Last Friday, S4 attended the College Republican National Committee’s biennial convention. While we were there I made friends with Tim Andrews, the president of the Australian Liberal Students Federation — the Down Under equivalent of the College Republicans. Australia, of course, made the switch to personal retirement accounts several years ago, and I was very excited to learn how well he thinks they’re working so far!
Just as most of us would have predicted, personal accounts are working very well in Australia — far better than their old system. Interestingly, he told me that it is the left which introduced personal accounts in Australia, while it is largely the right pushing for them here. It is certain, however, that if something’s a good idea, party lines and political loyalties don’t matter.
We owe it to ourselves here in America to reach across party lines, just as Australia did, to support meaningful reform!
S4 has made another video for the YouTube/CNN debates asking the presidential candidates if they will get their heads out of the sand and fix Social Security! Watch Monday night at 7 p.m. to see if our video is picked!
The Washington Times printed a rather wonky editorial today about the OMB midsession review, but there are a couple important points about entitlement program reform that should not be missed.
1. The $4.7 trillion unfunded obligation in Social Security is actually $6.7 trillion. That is, the Social Security program will, over the course of the next 75 years, be short in paying full benefits by $6.7 trillion.
2. The unfunded liabilities in Medicare add up to $33.9 trillion, which means that the total unfunded liabilites in present value for Social Security and Medicare are $40.6 trillion.
How much money is $40.6 trillion? The Washington Times puts the figure in perspective:
$40.6 trillion is more than three times last year's gross domestic product; 220 percent higher than the total market capitalization ($12.7 trillion as of March 31) of America's 500 biggest corporations; nearly five times the national debt ($8.8 trillion); eight times the publicly held debt ($5 trillion); and nearly 75 percent of the total net worth of U.S. households and nonprofit organizations ($56.2 trillion).
On Friday, July 27th S4 is holding a Capitol Hill press conference that you won't want to miss!
Secure Our Future (the political branch of S4) will unveil its presidential Web site, which consists of the presidential candidates' positions on Social Security reform. The Web site will include original video interviews with presidential candidates, pictures and headlines. The event is co-sponsored by 60 Plus, Independent Women's Forum and Leadership Institute.
Event Details: FREE LUNCH (to the first 100 attendees) on Capitol Hill - Rayburn House Office Building B-338. The event starts at noon.
Attendees will also get free tickets to the rooftop after party which will have FREE Chick-Fil-A, drinks, beverages for those 21+, a DJ and representatives from FreedomWorks and the Leadership Institute.
The 57th Annual College Republican National Convention
was last Friday in Virginia.
The notable speakers included Tom Delay, Senator Sam Brownback, Senator Lott,
Morton Blackwell, and David Horowitz.
Organizations set up booths in the lobby, which was where the
real action was happening! Check out the photo gallery to see pictures of our
coffee & donuts to WAKE PEOPLE UP TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY CRISIS!
A highlight of the day was having donut eating contests!
Students for Saving Social Security featured in this week's Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report!
"The president has observed a diminished appetite in Congress for an overhaul. But the issue, it is clear, is not going away. Long term, the debate will be decided by the nations younger generations."
"All the groups employees agree that theyre laying in for the long haul. A delay just makes us bigger and more powerful, says Jonathan Swanson, the groups co-founder."
Read the entire article
CQ WEEKLY VANTAGE POINT
Oct. 17, 2005 Page 2752
The Young, the Restless and the Individual Social Security Accounts
By Alex Wayne, CQ Staff
Perhaps you thought the debate over Social Security was over. After all, Americans United to Protect Social Security the liberal interest group that has led the charge against individual accounts has all but disbanded. AARP is spending more energy promoting its new Medicare drug benefit insurance plan than it is fighting President Bush's Social Security proposals. And Republicans in Congress are avoiding the issue like avian flu.
But in borrowed office space at 18th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, a handful of twentysomethings called Students for Saving Social Security, or S4, are trying to keep the Bush plan alive. On a recent Monday afternoon, they packed boxes with T-shirts, Frisbees and stickers. All the swag, which was headed mainly to young Republicans at college campuses, promotes individual investment accounts. The stickers are direct: Dont be, they read, followed by a large drawing of a screw. This isn't your grandfathers talking point.
The Social Security debate has been going on for 20 years, said Jo Jensen, the groups chief of staff, who has also been alive for 20 years. But this is new to us. Its definitely not dead to us.
The president has observed a diminished appetite in Congress for an overhaul. But the issue, it is clear, is not going away. Long term, the debate will be decided by the nations younger generations. Thats why you have the AARP joining forces with MTVs Rock the Vote initiative to oppose individual accounts and why S 4 is continuing to hang around in Washington long after the expected battle royal in Congress over the issue has fizzled out.
Older people had already made up their minds, said AARPs policy and strategy director, John Rother. The younger set was the only part of the population that was still in play.
Members of S say theyre keen to keep their target demographic in play. Once you do talk to someone, they get it, says Ursula Williams, who at 28 is S 4s elder stateswoman. Like Jensen, the multiethnic Williams brings a missionary zeal to the job; she left a job at a California public relations firm to fight for individual accounts, which she believes will help black families build wealth.
All the groups employees agree that theyre laying in for the long haul. A delay just makes us bigger and more powerful, says Jonathan Swanson, the groups co-founder.
And maybe more dedicated. Jensen is a Mount Holyoke junior who had a scholarship to work for GOP Rep. Rob Simmons of Connecticut this summer. But midway through she gave it up, after learning that Simmons doesnt back individual accounts.
She fines her office mates $1 if they pronounce each letter of AARPs acronym instead of just calling the group Aarp. Around these parts, the enormous interest group for seniors is known as Enemy No. 1. One recent Friday, an S 4 staffer wore a duck suit outside a downtown Metro station the message being that AARP and others are ducking the issue.
They do seem to be kind of obsessed with us, says Rother.
Source: CQ Weekly The definitive source for news about Congress. 2005 Congressional Quarterly Inc. All Rights Reserved. Posted by Jo Jensen| Comments (5)
The S4 crew recently walked around Washington, DC to promote Social Security Reform - but they did it dressed up in Ostrich suits!
Their message: "Tell Congress to get their heads out of the sand and fix Social Security!"
Why ostriches? Politicians often avoid important issues because they are afraid to stand up and make hard decisions. However avoiding Social Security reform is like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand when it gets scared - it does nothing to solve the problem! S4 is calling on Congress to show show some leadership and pass Social Security reform legislation with personal retirement accounts.
The public's reaction to S4's ostrich troop was fantastic! Everyone wanted to know what it was all about! Check out our pictures from the day in the eye candy section of the website. Stay tuned for more details on future ostrich sightings - perhaps an ostrich could be coming to you sometime soon!
Posted by Jo Jensen| Comments (1)
S4’s Ryan Lynch was published yesterday by the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute’s Policy Express. His paper, Owning Our Future: The Change Within Social Security, argues with hard facts how personal accounts are fairer for younger generations than the current system. The paper concludes:
It is merely a matter of time until the Social Security debate heats up again, and when it does, you can expect investment to be a central component of the proposed reform. Our job will be to defend the interests of future generations by fighting for the principles of choice, ownership, and fairness within the system. Let us be ready.
The end of this week will mark the half-way point of my summer at S4. This far, I have done more at S4 than some interns get to do all summer! I have met many students in DC through the S4 network and have attended three events at the White House and three student conferences—all in just three weeks!
In addition to the fun social events, the work at S4 has refined my communication skills and increased my understanding of Washington politics. I am excited about to be involved in the New Hampshire operation—once you are part of the S4 family, it’s hard to leave!
Recently I was talking with a friend of mine about my job and S4 in general. It was really interesting -- before I could even finish telling him about what we stand for here at S4, the guy had launched into this whole, "If someone wants something, like a retirement plan, they need to go out and make it happen for themselves. I don't care what is going on with Social Security!"
He was obviously implying that it should not be the government's job to make sure everyone gets a retirement check, but it is the individual's responsibility to prepare for his or her future. I agree completely with my friend in the sense that it IS our responsibility to plan ahead. But my friend didn't understand why it was so important to fix the problems in Social Security. His idea was just to say, screw it, I'll pay whatever for Social Security and I'll also plan on my own for my future.
I am curious how many other young people are like my friend and don't understand what is at stake when it comes to our current system of Social Security. The fact that we are forced to pay so many taxes into a system that is promising some people negative returns is just one reason we should be up in arms. It's unfair that we have no control or ownership of the money that we supposedly are paying in for our retirement.
But the biggest thing at stake is what lies ahead for us if nothing is done about the problems facing Social Security. It will be OUR generation bearing the painful burden of increased taxes or decreased benefits, or BOTH. And by increased taxes, we're talking increases of about 50%. I think my friend would have a pretty difficult time saving on his own after getting so much more taken out of each paycheck!!
In a recent Washington Post article, David M. Walker, the nation's controller general, made a great point that resonates well with our summer-time-let's-have-fun-mentality: "People are on the beach having a beach party while you can see a tsunami of spending on the horizon. And you've got people saying, 'party on.' " Walker went on to say, "We're headed for very, very rough seas, like we've never seen before in this country."
Let's hope that S4 can keep bringing the message of reform to other people in our generation who just don't get the issue. Social Security reform can be a complicated topic, but I think we all can understand the metaphor David M. Walker used to explain the urgency of the looming fiscal crisis. Just like my friend pointed out, it's the responsibility of each of us to plan for the future. And it's also the responsibility of our elected officials to address obvious, impending problems.
Students for Saving Social Security featured in this week's Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report!
"The president has observed a diminished appetite in Congress for an overhaul. But the issue, it is clear, is not going away. Long term, the debate will be decided by the nations younger generations."
"All the groups employees agree that theyre laying in for the long haul. A delay just makes us bigger and more powerful, says Jonathan Swanson, the groups co-founder."
Read the entire article
CQ WEEKLY VANTAGE POINT
Oct. 17, 2005 Page 2752
The Young, the Restless and the Individual Social Security Accounts
By Alex Wayne, CQ Staff
Perhaps you thought the debate over Social Security was over. After all, Americans United to Protect Social Security the liberal interest group that has led the charge against individual accounts has all but disbanded. AARP is spending more energy promoting its new Medicare drug benefit insurance plan than it is fighting President Bush's Social Security proposals. And Republicans in Congress are avoiding the issue like avian flu.
But in borrowed office space at 18th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, a handful of twentysomethings called Students for Saving Social Security, or S4, are trying to keep the Bush plan alive. On a recent Monday afternoon, they packed boxes with T-shirts, Frisbees and stickers. All the swag, which was headed mainly to young Republicans at college campuses, promotes individual investment accounts. The stickers are direct: Dont be, they read, followed by a large drawing of a screw. This isn't your grandfathers talking point.
The Social Security debate has been going on for 20 years, said Jo Jensen, the groups chief of staff, who has also been alive for 20 years. But this is new to us. Its definitely not dead to us.
The president has observed a diminished appetite in Congress for an overhaul. But the issue, it is clear, is not going away. Long term, the debate will be decided by the nations younger generations. Thats why you have the AARP joining forces with MTVs Rock the Vote initiative to oppose individual accounts and why S 4 is continuing to hang around in Washington long after the expected battle royal in Congress over the issue has fizzled out.
Older people had already made up their minds, said AARPs policy and strategy director, John Rother. The younger set was the only part of the population that was still in play.
Members of S say theyre keen to keep their target demographic in play. Once you do talk to someone, they get it, says Ursula Williams, who at 28 is S 4s elder stateswoman. Like Jensen, the multiethnic Williams brings a missionary zeal to the job; she left a job at a California public relations firm to fight for individual accounts, which she believes will help black families build wealth.
All the groups employees agree that theyre laying in for the long haul. A delay just makes us bigger and more powerful, says Jonathan Swanson, the groups co-founder.
And maybe more dedicated. Jensen is a Mount Holyoke junior who had a scholarship to work for GOP Rep. Rob Simmons of Connecticut this summer. But midway through she gave it up, after learning that Simmons doesnt back individual accounts.
She fines her office mates $1 if they pronounce each letter of AARPs acronym instead of just calling the group Aarp. Around these parts, the enormous interest group for seniors is known as Enemy No. 1. One recent Friday, an S 4 staffer wore a duck suit outside a downtown Metro station the message being that AARP and others are ducking the issue.
They do seem to be kind of obsessed with us, says Rother.
Source: CQ Weekly The definitive source for news about Congress. 2005 Congressional Quarterly Inc. All Rights Reserved.