Grand Bargain or Raw Deal?

Many elderly Americans are close enough to poverty’s edge that Social Security cuts of any size could push them over the brink. — By Peter Hart Following the government shutdown drama, politicians in Washington appear hopelessly divided, according to conventional wisdom. Fair

Rep. Amodei Hath Become Sharron Angle

Our federal government is being held hostage by a band of Republican extremists who want to radically reshape our country. But while Republicans have made high-profile attempts to defund President Obama’s signature healthcare law, that’s not their only target. Fifty House Republicans,

Exploited by Your Tax Dollars

The federal government supports more U.S. low wage jobs than McDonald’s and Walmart put together. By Martha Burk McDonald’s really stepped in it this summer when the fast food empire created a budget for its underpaid employees to help them make ends

House GOP-led Social Security Cmtee Proposing to Cut Benefits for Current Seniors, Veterans and the Disabled!

Draft legislative language released by the House Social Security Subcommittee last night would cut benefits for millions of middle-class and poor Americans still struggling in this economy by adopting a new formula to calculate cost of living adjustments.  Read more about the

In the News—What I’ve Been Reading

Dean Baker | Economists and Future Living Standards Dean Baker, Op-Ed: At this point everyone has heard the story of how Social Security and Medicare are going to bankrupt our children. There is a whole industry dedicated to promoting the idea that

Yes Indeedee, It’s Confirmed: GOP ‘IS’ Out of Touch

GOP Report Shows Party is Out of Touch With Americans on Threats to Democracy: Money in Politics and Voter Suppression The Republican National Committee released a report on Monday reviewing its losses in the 2012 election cycle and laying out a roadmap

Will ‘Compromise’ Mean Sacrificing Our Social Safety Net?

— by Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary under President Bill Clinton Disturbing reports that the White House is already caving on Social Security and Medicare — telling Republicans it’s willing to cut yearly inflation adjustments to Social Security (thereby stranding seniors who

Fixing the Budget by $6.2T over 10 years

— by Connect the Dots USA on Facebook Instead of attacking struggling seniors, veterans, children and the working poor by slowing the inflation growth rate of an average $1,200/month Social Security check, shifting more healthcare costs to 65 and 66-year-olds and their employers, or slashing