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Solidarity on Social Security schemes
April 13, 2006 The Rev. Brian C. Cool speaks at a Social Security rally in Rochester; in the background is Dan Sanfratello of Pittsford District TA. As the debate continues in Washington about the future of Social Security, unions have gained another ally in the fight to preserve the program: the Roman Catholic Church. "The Catholic community is concerned about the privatization of Social Security predominantly because we would be concerned about how the disadvantaged, disenfranchised and the poor would be treated," said the Rev. Brian C. Cool, chaplain at the Newman Center , University of Rochester . He chairs the Public Policy Committee for the Catholic Diocese of Rochester. Workers need all the support they can get in this important fight. "For more than 70 years, Social Security has provided a valuable safety net for millions of Americans," said Alan Lubin, executive vice president of New York State United Teachers. "We are encouraged to see so many groups recognize the need to improve this vital government program." President Bush has long supported privatizing Social Security. Last summer, he aggressively lobbied for private savings accounts that would allow workers to invest a percentage of their Social Security contributions in the stock market. "How do we keep those people who are not as knowledgeable or experienced with the stock market and different options protected from bad investments or the market going down and creating more poverty rather than more sustainable living?" Cool asked. Dan Sanfratello, a member of the Pittsford District TA, joined Cool and others last year in protesting U.S. Rep. Randy Kuhl's support of the bill to privatize the system. "Money would be drained from the system that rightfully belongs to the beneficiaries," Sanfratello said. Kuhl, a Southern Tier Republican, has since withdrawn his support. Last year, Bush's proposal failed to gain traction in Congress. However, the debate resumed in mid-February when the president included $700 billion in his 2006-07 budget to establish private accounts. In March, the U.S. Senate narrowly defeated an amendment to its budget bill that would have allowed Congress to create a reserve fund — a move many Democrats say is another attempt to privatize the system. Reforms may be needed, Lubin and Cool say, but the shape of these reforms is key. "Social Security is an opportunity for the government to support a baseline of income for all people," Cool said. "Any kind of modification or change to that we would be very concerned about." Rather than scrap the program in favor of risky private plans, NYSUT leaders are calling on Congress to strengthen Social Security by repaying money borrowed from the trust fund. "We could also repeal the Bush income tax cuts for the top 1 percent of taxpayers," Lubin said. — Clarisse Butler Banks |
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