A short one but a sweet one:
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/...
Meet Shenna Bellows, a 38-year-old former American Civil Liberties official and economic researcher, who is challenging moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins for her seat this fall – in part by backing a budding liberal drive to boost Social Security benefits.
She vigorously supports a budding drive in Congress led by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) to expand Social Security benefits in the coming decades by changing the cost of living formula to favor seniors and to eliminate the current $113,700 a year cap on payroll taxes.
“I think expanding Social Security benefits is incredibly important,” she said in an interview on Monday. “About a third of Maine’s seniors are living solely on Social Security. And the current Social Security benefits are not covering the cost of living for Maine seniors."
“Hunger is a growing problem in Maine among our seniors and it’s vitally important that we expand Social Security benefits,” she added. “And we can do it in a fiscally responsible way by scrapping the cap and making sure that higher income earners pay their fair share.”
The idea of increasing Social Security benefits for years flourished only on the outer fringes of the left and in the blogosphere, as lawmakers worried about the deficit and the long-term solvency of major entitlement programs. A trustees report last spring warned that without change, the Social Security trust funds will be insolvent in 2033 and the disability trust fund will be exhausted by 2016. - The Fiscal Times, 3/18/14
Hopefully this will become another big issue in her bid against Senator Susan Collins (R. ME) and hopefully one that will carry her to victory. Please do consider donating or getting involved with Bellows campaign:
http://bellowsforsenate.com/