An Iowa Labor Perspective on Human Rights Day
by Jerry Messer
(Editor's Note:The following letter was submitted to the local Quad City newspapers, who declined to print it. One of Blog for Iowa's responsibilities is to give a voice to progressive issues when the corporate media will not).
In 1948, in the wake of a horrifying global war that rose out of the Great Depression and resulted in the death of tens of millions of people, the United Nations passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On Friday, December 10th, the anniversary of its passage, we recognized International Human Rights Day and call attention to Article 22 of the charter which reads, “Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization…of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.”
But Social Security in the U.S., a program that for 75 years has successfully kept millions of seniors out of poverty, is again under threat from politicians who would solve our budget crisis by raising the retirement age and decreasing benefits.
Here are some key facts about Social Security:
Social Security keeps 15 million seniors out of poverty.
U.S. already has the highest retirement age at 67.
Social Security has not added a dime to our deficit or total debt.
Social Security is 100% solvent (takes in more than it spends) for the next twenty six years – then it’s still 80% solvent for another 60 years after that.
Instead of cutting benefits or raising the retirement age, Social Security’s solvency can be secured for decades simply by raising the cap on taxed income from $106,000 to $125,000, then indexing the cap to inflation.
Raising the retirement age also affects young people’s employment – if older workers cannot retire, young people cannot get into the job market.
The level of youth unemployment is now above 27% (51% for 16-24 year olds) – this is the highest since records began to be kept in 1978.
Social Security is not just for seniors: it protects you and your family if you become disabled. A 20 year old worker has a 30% chance of dying or becoming disabled before they reach retirement age.
Social Security provides more benefits to children than TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income) programs.
Social Security remains the only comprehensive retirement plan for workers – currently only 59% of full-time workers can get a retirement plan at work.
Half of Americans do not have retirement savings outside of Social Security, and of those who do, half have less than $45,000 saved.
U.S. already has the highest retirement age at 67.
Social Security has not added a dime to our deficit or total debt.
Social Security is 100% solvent (takes in more than it spends) for the next twenty six years – then it’s still 80% solvent for another 60 years after that.
Instead of cutting benefits or raising the retirement age, Social Security’s solvency can be secured for decades simply by raising the cap on taxed income from $106,000 to $125,000, then indexing the cap to inflation.
Raising the retirement age also affects young people’s employment – if older workers cannot retire, young people cannot get into the job market.
The level of youth unemployment is now above 27% (51% for 16-24 year olds) – this is the highest since records began to be kept in 1978.
Social Security is not just for seniors: it protects you and your family if you become disabled. A 20 year old worker has a 30% chance of dying or becoming disabled before they reach retirement age.
Social Security provides more benefits to children than TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income) programs.
Social Security remains the only comprehensive retirement plan for workers – currently only 59% of full-time workers can get a retirement plan at work.
Half of Americans do not have retirement savings outside of Social Security, and of those who do, half have less than $45,000 saved.
Our debt crisis was caused by two unfunded wars and the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy that cost more than the bank bailout or the Stimulus Plan. It was not caused by America’s seniors.
This Human Rights Day and this Holiday Season, stand up for the rights of seniors to retire with dignity, for young workers to enter the job market, and for widows and children to not suffer extraordinary debt as they mourn the loss of a loved one.
~Jerry Messer is President of the Quad City Federation of Labor.
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