10 Facts Obama Doesn't Want You to Know About His Social Security Slashing Budget Plan

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/10-facts-obama-doesnt-want-you-know-about-his-social-security-slashing-budget-plan

***SNIP

1. Of course it’s a benefit cut.

Chained-CPI defenders say it’s not a benefit cut, just a slowdown in the rate of the benefit’s planned increases. That’s a silly semantic game unworthy of serious leaders or analysts. The Social Security benefit, as laid out on the Social Security Administration’s website, includes adjustments designed to keep pace with the rising cost of living.

***SNIP

2. Of course it’s a tax hike.

Same goes for the tax impact of the chained CPI. Our tax brackets were designed to make sure that taxes didn’t go up inadvertently because inflation kicked them into a higher tax bracket. That was done to make sure that people who weren’t earning more in real dollars – which includes many (if not most) of the “99 percent” – weren’t hit with an unearned tax hike.

***SNIP

3. And it’s a tax hike for everybody but the wealthy.

In fact, it’s a tax hike on all but the highest levels of income. The richest earnings won’t be affected because they’re already in the highest tax bracket.

***SNIP

4. You could save much more money in other, better ways.

***SNIP here’s what isn’t being done:

Close capital gains loopholes: $174 billion.
End the Bush tax cuts at Obama’s original $250,000 level, rather than the compromise $400,000 number: $183 billion.
Cut overseas military bases by 20 percent: $200 billion.
Negotiate with drug companies: $220 billion.
Enact “Defense-friendly” Pentagon cuts: $519 billion.
End corporate tax loopholes (without being “revenue neutral,” as the President’s proposing): $1.24 trillion.
Enact a financial transaction tax on the folks who ruined our economy: $1.8 trillion.

[madokie]

1. You need to direct this to the republicons in the house and senate

They are the ones who are stopping any of this from happening, not Obama or the Dems. Well most of the Dems anyway.

[sendero]

2. Sure..

.... it's all their fault that Obama doesn't even PROPOSE sensible changes.

[madokie]

5. The pukes are going to be against any and all things Obama

Why can't you see that. Its as plain as the nose on my face that whatever he proposes they are going to go after with a vengeance. So in that case what to do, exactly as he has been doing.

Hating on the President is not helping.
It has nothing to do with playing a game, everything to do with common sense.

[sendero]

6. I totally agree...

.. that the Repugs are stonewalling. I DO see that. What I DON'T see is how throwing SS under the bus helps ANYTHING AT ALL.

[madokie]

9. If he had not

done as he has done concerning cpi the pukes were going to shove that down our throats. Actually their track record indicates what they would have done would have been much worse.
Obama is not a dumb ass as many on the blogs want to make him out to be. On almost every single issue he has out flanked the pukes. His track record shows that.
check out health care. If he would have been openly pushing for single payer there would be no way we would ever get that, as it is he played it cool and that is still very possible now.

[TheKentuckian]

18. Yup, outflanked them by implementing the Heritage Foundation's Romney/Gingrich-care

He played it cool and now the insurance cartel is too big to fail and backed up by the full credit of the United States!

YAY!

[madokie]

20. Tell you what you believe as you may

Its all Obama's fault on everything and was from the get go. I got ya!

[Skittles]

27. LOL

don't forget your ball!

[jeff47]

23. Then why on earth propose this?

If Republicans are going to hate it no matter what, how does proposing blowing a giant hole in Social Security help?

[madokie]

24. Let me see if I can get this through to you

If he hadn't the pukes were going to. In other words he headed them off at the pass. Now we don't have to worry about it happening because they are not going to go along with anything that Obama wants.
Is that so hard to understand?

[jeff47]

37. So...not paying attention to what Republicans have actually done then?

Even the Ryan budget busts it's ass to protect Social Security for current seniors.

And let's pretend your first sentence is right. So what?

1. Republicans propose gutting social security.
2. Republicans are crushed in the next election since they just alienated their only remaining demographic.

So even if your theory that it's a jiu-jitsu maneuver to prevent Republicans from proposing the idea, it means Obama is helping the Republicans.

Again, there is no up-side for Obama and the Democrats in this proposal.

[Cal Carpenter]

35. Criticizing policy is not the same as hating on the president.

[Scuba]

3. I don't recall seeing anything where the Dems are pushing for our needs.

Just ceding ground before the negotiatins begin.

[madokie]

7. For an example

Look at the vote taken yesterday. Two, three weeks ago reading here you would have thought that the world was coming to an end concerning background checks. All that hate, all that fear was mis directed as it is on this ccpi. Hide and watch for when the dust settles and see if I'm wrong on this or not

[Melissa G]

8. +1

[Pholus]

14. And that worked out so well last time.

Our only real progress working with republicans occurred when we had them by the scruff of their neck over a gaping chasm of fire where it was plain that they were going to lose big if they didn't roll. And roll they did. Quickly.

Preemptive surrender has not worked yet ONCE despite being the President's opening gambit every time.

[ljm2002]

31. Please list the names...

...of the Republicans who forced President Obama to include chained CPI in his proposed budget.

[forestpath]

4. K&R

[dmosh42]

10. Keeps the billionaires money in the 'low' brackets, as always!

[Botany]

11. Yup!

<The Social Security cut doesn’t reduce the deficit.

Social Security doesn’t contribute to the deficit, since it’s funded separately. In fact, it’sforbidden by law from contributing to the deficit.

It doesn’t even belong in these negotiations.>

[deutsey]

22. That's what is so freaking frustrating

[Logical]

12. You must not understand 24 dimension chess! Or rope-a-dope! n-t

[Skittles]

28. don't you get it? Obama proposing it FIRST makes repukes lose interest in it!!

Now that Obama "WANTS" those cuts, repukes will never go for them!! IS THAT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND?

[fasttense]

13. Obama is NOT running for reelection

He no longer needs to worry about us voters. So, what does he do? He proposes a middle class tax hike and turning Social Security into a welfare plan that cuts benefits (and does NOT reduce the deficit). It is what a RepubliCON President like bush would do.

He proposed this, he approves of this. All RepubliCONS need do is wave Obama's budget proposal in the air during the next election cycle to depress Democratic voter turnout. Great plan Democrats.

[RKP5637]

15. If, the budget goes through, in 2014 and 2016 Obama will

be touted as the president who cut your SS. The dems will lose significantly in 2014 and 2016. Americans often look at actions, not words. IMO he is making a grave miscalculation. Better to stand ones ground on this one.

[abelenkpe]

16. +1000

[global1]

17. Reverse Psychology......

One good thing that is coming of all of this Chained CPI talk is that the cable news networks are talking about SS now. I just heard on CNN where they just said that SS has nothing to do with the deficit. They even played the Ronald Reagan clip where he said that. They also showed PBO making the promise that he wouldn't touch it and then Bernie Sanders now saying to the press that PBO needs to keep his promise.

So bottom line - PBO's budget and its mention of CCPI is finally getting the cable news networks to say all those things that we've been wanting them to say but haven't been. Why?

Because like someone else posted in this thread - the Repugs and the corporate press do exactly 180 degrees what the President suggests. If he says - protect SS - they say - it has to be cut.

Now that he is saying ok - we'll do it your way - we'll make some of the cuts you suggested we do - they are now saying the complete opposite.

Looks to me PBO finally might have figured out he should use 'reverse psychology' to get what he wanted in the first place.

I admit that I may have judged PBO to harsh when I first heard that he was including CCPI in his budget proposal. I was even more furious when he came out Wednesday and actually did it. But now 2 days after his announcement - I beginning to see that the press and even the Repugs are now against any changes to SS.

Looks like PBO is getting them all to eat their words. I know the jury isn't completely in on this yet. We have to wait and see if this actually gets accepted and passed. But right now - its looking to me that the tide is turning and that this proposed cut to SS - the CCPI - will be shot down by both sides of the aisle and maybe we will have some legitimate dialogue to getting where we need to be on a budget.

Time will tell.

[midnight]

19. Leaving aside the fact that Social Security doesn’t affect the deficit-here’s what isn’t being done:

Close capital gains loopholes: $174 billion.
End the Bush tax cuts at Obama’s original $250,000 level, rather than the compromise $400,000 number: $183 billion.
Cut overseas military bases by 20 percent: $200 billion.
Negotiate with drug companies: $220 billion.
Enact “Defense-friendly” Pentagon cuts: $519 billion.
End corporate tax loopholes (without being “revenue neutral,” as the President’s proposing): $1.24 trillion.
Enact a financial transaction tax on the folks who ruined our economy: $1.8 trillion.

Thanks for this article....K&R

[kentuck]

21. That was in his "ideal" proposal...

But he decided to go straight to the dessert...

[woo me with science]

25. K&R

[smirkymonkey]

26. +1000

This just burns me to no end.

[avaistheone1]

29. k&r

[treestar]

30. Those are arguments, not facts

And how is Obama managing to hide them?

[jsr]

32. No truer words

[ProSense]

33. President Obama's Tax Proposals in his Fiscal 2014 Budget Plan

Here's what is being done.

President Obama's Tax Proposals in his Fiscal 2014 Budget Plan

<...>

Here are the percentage changes in federal taxes that Obama proposes over the upcoming decade by type of tax:

■ Personal income taxes, mostly on the wealthy, would go up by 4 percent.

■ Corporate taxes would increase by 1 percent.

■ Excise taxes would increase by 10 percent.

■ Estate and gift taxes would go up by 40 percent.

In total, federal revenues would increase by 2.8 percent over 10 years.

Except for the excise tax increases (mainly almost a $1 per pack tax hike on cigarettes), most of the President’s proposed net tax increases would fall on the very well off.

- more -

http://ctj.org/ctjreports/2013/04/president_obamas_tax_proposals_in_his_fiscal_2014_budget_plan.php

http://ctj.org/images/2013/obamafy2014budget.pdf

More on the President's Budget:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022660318
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022656561
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2657822

[Quantess]

34. K&R

[sabrina 1]

36. The COLA needs to be raised, it is entirely too little right now.

I guess we have to depend on Republicans for now to reject this insane idea. Of course now that they conned the WH into offering SS cuts, asking for them, then slamming the President for 'hurting seniors', it will be much easier for them to go after SS in the future and they will use offer by a Dem president to justify their own attacks on SS. But they will wait until after the 2014 election. Until then, they will slam Democrats for 'trying to lower the deficit on the backs of Seniors'.

[PufPuf23]

38. kr