I had once believed that we were all masters of our fate - that we could mould our lives into any form we pleased....I forgot that I owed my success partly to the advantages of my birth and environment...Now, however, I learned that the power to rise in the world is not within the reach of everyone. -  Helen Keller
As we finished the holiday meal, Dad cleared his throat to get our attention.  "I have an announcement to make," he
proclaimed.  We glanced at each other - what was happening?  Were we going to move?  A new baby?  Maybe Dad was getting a raise!

“I did the family budget for this year,” he said, “and I'm afraid our food budget is in crisis.   As you kids have gotten older, you've started eating more, so the costs of food have gone up - and it's outside of the budget we set.  So you'll have to start saving your own money to pay for food.  We have to do it this way to stay in budget.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to stop by the liquor store and get a quart of whiskey and some cash for my weekly poker game with the boys.”

Thankfully, this isn't a true-life story.  Sadly, it's exactly what the Republicans are telling us about Social Security.

Our society realizes that we have to help each other out.  There are many examples of this - the country's response after 9/11, when volunteers traveled across the country to help.  Locally, I saw (and benefited from) neighbor helping neighbor during the recent snows.  Those who had snow-blowers and shovels helped those who didn't - and everyone helped to get cars unstuck.  Likewise, our society owes those who have worked thier lives to benefit us - all workers, no matter what other plans they may have made for retirement.  We also realize that we have a moral obligation to help those who have been injured or disabled, and the surviving dependents of those workers.  These obligations are met by Social Security - an organization that, among other things, provides survivor benefits to nearly two million children.

And yet Republicans are wanting to dismantle it?

The claim that Social Security is bankrupt is, well, wrong.  Even if we’re in a full-on depression for the next thirty-odd years, the Social Security trustees' report shows that Social Security can still pay every penny with absolutely no change. Even then, they'd still have enough of money to offer almost all benefits – again, without changing a thing.  Still, anything can be improved.  So how?  Right now, only the first $87,900 of income is counted when calculating Social Security investments.  That means that someone making $88,000 a year (more than myself, let me tell you) and Bill Gates are investing the same amount in the well-being of our society.  How can that be fair?  “With great power (or money) comes great responsibility”, right?  By simply making everyone invest an equal percentage of everyone's income would give us funds to spare.

What about gambling it in the stock market, like Bush wants us to?  A co-worker of mine retired last year.  At least, she retired from one job.  Because she had so much of her retirement tied up in the stock market when it crashed, she's still has to keep working.  Think that's was just the dot-com bubble?  One man, an MIT graduate, figured out his return from Social Security and compared it to the same amount invested in the Dow Jones over the forty-five years that he worked.  Social Security won - by almost six thousand dollars.  The only people who will have “security” from that plan are the stockbrokers taking their cut of our money.

But finally, it comes back that family table.  America has the money to do the right thing - to take care of all of its citizens.  Right now, Republicans are spending our money on $40 million inaugurations and on a "Star Wars" program that still doesn’t work after twenty years of wasting our cash.   It all comes down to a matter of priorities.  The choice is clear - do the right thing and take care of Americans, or they’ll blow our money on more pork-barrel projects and stockbroker's fees. 

Call our Congressmen today and tell them to stand up and do the right thing!
Rep. Michael R. Turner     DC: (202) 225-6465         Dayton: 937-225-2843
Sen. Michael DeWine         Phone: (202) 224-2315      Fax: (202) 224-6519
Sen. George V. Voinovich Phone: 202-224-3353         TollFree: 800-205-OHIO

References:
One Man's Retirement Math:Social Security Wins, David R. Francis, Christian Science Monitor,12/27/2004
Cutting Our Benefits, Dean Baker, In These Times, 1/3/2005
Just a Little Maintenance, Robert M. Ball, Washington Post, 7/18/2004
Inventing a Crisis, Paul Krugman, New York Times, 12/7/2004
Congrats to our local elected Democrats!
Here are some excerpts from a speech given by Howard Dean at George Washington University after the 2004 election.  Read the whole thing here. 

Here in Washington, it seems that after every losing election, there's a consensus reached among decision-makers in the Democratic Party is that the way to win is to be more like Republicans.
I suppose you could call that philosophy: if you didn't beat 'em, join them.
I'm not one for making predictions -- but if we accept that philosophy this time around, another Democrat will be standing here in four years giving this same speech. we cannot win by being "Republican-lite." We've tried it; it doesn't work. […] - We cannot be a Party that seeks the presidency by running an 18-state campaign. We cannot be a party that cedes a single state, a single District, a single precinct, nor should we cede a single voter.
As many of the candidates supported by my organization Democracy for America showed -- people in places that we've too long ignored are hungry for an alternative; they're hungry for new ideas and new candidates, and they're willing to elect Democrats.[…]

There are no red states or blue states, just American
states. And if we can compete at all levels and in the
most conservative parts of the country [like we
successfully did in this last election], we can win ...
at any level and anywhere.

People will vote for Democratic candidates in Texas,
and Alabama, and Utah if we knock on their door,
introduce ourselves, and tell them what  we believe.

There is another destination beyond strong finances, outreach, and campaigns.  That destination is a better, stronger, smarter, safer, healthier America. 

An America where we don't turn our back on our own people.  That's the America we can only build with conviction.

When some people say we should change direction, in essence they are arguing that our basic or guiding principles can be altered or modified.

They can't.

WHY AM I TALKING ABOUT HOWARD DEAN?

The Democratic National Committee is holding its elections in Feb, and ICTH solidly endorses Howard Dean as the best candidate for the job.  We believe that Dr. Dean has the experience to lead the party in a solid direction.  We believe that Dr. Dean has the ethics to ensure that we hold true to our democratic and Democratic ideals.  We believe that Dr. Dean has the courage to speak the truth, even when it is unpopular. 

The committee that selects the next DNC chair includes some Ohioans.  Give them a call and ask them to stand up for a Democratic Party that’s true to its morals:

Dennis White (Ohio Dems chair)
(614)221-6563 x128
William Burga (Ohio AFL-CIO chair) (614)224-8271
Lloyd Mahaffey (UAW region 2B)
(419) 893-4677
Senator Mark Mallory (614)466-5980
Rhine McLin (937)333-3636
Representative Stephanie T. Jones (216) 522-4900

PRIORITIES

Deaths caused by terrorists on U.S soil since 1999: about 3,000
Deaths caused by the drug Vioxx on  U.S. soil since 1999: 25,000-55,000
Budget of Homeland Security Department: $30 billion
Budget of Food & Drug Administration: $1.8 billion
Insert Catchy Title Here is a community publication created by, well, me.  This communication is not endorsed (or paid for) by any party or candidate.  It’s all me.  This is being sent to registered voters in Dayton districts 20B (and starting this issue, 20D), and some other people I hand it to.  It’s also available on the Web.  Please pass this along to others, talk about it with friends, families, and co-workers.  Peace be with you and yours.  - Steve
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