Author Archives: ssworkswa

About ssworkswa

Social Security Works/Washington is a new statewide coalition determined to defend and improve Social Security - for this generation and those still to come.

Thalia: Why Social Security Is Important To Me

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thalia-syracopoulosWhy is Social Security important to you?

Social Security enabled my parents to live modestly into their 90’s without having to call upon me and my brother to supplement their income. It enabled my grandmother, who was widowed at a young age and who paid into Social Security only from its inception to her retirement in 1960 to remain independent.

What will it mean to you, personally, if Social Security is cut or changed in any way that could reduce benefits in the future?

I have been self-employed for 95% of my working life. I have no pension and rely entirely on my Social Security and my savings. With these, I am able to live modestly without having to receive financial help from my children. If benefits were cut or changed in any way I would not be able to remain in my home, care for my partner or live modestly without asking my children for financial support. In addition, cutting or downgrading Social Security would be a betrayal of the millions who have been paying into Social Security as insurance against poverty in their old age.

VIDEO: (Don’t Wanna) Work ‘Till We Die

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Our latest Social Security music video “Work ‘Till We Die” is right here — it’s got a country/honky-tonk feel, and a catchy little chorus you’ll be humming later. Be sure to sign this letter telling the President and Congress to expand Social Security and “scrap the cap” so everyone pays the same tax rate for the same guarantee! http://bit.ly/1PfvcWi

The loudest calls for cutting Social Security come from wealthy CEOs who will never have to worry about their own retirement security.

The roughly 200 CEOs who collectively make up Business Roundtable — a business lobbying group that often pushes conservative views, including Social Security cuts — have average retirement savings of $14.5 million, according to a new report by the Institute for Policy Studies and the Center for Effective Government.

That’s about 1,200 times bigger than what the median American worker has saved for retirement a decade before the end of his or her career, according to the study. (That paltry amount is just $12,000, by the way, according to a separate report.)

But by simply requiring upper-income taxpayers to pay the same tax rate as middle-class families, Social Security’s benefits could be expanded — AND its funding would remain in balance for decades beyond the longest projections.

Social Security is funded through deductions to everyone’s paychecks. We pay in while we’re working, and then collect benefits when we retire or become disabled. But not everyone pays equally into the system: Social Security taxes are only collected on the first $118,500 earned per year. Any income above that cap isn’t taxed.

Join us to tell the President and members of Congress: it’s time to expand Social Security by ensuring everyone pays the same tax rate for the same guarantee.

For a full understanding of the report’s methodology, you can click here to read the report. [Original: Huffington Post]

Social Security & Medicare Decades of Success Celebration

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Join Social Security Works – Washington and hundreds of your Seattle friends and neighbors as we celebrate the 80th anniversary of Social Security’s, and the 50th anniversary of Medicare!

We are rallying at Westlake Park on August 8th at 1 p.m.

Speakers
Sen. Bernie Sanders, US Senate
Rep. Adam Smith, US House of Representatives
Sen. Pramila Jayapal, Washington Legislature
Hon. Kshama Sawant, Seattle City Council Member
Lynne Dodson – Secretary Treasurer, Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO
Heather Villanueva – Senior Community Strength Organizer, SEIU 775, Board member, Ingersoll Gender Center
Rebecca Saldana – Executive Director, Puget Sound Sage
Gerald Hankerson – President of Alaska, Oregon, Washington State Area Conference NAACP
Marcelas Owens – Youth leader, Washington CAN!
Hugh Foy, MD. Physicians for a National Health Plan Western Washington, Professor of Surgery, UW School of Medicine, Director of the Surgical Specialties Clinic, Harborview
Jackie Boschak – President of Washington Alliance for Retired Americans President

Entertainment
Jim Page, musician and activist
Daniel Pak of Kore Ionz
Geo Quibuyen of Blue Scholars

Social Security and Medicare are crucial tenets of retirement security. They are the most successful anti-poverty programs in the history of the US, but face unrelenting corporate attack. Join us as we celebrate Social Security and Medicare while calling on our elected officials to protect and expand these program by scrapping the cap on taxable income, adopting the caregiver credit, and using the CPI-E to calculate benefits.

Be part of a music video to help protect and expand Social Security, America’s best-loved social insurance plan!

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wtid-video-spotlightWho: Hopefully you! No previous acting experience required (thought it’s great if you have), but you should be game to try something new and fun regardless. People of all ages and backgrounds are welcome – families too!

Organizers: This video is being produced by Social Security Works – Washington and the Economic Opportunity Institute, in collaboration with Reel Grrls Productions.

What: Building on the wild success of the rap video Scrap the Cap (We’re Movin’ In), we’re seeking volunteers to appear in a country music video for a new song called: “(Don’t Wanna) Work ‘Til I Die”. Once completed, the video will be posted on social media and websites all over the country by people and organizations working to protect and expand Social Security.

When: A few hours during one Sunday in April. The exact date is weather-dependent, but will be either April 12th, 19th or 26th. Volunteers will get a confirmed date and time range with several days’ notice.

Where: Orting, WA (50 mins. south of Seattle, 30 mins. southeast of Tacoma). Exact location/address will be given to confirmed volunteers.

You’ll Need:

  1. Personal transportation to and from the location;
  2. Personal clothing (some volunteers will be asked to wear work attire, others casual/weekend clothes);
  3. A signed media release (provided when you arrive on set);
  4. To be on-site for the duration of the time specified (there will be busy times, and slack times); and
  5. A willingness to take direction as requested by the director/producer.

You’ll Receive: A really unique and fun experience, your name in the credits, and the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping protect and expand Social Security: America’s best-loved social insurance plan!

To Join In: Send an email to wtid@eoionline.org that includes:

  1. Your name(s)
  2. A photo of you (and your friends/family if they’re coming too)
  3. Your availability for each of the days noted above
  4. Best phone number to reach you

Please forward this post widely – especially to fun-loving friends who are game to try something new and enjoy being on camera!

Free public forum in Seattle on the future of Social Security

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A growing national movement to strengthen and expand Social Security is taking hold, pushing back against decades of misinformation and political attacks by opponents.

Join us for a free public forum on the future of America’s pension — Social Security — on Wednesday June 4th from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Bethany United Church of Christ (Beacon Hill). Featured speakers include: Terry O’Neill, National President of NOW; Rep. Adam Smith, D-WA, 9th District; and Marilyn Watkins, Policy Director, Economic Opportunity Institute.

You’ll get an update on the status of the Social Security system and learn about legislation that will strengthen Social Security for the remainder of this century: the “Strengthening Social Security Act” (House Resolution 3118 and Senate Bill 567).

As the nation’s most efficient, fair, secure and universal source of retirement income, life insurance, and disability insurance available in the United States, Social Security is of critical importance to every American. Join us to learn how we can work together to address the nation’s retirement savings crisis, strengthen family protections for all generations, and secure Social Security financing for generations to come.

Download a flyer here »

Free public forum in Bellingham on the future of Social Security

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A growing national movement to strengthen and expand Social Security is taking hold, pushing back against decades of misinformation and political attacks by opponents.

Join us for a free public forum on the future of America’s pension — Social Security — on Thursday, June 5th from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the Syre Center at Whatcom Community College. Featured speakers include: Terry O’Neill, National President of NOW; Rep. Rick Larsen, D-WA, 2nd District; and Marilyn Watkins, Policy Director, Economic Opportunity Institute.

You’ll get an update on the status of the Social Security system and learn about legislation that will strengthen Social Security for the remainder of this century: the “Strengthening Social Security Act” (House Resolution 3118 and Senate Bill 567).

As the nation’s most efficient, fair, secure and universal source of retirement income, life insurance, and disability insurance available in the United States, Social Security is of critical importance to every American. Join us to learn how we can work together to address the nation’s retirement savings crisis, strengthen family protections for all generations, and secure Social Security financing for generations to come.

Download a flyer (with map and directions) here »

Watch: Social Security’s Role in Solving the Retirement Income Crisis

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“We are not going to balance the budget on the backs of the elderly, the children, working families, the sick and the poor. We’re not going to do that.” – Senator Bernie Sanders 

Today, John Burbank, EOI executive director, and Dean Baker, EOI board member, joined Social Security Works, lawmakers and experts from around the country to share research and strategies for the protection and expansion of Social Security.

The event coincided with the release of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Social Security cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) – a mere 1.5% which equates to about $19 a year.  Social Security accounts for more than 90 percent of income for 40 percent of U.S. seniors and it makes up more than half of the income of 70 percent of seniors. In Washington state, Social Security provided benefits to 1,164,430 Washingtonians or 16.9 percent of residents. Social Security also lifted 395,000 Washingtonians out of poverty in 2011.

Our nation’s budget negotiators are considering disastrous proposals like the chained CPI or a 3 percent benefits cut, despite the fact that Americans widely support expanding, not cutting, Social Security – even in hyper-red states like Texas and Kentucky.  You can check out video of the full conference below. Remarks from Senator Bernie Sanders and other lawmakers start at 3:29:00.