Privatization Pep Rally

[Max Sawicky]

>There is on the table a proposal to hike the retirement age to 70 or more.
>This would engage the AARP because corporate America is eeking these middle
>class people with good paying jobs out of those jobs (replacing them with
>younger, cheaper workers).  The near elderly approaching retirement age are
>increasingly concerned as to whether they will  have a job until age 65,
>much less until 70. Lets not forget that Social Security eligibility is
>linked to Medicare eligibility. When the near elderely do lose
>their jobs in
>these close-to-retirement years having to pay for health care out of their
>own pockets at exhorbitant rates is taking up every bit of savings
>- if they
>can continue to pay for it themselves at all. So upping the retirement age
>not only "saves" Social Security, it makes a dent in Medicare spending - a
>wet dream for the roll back forces.

Marta,

I agree that raising the retirement age
is noxious.  It will be useful to refer
to this as a different kind of tax increase
and benefit cut, one I expect will not be
popular.

Even so, chances are it would be phased
in over an extended period.  You probably
know the current retirement age of 65 is
already scheduled to rise to 67 by the
year 2025.  If the phase-in period for
a new increase is appended to the date
when 67 becomes effective, we are
still talking about a measure that would
only affect current workers who still
have another twenty-five years of work before
they can contemplate retirement.  We're
into the Baby Boom.

Cheers,

Max