On July 3rd, Sharon Lockhart hosted a gathering of progressives at her home in Leawood. The Tallgrass Activist was there. This “Patriot Picnic,” hosted by Sharon, is an annual 4th of July fundraiser for the American Friends Service Committee . It was a nice opportunity for this Lawrencian to connect with some progressive Kansas City soul mates. The backyard barbecue was a good opportunity to not only enjoy the company of other progressive thinkers, but to also discuss some ways we can come together across a wider area of Missouri and Kansas to take action. Believe it or not there are a lot of us. In fact, there are, I believe, probably more people on the progressive side of the political spectrum than there are in the Tea Party movement.
It was nice to have some discussions about organizing with (amongst other people) activists such as Dee Berry (Health Care for All), Ben Kjelshus (Green Party), and Sharon Lockhart, a well know activist in JOCO. This is a good time to begin some political action. The current assault on Social Security, ongoing wars, environmental degradation, mean-spirited Republican attacks on poor, middle-class, and unemployed people, and a generally corrupt, wasteful health care system have progressives angry and just plain sick and tired of being sick and tired.
In their effort to slash the safety net for the elderly, billionaires such as Peter G. Peterson and their lackies in and out of government (e.g., at the Kellogg and MacArthur Foundations, in the U.S. Congress, at Harvard University, in the media, and amongst the deficit reduction commission appointed by President Obama) will probably provide the immediate catalyst for a major “coming together” in the progressive movement. Progressives should provide the lead in opposing the cruel and unfair safety net slashing that will be “on the table” soon after the next election. This is one we can win!!
Don Kosmicki, Dave "Tallgrass Activist" Kingsley, Dee Berry, & Ben Kjelshus (Standing) Candy Gray & Rev. Rob Amerine (Sitting)
The Effort to Gut Social Security and Medicare = there are a bunch of anti tax dollar people that want to channel YOUR tax dollars to corp america the largest of the tax dollar leeches.
*What impact would a Wall Street plan have on the national debt regarding Social Security?
Unless taxes are raised, the government(taxpayers) would have to borrow up to $4 trillion over the next 20 years to make up the money that is drained out of the system by private accounts. Social Security privatization will raise the size of the government’s deficit to nearly $700 billion per year for the next 20 years, almost tripling the size of the national debt.
*How will the rest of the U.S. economy be affected if a privatization plan is enacted?
Put simply, moving to a system of private accounts would not only put retirement income at risk–it would likely put the entire economy at risk.