Ten demonstrators, one of them symbolically wrapped in a plastic chain, protested outside U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro’s office calling to “take off the table” cutting social security benefits.
They in particular took aim at a proposed new way of calculating cost-of-living increases for monthly social security checks: a so-called “chained CPI” (Consumer Price Index) that links purchases made over a period of months to seek a more precise accounting of changes in what it costs to make ends meet. Proponents say the change would not just produce a more accurate basis for increasing benefits, but would also help rein in costs in order to keep social security solvent. Opponents argue that the change would cut benefits too much to too many people and that social security doesn’t need shoring up right now. (Click here for a story detailing both sides of that discussion.)
The demonstrators spent the noon lunch hour Thursday at Elm and Orange outside DeLauro’s Third Congressional District office.
Paul Bass Photo
Henry Lowendorf and Megan Iorio (pictured) criticized President Obama for even raising the question of social security cutbacks in the context of budget deficit talks with Republicans, since social security doesn’t affect the deficit. They said instead of cutting benefits, the government should raise the cap on income that gets taxed for social security.
“That means that people who make less than $100,000 a year pay more of their salary into social security,” Iorio said.
Then she opened a package of Ironman brand decorative yellow plastic chain to wrap around fellow demonstrator Francis Baunlich.
In a statement released by her office, DeLauro agreed with the demonstrators’ call for lifting the taxable-income cap. She also agreed with their opposition to chained CPI. She cosponsored this bill to that end.
“The last thing we should be doing is cutting into seniors’ hard-earned social security benefits, especially when so many of them are already struggling to get by,” DeLauro said. “I have consistently opposed efforts to cut social security benefits, including moving to Chained-CPI. We should be strengthening social security by lifting the cap on payroll taxes, not punishing people who rely on the program for their retirement.”
The demonstrators were asked why they chose to picket outside DeLauro’s office.
Lowendorf said they want DeLauro to speak up more forcefully on the subject: “Stop being cautious. Speak. She needs to tell Obama, ‘Take that off the table.’”
I always assumed there was some rational method linking SS payment increases to something like the Consumer Price Index. Since the article doesn't really go into why this amounts to a cut for seniors I ask neutrally, what is unfair about this? What's the current system for cost of lving increases?