S4 Rock Star Laura Morales from the University of Texas in San Antonio was featured in a live debate this morning on CNN's American Morning TV show.
Check out the amazing shout-out she gave to Social Security reform:
CHETRY: All right. Laura, quickly. Let’s keep it quick because we don’t have time. But your most important issue of this debate.
MORALES: Sure, my most important issue is probably going to be Social Security. I think that’s an issue that’s really facing our generation. That my generation is pretty much going to be completely robbed of those funds that were put into the government. We really need to get students to focus on that issue and make that the forefront for the 2008 election.
After the good times in Iowa for the straw poll (check out all the media coverage we got!!), the Ostrich Mobile began its sojourn once again, making a pit stop in Chicago. We hit up all the top attractions so the summer tourists could admire the fine paint job -- and our Web site -- while they enjoy their summer vacations in the Windy City! Following our Chicago excitiement, we moved on to Indiana.
We made it to the Indiana state fair and then to our ever-so-favorite spot: the Wal-Mart parking lot. I don't know if its a West Coast thing, but all the Wal-Marts I have ever seen are blue and red. EXCEPT for the ones in Indianapolis. They are green. Sorry -- I just was so flabbergasted by the differing colors.
But despite the different coloring of the stores the reactions from people WERE EXACTLY THE SAME!! Booyah!! That means that just like the people we interacted with in Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and Iowa, Hoosiers were excited to see this sort of activity going on! And by "this sort of activity going on" I mean learning about an organization whose sole purpose is to work toward ensuring that future generations don't get screwed by Social Security.
Check out our photo gallery for some rockin GREEN Wal-Mart pictures! And stay tuned...next Ostrich Mobile stop: Lousville, Kentucky.
After the Ostrich Mobile stopped in Cheyenne, Wyoming, it headed down to Colorado. As you can see from the picture below, S4 is all about reaching out to people via every method possible. We will go to any length to spread the word to as many people as possible and since Colorado is known for its incredible number of outdoor enthusiasts we not only hit up the typical Wal-Mart parking lots and downtown Denver farmer's markets, but the great outdoors as well.
Yes, we took the Ostrich Mobile camping. And guess what... all the other campers we came in contact with were in favor of reform and super-pumped for the opportunity to autograph our travelling Ostrich Mobile! It really goes to show that although many like to say Social Security reform isn't even an issue, when you talk with people on an individual level, you will find that indeed it IS something they think is important. There are lots of people who don't want our next President to be an "ostrich" when it comes to this issue!!
S4's cross-country trip continued on from Idaho to Wyoming. Despite the horrendous lightning storms (ok, ok -- I'm just a baby and get scared by stuff like lightning!) we made it to Cheyenne in one piece. In case you were unaware, Cheyenne is home to the nation's largest rodeo! We were bummed to find out it had already taken place this year -- how awesome would that have been to get some of those cowboys to get off the bulls and come ride an ostrich!?!
When we made it to Cheyenne, we hit up the local Wal-Mart...our plans to attend the county fair were botched because of the extreme weather conditions. Wal-Mart parking lots are just as good as a fair in my opinion. I mean, we were able to interact with such a wide variety of people, and just like in Idaho, most everyone was not only receptive to us and our message of reform, but they were PUMPED to see that organizations like S4 exist!
Check out the photo gallery for more pics of the exciting times in beautiful Wyoming! And stay tuned for more updates regarding the S4 Ostrich Mobile's experiences out on the open road!
On Saturday, August 11th, S4 sent 10 rockstars to the Iowa straw poll to spread the word about personal retirement accounts, host a forum of Social Security and catch up with the Presidential candidates to ask them the tough questions about securing our future.
S4 had Iowans sign our Ostrich Mobile and passed out free lemonade on the very hot summer day. We met up with Governor Romney and Congressman Hunter at the Iowa state fair and also had a chance to talk with Governor Thompson and interview Congressman Hunter at the straw poll. Our ostriches grabbed a lot of media attention and soon we will have the results of the survey that we passed out to over 500 of the straw poll voters.
S4's Patrick Wetherille will be part of a Social Security reform forum held at the National Press Club tomorrow morning from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The forum is the 11th annual Social Security panel hosted by the 60 Plus Association and will be broadcast on C-SPAN.
Join us in the Murrow Room on the 13th floor tomorrow morning as Patrick, Ryan Ellis of Americans for Tax Reform, Nancy Altman of the National Academy of Social Insurance and moderator Jim Martin of 60 Plus discuss the future of Social Security and how reform affects today's young workers.
S4's Ostrich Mobile has begun its journey across the country! Not only is the huge Suburban painted with pro-Social Security reform OSTRICHES but it also has an amazing PA system. So if you live in any of the Midwestern states...GET READY!!
Today we hit up a minor league baseball game, encouraging our Presidential candidates to hit a Social Security "home run" and secure the retirement of younger generations!! It went GREAT! Baseball game attendees autographed our Suburban to show that they don't want our next President to act like an ostrich and ignore the problems facing Social Security. We got members of the community --young and old -- to agree that this is an issue our Presidential candidates should be addressing!
Check out our photo gallery for more pictures! And stay tuned for more updates from our cross-country travels!
This is my last day interning at S4. In a few short weeks, I'll be heading back to school in the hills of western Pennsylvania. I'll miss the craziness of the S4 office - working right at the forefront of a major national issue is an experience like nothing else in the world. Thanks to everyone who has helped and supported S4 this summer!
Meanwhile, S4 is planning to have a very busy autumn! As I write, S4 is cleaning out our office and packing boxes for our big move to Concord, New Hampshire. If you're a student in the Granite State, keep your eyes peeled for us in your campus this fall - we're sure to be there!
A program is considered solvent when it is financially able to meet its obligations. Social Security was designed to be an investment in our future and a safety net during retirement. In not too many years, the program will not be solvent because the trust fund will not have enough money to pay out its promised rate of return on invested tax dollars.
Current reform options of tax increases or benefit cuts do not actually make the system solvent, but rather change the promises of Social Security. These solutions are a matter of semantics—the system is only more solvent under these changes because the system is fundamentally different and provides no rate of return.
Very often, people who strive for solvency forget that we as contributors deserve a good rate of return. And if we get only 75% of benefits, it doesn't matter whether the system is considered solvent or insolvent--we'll be getting the same low (or negative) rate of return.
It is clear that the system does need to be fundamentally changed, but in order to maintain solvency, the system must keep its original promise to provide a positive rate of return on worker’s tax money. Raising taxes or decreasing benefits are not desirable solutions to reform Social Security because they are not actual solutions, they just change what the program does.
Personal retirement accounts allow our tax dollars to be invested in our own future and, in the end, allow us to see a positive rate of return on our tax dollars.
Raising the cap on the Social Security tax may seem like an appealing idea-- but then when you break down the negative effect it would have on small businesses and how it would hurt our country's economic growth, you realize that having more people pay into a broken system is not the answer and this solution ends up hurting more than it helps.
The demographic problems facing the Social Security system have left politicians with the two options of either cutting benefits or raising taxes-- but these are not the only solutions. First, as mentioned in the above video, the first step to protecting our Social Security money is that Congress should stop raiding the Social Security Trust Fund, and actually set aside our Social Security money for Social Security, not their pet projects. The second step towards ownership and control over our retirement is personal retirement accounts.
Watch the video and decide for yourself if you think raising the Social Security tax cap is a good idea.
Posted by Jo Jensen| Comments (0)
