The Hawai'i senate race has turned into dueling emails. First Sen Brian Schatz sent email urging people to support the Strengthening Social Security Act, which would increase monthly Social Security benefits and extend the solvency of the program for decades by ending the special treatment for millionaires and billionaires on income over $117,000.
Sen Brian Schatz is a co-sponsor of this bill.
Colleen Hanabusa, the conserva-Dem challenging Schatz, fired back with her "me too" email in response.
Aloha Karen,
Cutting Social Security and its vital programs, like Medicare, is no way to balance our budget, and it puts our seniors at risk.
I want my family to be proud of how I've represented them. We must reassure our kupuna that we are protecting the promise our country made to them and work in a bipartisan fashion to protect Social Security and Social Security Act programs for generations to come.
Please sign our Social Security Promise Petition.
Mahalo for your support.
Aloha,
Colleen
The link included goes to a petition with not one single concrete suggestion for protecting Social Security and then on to a plea for campaign donations. (See text below the fold)
Has Colleen Hanabusa signed the Grayson-Takano letter promising not to vote for any legislation cutting Social Security? No.
Is she on board with making the rich continue to pay Social Security tax instead of giving them a free pass over $117,000 of income? No.
Has she ever promised not to raise the age of retirement? No.
So what we have is Hanabusa's empty rhetoric in response to Schatz's concrete action plan.
Will Hawai'i people see through the pretty words and figure out who is really supporting their old age?
Brian Schatz's email:
Karen —
By today, April 17, most members of the country’s wealthiest 1% have stopped paying into Social Security for the year, according to Social Security Works.
That’s because while most people pay into Social Security all year long, millionaires and billionaires only have to pay into the program for the first $117,000 they earn.
Even most people who are well off would say this isn't fair. But many people in Washington would rather cut Social Security benefits for seniors than ask the wealthy to pay their fair share.
Senator Schatz is not one of those people. He’s stood against every attempt to weaken Social Security, including through backdoor cuts like reducing how the program accounts for the rising cost of living or by raising the retirement age.
Help send Senator Schatz back to the U.S. Senate to keep working to protect and expand Social Security. Make a contribution today.
As someone who receives Social Security benefits myself, I know how vital Social Security is for our state. In fact, the majority of Hawai‘i seniors rely on Social Security for at least half of their income.
That’s why I’m so glad we’ve got Senator Schatz representing Hawai‘i in Washington.
He’s co-sponsoring the Strengthening Social Security Act alongside Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, which would increase monthly Social Security benefits and extend the solvency of the program for decades by ending the special treatment for millionaires and billionaires on income over $117,000.
Senator Schatz is a real rarity in politics. The local values he learned during his upbringing in Hawai‘i are the foundation of his deep commitment to doing the right things in government for the right reasons — and he possesses the smarts and political skill to get them done.
I know Senator Schatz will not stop fighting for seniors or for Hawai‘i. But first, we need to make sure we send him back to Washington.
Click here to make a contribution of $10, $50, or whatever you’re able to give to help send Senator Schatz back to the U.S. Senate.
Mahalo for your support,
Donna Hoshide
Colleen Hanabusa's meaningless show petition is below. One really has to wonder about the hypocrisy of refusing to sign the
Grayson-Takano Letterand pretending to support Social Security:
lease help Colleen continue her fight for our kupuna by signing our Social Security Promise petition today.
Members of the US Senate & House of Representatives -
The promise of Social Security and Social Security Act programs is a promise to our seniors that we have an obligation to keep.
We are committed to ensuring that our hardworking retirees receive the benefits they earned and we expect Congress to defeat short sighted attempts to balance the budget on the backs of seniors.
Support our kupuna and future generations. Vote to preserve Social Security and Social Security Act programs.
Sincerely,
Colleen Hanabusa & the Undersigned
