Harry Speaks out locally

In keeping connected with the grassroots, Harry Reid has not forgotten the people back home.  Taking the time to write the Local Reno, Nv. Newspaper with his view of Social Security.

First, Social Security is not a handout:

Social Security is not a handout. It is a benefit that senior citizens earn by working and paying into the system.

Second, What good has been brought about by Social Security.

If not for Social Security, that figure would be about 50 percent. Social Security is the only source of income for one-fifth of seniors. The program also is critically important for disabled Americans, and for millions of children of workers who die.

Next, There is no crisis.  This is not to say that the system can't be improved.

Social Security faces long-term challenges, but, contrary to some claims, it is not in crisis. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, it will be able to fully meet future obligations for almost 50 years, and then still will be able to pay higher benefits than are provided today. Yet the program does face long-term challenges that we need to address.

more below the fold...

There is room to work on the program...but:

I want to be part of an effort to strengthen and improve the program, and I look forward to receiving a detailed Social Security proposal from President Bush. However, I have serious concerns about the direction the White House appears to be taking.

Most important, the president's privatization plan calls for very deep cuts in benefits. These cuts could exceed one-third for many Americans, and they would apply to all seniors, even those who choose not to risk their benefits in privatized accounts.

The costs of Bush's trial balloons:

also am opposed to the administration's apparent decision to incur more than $2 trillion in debt to finance privatized accounts.

and they will force cuts in benefits and hurt people;

The president has tried to argue that privatized accounts are a way to address Social Security's long-term problems. The truth is, such accounts actually make matters worse, not better. As proposed by the White House, these accounts would drain money from the Social Security Trust Fund, cutting funding that Social Security needs and accelerating insolvency by many years. That's the last thing we should be doing.

On to the message of how to work with Social Security:

Some argue that we need to radically restructure the program to address its long-term needs. But the numbers prove that is wrong. To provide some perspective, the projected long-term Social Security shortfall is only one-fifth the cost of the tax breaks enacted under President Bush. In truth, we do have the resources to keep our promises to seniors. We simply must set priorities and maintain fiscal discipline.

Of course, think before you leap!

But we should not rush into radical privatization plans that require deep benefit cuts and massive debt.

Instead, let's be careful, and take the time needed to do this right.

These are the basic talking points of the Democrats on Social Security.  I personally think that more emphysis should be put on the costs of Social Security privitization. I suspect that polling on the costs of privitization will increase its negatives.

The answer to the next hypothetical question of 'what do you propose' is to wait and see what the President proposes.   Dr. Dean is right there, don't answer blind quotes or trapping hypotheticals.  There has been nothing concrete put down yet, just the 'vision thing'.  Democrats need to demand that Mr. Bush put some exact language where the vision is. We can keep hitting on an empty promises theme until real language comes out.