bottom line is the vast majority of Americans, of all ages and political parties do not support cutting these programs in the name of deficit reduction. And even though Social Security does not contribute to the deficit some members of the Super Committee appear ready to cut benefits to average Americans while leaving tax cuts for the wealthy untouched. This ad tells Congress that millions of hard-working Americans will be impacted over generations by the choices made over the next few weeks—people aren’t line-items, they’re not bargaining chips and their benefits shouldn’t be used to pay for a deficit they didn’t create.” http://www.ncpssm.org/news/archive/committee_targets_midlle_class_benefits/

Campaign for America’s Future Blasts Super Committee's Plans to Cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security

Liz Rose — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:48:13 -0400

Washington, DC -- The Campaign for America’s Future today released the following statement by its co-director, Roger Hickey:

“At a time when American’s are demonstrating in cities and towns across the country against growing inequality and the economic damage done by an out of control banking system, leaks from the Super Committee reveal that representatives of both parties are proposing immediate and irresponsible cuts to Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid.

“The undemocratic Super Committee should be focusing how we repair the massive unemployment imposed on the 99 percent of Americans by economic policies designed to favor the top 1 percent of Americans. They should not be sending the bill for this economic devastation to the millions of American who depend (or will depend) on the crucial health care, Social Security systems.

“Leaks reported yesterday indicated that Democrats were proposing at least $200 billion in cuts to Medicare benefits. Today, the Wall Street Journal reports the Democrats also support moving the government to a `chained CPI’ cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) calculation for Social Security. That would shortchange everyone receiving benefits, including people already receiving them.

“The Campaign for America’s Future has helped lead a large coalition of senior groups that has generally been able to prevent President Obama and the mass of Democratic legislators in the House and Senate from embracing conservative cuts to Social Security and other health and safety net programs. But with the latest news, we are once again urging activists to call, fax and email their representatives and Democratic leaders (like Sen. Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi) – and members of the Super Committee – urging them to reject these proposals that would do damage to the bottom 99 percent of Americans – and to the reputation of the party that represents working and middle class people in this country.

“Millionaires and billionaires have had their incomes rise and their tax rates decline – it’s not shared sacrifice to balance taxes on the wealthy with cuts to Medicare, or Social Security or other programs that protect people who need help.

“We urge the Super Committee to send the bill to those that had the party. If they are looking for revenue raisers:
• Tax speculation on Wall Street
• Raise taxes on the millionaires and billionaires and
• Scale back the military budget

“We believe that any plan from the Super Committee should begin with a jobs agenda. Austerity measures should not begin until hard working Americans are able to go back to work.”

New Report Shows State Budget Cuts are Devastating Public Schools

Liz Rose — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:56:40 -0400

WASHINGTON, DC —New austerity budgets, passed by state legislatures, are having a huge negative effect on direct services to children, youth, and families, according to a new report by Campaign for America’s Future.

The report, “Starving America’s Public Schools: How Budget Cuts and Policy Mandates are Hurting our Nation’s Students,” compiles data from local news reports across the country. The report focuses on five key states’ budget cuts to K-12 public education: Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

The five states have reduced or eliminated crucial services, such as pre-kindergarten, full-day kindergarten, technical education and foreign language courses, art, music and physical education. Several of the states also have increased class sizes. In each state, the report documents dwindling public school funds being transferred to private entities, such as private schools and voucher programs.

“We know what our students need to learn and succeed – including early childhood education, smaller class sizes and a well-rounded curriculum,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “Americans must demand that our elected leaders use our tax dollars to help build a solid future for all our children and our nation by providing adequate funding for our public schools and helping all our students get the education they deserve.”

“In community after community, I came across clear signs that our schools are in dire straits,” said report author and education blogger Jeff Bryant. “At a time when the world is changing so rapidly and globalization is opening so many new possibilities for the next generation, why are our public schools being forced to shrink the learning opportunities available to our children?"

Campaign for America’s Future co-Director Robert L. Borosage called on Washington to wake up to the damage being done across the country. “The debate in Washington too often ignores the carnage suffered by schools and children from budget cuts across the country. Instead of ensuring that schools are protected from the budget squeeze caused by the economic collapse, Washington is more focused on the old debate over testing and standards. Meanwhile, states are cutting back early childhood education, increasing class sizes and cutting back everything from advanced placement to music and art education. These cuts not only add to the downturn, they endanger the education that everyone agrees our children deserve.”

Examples of how our children are paying the price:

• Arizona ranks sixth among states in the amount of public school funds being funneled to private schools. The state redirects $61 million per year through individual, corporate, and other kinds of tax credit programs. Florida ranks first, redirecting $229 million per year through voucher and corporate tax credit programs.

• Florida has cut more than $1 billion from education in its new budget for 2011–12, an almost 8 percent drop that translates to a loss of $542 per student.

• Overriding the governor’s veto, the North Carolina General Assembly approved a 2011 budget that cut $800 million in education funding. The state ranked 47th in spending per pupil in the country in 2010 and likely will slip to 49th in 2011.

• In Pennsylvania: In Chester Upland, 40 percent of the teachers were eliminated, with class sizes rising from 21 to 30 in elementary schools and to 35 in high schools. And in York, art, music and physical education classes were eliminated in elementary schools.

Starving America’s Public Schools: How Budget Cuts and Policy Mandates are Hurting our Nation’s Students was sponsored by the National Education Association.

New Video Inspired By Florida's Governor Cutting Unemployment Benefits

Liz Rose — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:40:55 -0400

In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott is about to sign a bill into law to cut unemployment insurance. (http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/7005) This action, which will hurt the people who are hurting most, inspired the making of this video.

Video transcript: Narrator: Florida’s rich natural resources and tourist attractions have long drawn some of the world’s greatest companies to do business in our state. But thanks to Governor Rick Scott and the state legislature, Florida’s business opportunities are now better than ever. Here are three exciting new reasons to do business in the Sunshine State!

Graphic: POVERTY: A GROWTH INDUSTRY
Narrator: With a growing number of Florida residents falling into poverty, Governor Rick Scott has turned Medicaid, the public health care safety net for the poor, into a boon for private industry. Private health care companies will have the leeway to limit access to services and reduce benefits.

Graphic: PRISONS GO PRIVATE!
Narrator: Are you doing business in a state that puts public safety above profits? Then come to the Sunshine State, where facilities for more than 20,000 inmates have been privatized for your profit-seeking pleasure. With more offenders getting locked up each day, there are limitless opportunities for growth. And don’t worry if you don’t have experience in prisoner rehab—repeat offenders are really just loyal customers.

Graphic: RELIEF FOR CORPORATIONS
Narrator: Are you stuck in a state where lazy, unemployed workers are sucking your money from government coffers? Is assistance to the jobless sapping your entrepreneurial spirit? Then come to Florida, where Governor Rick Scott has slashed unemployment benefits to fund new corporate tax breaks. With more than 10% of Floridians not finding work, cutting unemployment insurance will provide a nice chunk of change for some much-needed corporate tax breaks.
And that’s just the beginning. With Governor Rick Scott signing dozens of bills backed by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, there’s a lot more for you to get your hands on. So come on down-- Rick Scott's Florida is not good for people, but it's great for corporations!

TV Spots Remind Rep. Cantor’s Constituents about His Social Security “Cannot Exist” Remarks

Liz Rose — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 09:07:49 -0400

Washington, DC – The Campaign for America's Future is releasing a new ad to be aired starting April 8, in Rep. Eric Cantor's congressional district in Virginia, highlighting Cantor’s comments that Social Security "cannot exist if we want America to be what we want America to be."

Watch the ad here: (and see a transcript of the ad below): https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2MQID6sV6m0

The initial buy includes: Richmond, Charlottesville, Culpeper, and Winchester, VA.

Campaign for America’s Future plans to raise money for more ads in Rep. Cantor’s district and has set up a page for people to see the ad and contribute to the buy, at this link: https://caf.democracyinaction.org/o/11002/donate_page/fightcantor

Roger Hickey, co-director of Campaign for America’s Future said, “Social Security enjoys broad support among Americans of all ages because it is a reasonable and fair program designed to help those that need it most: the elderly and the disabled. In most cases, these are folks who have worked hard for many years and deserve the modest benefits Social Security has promised them. Rep. Cantor’s constituents need to know that the America he envisions includes draconian cuts to Social Security. Through this ad, the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia will be able to hear Rep. Cantor talk about Social Security in his own words.” Hickey noted that the audio in the TV spot was recorded from Rep. Cantor’s remarks to the conservative Hoover Institution, as reported by National Public Radio.

Virginia Organizing Board Member and Social Security activist Jay Johnson said, "Seniors have paid into Social Security our whole lives and resent Rep. Cantor's assertion that Social Security is an entitlement. Social Security is a promise made to Americans that should not be broken by Rep. Cantor or any member of Congress. Rep. Cantor is messing with a viable part of his electorate. He has awakened a sleeping giant."

Hickey noted that 16.4 percent of the population of the 7th district of Virginia received Social Security benefits in 2009. That’s 119,949 of Rep Cantor’s constituents. That includes 81,332 retirees, and 14,812 disabled Virginians.

Transcript: CANTOR "CANNOT EXIST" 30 SECOND TV SPOT
NARRATOR: Congressman Eric Cantor wants to eliminate Social Security.
ON SCREEN: PHOTO, CONGRESSMAN CANTOR
TEXT: Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA) wants to eliminate Social Security.
Speaking at the Hoover Institution, March 21, 2011

CANTOR AUDIO: Fifty percent of beneficiaries under the Social Security program use those moneys as their sole source of income. So we've got to protect today's seniors. But for the rest of us? Listen, we're going to have to come to grips with the fact that these programs cannot exist if we want America to be what we want America to be.

NARRATOR: Tell Eric Cantor: We want America to protect Social Security.
ON SCREEN: Tell Congressman Cantor:
We want America to protect Social Security.
Call: 202-225-2815
Sponsored by Campaign for America’s Future
OurFuture.org

For more information here is a fact sheet on Virginia and Social Security: http://strengthensocialsecurity.org/sites/default/files/Social-Security-...

New Poll Reveals That Voters Want One Thing: It’s Jobs

Isaiah J. Poole — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:26:40 -0500

A new national survey of 2012 presidential-year voters on economic policy, their responses to the White House deficit commission's recommendations, Social Security and priorities for the new Congress was released by Democracy Corps and the Campaign for America's Future.

Campaign for America's Future co-director Robert Borosage commented on the results of the survey, which was conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research:

With Republicans Congressional leaders claiming a mandate to cut spending, and beltway pundits focused on deficit reduction, and the president wooing business, voters are making very clear that they want one top priority – jobs.

Both parties should be on notice: voters are looking for action on jobs. They are looking for a bold strategy to put America’s economy back on track.

And the president and the Republican leaders in Congress should also understand that voters, across the political spectrum, do not want politicians messing with Social Security and Medicare.

If the new Republican majority focuses, as promised, on repealing health care, cutting domestic spending, and cutting Social Security and Medicare, the voters will not be pleased. The president would be well advised to make it clear that he will defend Social Security and Medicare, even as he pushes to get health care costs – and thus deficits – under control.

We urge the President to use the State of the Union to lay out a clear strategy for reviving America, and putting people to work, and show how a vibrant economy is an essential building block of deficit reduction.

The CAF/Democracy Corps poll results are available on Campaign for America’s Future’s website: www.ourfuture.org/economypoll2011

Citizens’ Deficit Commission Report Warns Austerity Will Block Recovery

Isaiah J. Poole — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:43:22 -0500

Report Says Direction Chosen By The White House Commission Is The Wrong One For The Economy; Report Calls for More Job Creation and Long-Term Investment

The White House deficit commission proposals released today are “fundamentally misguided” and will take the economic debate in the dangerous direction of austerity, say a group of well-known experts and leaders of civic organizations that released its own plan, “Report and Recommendations of the Citizens’ Commission on Jobs, Deficits and America’s Economic Future.”

You can see the report here: OurFuture.org/citizenscommission

The report was released on a media call Tuesday featuring Robert L. Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future; Deepak Bhargava, executive director the Center for Community Change; Angela Glover Blackwell, founder and president of PolicyLink; Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America and Robert Kuttner, co-founder of The American Prospect and a senior fellow at Demos.

[You can listen to the audio of the press call here.]

The citizens commission is led by a 23-member group that includes economists, labor and grassroots organization leaders, and academic experts. Among them is Deepak Bargava, director of the Center for Community Change, who on the call denounced the co-chairs of the White House deficit commission, Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, for pushing cuts to Social Security.

Noting that the average Social Security benefit is about $14,000 a year, Bhargava said, "It is morally unacceptable to reduce benefits to middle-income and low-income people, or to raise the retirement age, as Bowles-Simpson would do."

Likewise, Angela Glover Blackwell, the director of the PolicyLink think tank, said that poor- and middle-class families, particularly people of color, have already been harmed too severely by the recession and the decade of economic stagnation that preceded it. "We can't slash our way to prosperity. We must grow the nation out of this crisis," she said.

"Working Americans have had it with the austerity model," added Larry Cohen, the president of the Communications Workers of America. "We're not going to work our way out of this by cutting the living stands of working Americans. That's a failed method. It's been a dead method for 75 years, and it's being revived by those on this other [White House] commission."

Robert Kuttner, senior fellow at Demos and editor of The American Prospect, said that the citizens' commission report flies in the face of a stacking of the deck in the favor of austerity economics fueled largely by a multimillion-dollar campaign funded by Wall Street billionaire Peter G. Peterson.

As a result, "I don't think I have ever seen a time, as both a protagonist and a working journalist, where I've seen the media captured by one side of the argument," Kuttner said.

Kuttner warned that if the forces advocating attempting to cut their way to deficit reduction prevail, "You are only going to make the recession worse. It is not rocket science. It is basic economics."

"These recommendations again prove Beltway Insiders wrong—we don't have to force working people to pay the price for the failed economic policies of the past. The most effective way to regain our economic security and cut the deficit is by putting Americans back to work and restoring fairness to the our economy," said Mary Kay Henry, a citizens' commission member and president of the Service Employees International Union.

The group announced a nationwide campaign to oppose the job-killing, middle class-devastating, austerity measures proposed by Republicans in Congress, the President’s deficit commission co-chairs, such perennial deficit hawks as billionaire hedge-fund magnate Peter G. Peterson, and some Democrats.

“Not only is this citizen’s commission’s plan the right policy for our nation’s struggling economy, it is good politics,” said Robert Borosage, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future. “Our proposals are overwhelming popular with the American people who cannot afford to have their job and retirement security fall victim to politics as usual in Washington.”

The Citizens’ Commission report was written by Jeff Madrick, a member of the commission and Senior Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, with contributions from Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Roger Hickey, Robert Borosage and Richard Eskow of the Institute for America’s Future, Robert Kuttner of The American Prospect and Demos, and Robert Pollin of the Political Economy Research Institute, and additional work by other members of the commission.

The full membership of the citizens' commission:

Robert Borosage, Campaign for America's Future
Dean Baker, Center for Economic and Policy Research
Deepak Bhargava, Center for Community Change
Angela Glover Blackwell, PolicyLink
Jeff Blum, USAction
Darcy Burner, Progressive Congress Action Fund
Larry Cohen, Communications Workers of America
Teresa Ghilarducci, The New School - A New York College
Heidi Hartmann, Institute for Women's Policy Research
Mary Kay Henry, Service Employees International Union
Rob Johnson, Institute for New Economic Thinking
Joan Kuriansky, Wider Opportunities for Women
Robert Kuttner, Demos and The American Prospect
Jeff Madrick, New York University and Roosevelt Institute
Dr. Julianne Malveaux, Bennett College
Terry O'Neill, National Organization for Women
Robert Pollin, University of Massachusetts
Robert Reich, University of California Berkeley
Justin Ruben, MoveOn
Sen. Don Riegle, Former U.S. Senator from Michigan
Charles Rodgers, New Community Fund
Karen See, Coalition of Labor Union Women
Deborah Weinstein, Coalition on Human Needs

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