I put out a news release today about the current threat to Social Security. The issues go to the heart of why I'm running for Congress here in Northern California.
With longtime incumbent Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey not seeking re-election, it's crucial to continue to have a strong progressive voice representing the North Bay in Washington. While many in Congress are willing to defer to the party leader even on matters of principle, I am not. As I said in my public statement today:
The idea of cutting Social Security and Medicare is not only a moral outrage -- it is a disastrous approach that would end up costing us dearly in the long run, severely damaging people’s quality of life and escalating healthcare costs. This is not how a civilized society solves its budgetary problems.
And while the fact that Social Security is quite solvent is rock-solid, the media spin to the contrary is so pervasive that basic realities must be brought into sharp focus. So, my statement pointed out:
Social Security does not add a penny to the deficit. As it is now, the program will be solvent for more than two decades -- and adjustments such as raising the cap on Social Security taxes for well-to-do recipients can easily render it solvent through mid-century and beyond.
People didn't struggle to build the New Deal so we could let one of its main programs be undermined in 2011. Principles have got to matter.