April 19th, 2008

S4 handed signed up over 350 students yesterday at the University of Arizona, and handed out over 400 slices of pizza. Read all about it here.

April 16th, 2008

The Department of Treasury today published the fourth in a series of six papers about Social Security reform .  The brief, titled "Social Security Reform: Mechanisms for True Pre-Funding," is a good argument against the claim that the trust fund really does exist.  The brief also outlines four options for creating a real trust fund.

1. Give the Social Security surplus back to workers in the form of personal accounts.

2. Assign the surplus at an individual level, but limit investment to government debt.

3. Invest the surplus in private assets.  These assets would be owned by the government, not by individuals.

4. Invest the surplus in marketable federal debt.  As in option 3, the surplus would remain under government control. 

We'll see what the response is to today's issue brief.  At the very least, it should be now be clear to everyone that the surplus does not represent true pre-funding.  This will be important news to all of the senators who voted this year against the DeMint Amendment, which would have protected the Social Security surplus. 

April 14th, 2008

This past weekend, S4 was in San Antonio, Texas - spreading the word about the need for more PRA-LOVE!  Not only were many Frisbees passed out, petitions signed and "walk and chew gum at the same time" pieces of gum distributed, but students recieved awesome t-shirts...check out the pic below!

April 02nd, 2008

Last night at Hofstra University, S4 talked with a packed room full of students about their financial future and the problems facing the Social Security system for their generation.

And of course, S4 handed out "New York Cares About Social Security" t-shirts!

National Coordinator Liz Morgan got a letter to the editor published in the Seattle Times today.  Here's the letter:

Syndicated columnist Froma Harrop made a couple of bold, but false steps in suggesting that we shouldn't worry about the future of Social Security. First, if Social Security is in good shape, why should we consider asking future generations to work longer before receiving benefits? Raising the retirement age is a temporary fix that unfairly impacts young workers, and it is strange that Harrop would advocate for such a change unless there really is a problem.

Second, the problem reiterated in this year's Social Security Trustees Report is the same one that a different set of trustees under President Clinton warned about in 2000: "In view of the size of the financial shortfall in the OASDI (Social Security) program over the next 75 years, we again urge that the long-range deficits of both the OASI and DI Trust Funds be addressed in a timely way."

It's time for people to start taking the trustees seriously. It's time to fix Social Security.

S4 signed up Pennsylvania students to write Letters to the Editor in their local papers to spread the word on Social Security reform for future generations. The PA presidential primary is April 22nd!

March 24th, 2008

Secure Our Future, the lobbying/activism companion to S4, stopped by several Senate offices on Friday to talk about the DeMint amendment voting.  In addition to thanking some of the senators who voted in favor of stopping the raid on the Social Security trust fund, we gave out ostrich eggs to some of those who voted against the amendment (yes, those are real ostrich eggs in the picture below). 

In particular, Republicans Shelby, Bennett, Domenici, and Cochran all received eggs for switching positions from last year.  Senators, get your heads out of the sand!

March 23rd, 2008

Patrick Wetherille was interviewed Friday by CNN's Nicole Lapin for a segment called "Young People Who Rock."

Watch the interview here.

March 21st, 2008

This week, S4 rockstars flew into Maryland and spread the PRA-love at several colleges in the Baltimore area.

These lovely ladies came to town on their spring break to help spread the word to college students in Maryland - SO AWESOME of them to work so hard for Social Security reform!