Our Positions on the Issues
Social Security Reform
President George W. Bush and his Wall Street allies would like to privatize funds in Social Security. To accomplish this theft of Americans' retirement security, the Administration has sought to convince the American public to believe the myth that Social Security is "going broke" and therefore needs to be "fixed" with a privatization ax. They would like to convince young people that Social Security will "not be there for them". They would like us to believe that spending over $2 trillion to create a separate system to gamble Social Security funds on the stock market (including a nearly $1 trillion windfall to the financial industry to manage new individual accounts) will "save" a system which hasn't missed a paycheck for 70 years. Worst of all, Bush plans will undermine the nation's commitment to protect the security of retirees, the disabled, widows and their children when only small adjustments are needed to make the system secure for future generations.
The Congressional Budet Office has projected that Social Security -- without ANY changes -- will be able to pay full benefits until the year 2052 and, after that, could continue to cover 81% of promised benefits. According to former Social Security Commissioner Robert M. Ball, Social Security can be fixed with just a 2 percent increase in payroll funds. Gray Panthers believe that this gap can be largely closed by "lifting the cap" on income ($97,500 as of Nov 2007) which is subject to Social Security taxes. Gray Panthers of Metro Detroit, organized labor and other activists helped establish a State-wide coalition called the Michigan Alliance to Strengthen Social Security & Medicare. Gray Panthers Social Security Committee meets to plan actions on this issue. For more information, call Maurice Geary at 248-545-7002.
"War on Terrorism" & the FY 2009 Federal Budget Cuts!
America's "9-11" tragedy and other real threats to our national security have been used by the Bush Administration as a rationale to declare a global war on terrorism and to justify an aggressive pro-war, pre-emptive strike foreign policy. The fear of terror provides a convenient excuse to continue wasteful government spending in the "military industrial complex". The war on terror fills the same role of an outside threat once used by Joseph McCarthy's infamous "Red Scare" campaign.
Historically, Pres. Bush's federal budgets have diverted funds from domestic programs to expand military related spending. This is creating a war on all Americans who rely on tax supported services for their health and well being. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities www.cbpp.org/2-4-08bud2.htm, the Administration's FY 2009 budget proposal would provide more tax cuts heavily skewed to the most well off while reducing vital services for low-income and moderate income Americans. This budget would generate huge deficits and increasing the strain on states already confronting budget problems as a result of the economic downturn. President Bush's proposed FY 2009 federal budget would: cut funding for LIHEAP by $570 million or 22%; freeze funding for child care assistance for the seventh consecutive year; cut funding for a number of other low-income assistance programs, including Section 8 rent vouchers; sharply cut funding for detection and control of infectious diseases; reduce funding for the Environmental Protection Agency; reduce expenditures in Medicaid by $18.2 billion over five years and reduce Medicare spending by $556 billion over 10 years. Call your Congressman. Urge him or her to just say NO to the President Bush's spending priorities in the proposed FY 2009 budget!
Preserve Public School Funding
Our network Education Committee is working with other activists to fight for funding for Michigan public school systems. There are many bills in the Michigan legislature which need to be challenged! The No Child Left Behind Act is underfunded and, at the same time, creating unattainable standards which jeopardize the survival of many public schools. For more information or to get involved, call Gray Panther (and Detroit public school teacher) Evelyn Foreman at 313-861-9490.
Universal Health Care
Gray Panthers of Metro Detroit works with the Michigan Universal Health Care Network (MichUHCAN) and the Coalition for Health Care Now to establish universal, single payer, comprehensive, quality, affordable and accessible health care for all. We believe that:
> Everybody needs access to comprehensive quality health care.
> Health care is a basic human need and a basic human right.
> The market-based solution to America's health care problems is failing and the crises is getting worse.
> It is a moral outrage and a national disgrace that the United States is the only major industrial country without a national guarantee of health care for all its people.
You are urged to get more information about the "United States National Health Insurance Act" (H.R. 676) introduced by U.S. Rep. John Conyers, Jr. Click HERE for a summary of this legislation. Gray Panthers' Health Committee meets monthly. To get involved with our campaign for universal health care in Michigan, call Mary Campbell at 248-546-6707 or Randy Block at 248-549-5170.
