On Wed, 6 May 2009, Doug Henwood quoted from the Note:
> Hoyer speaks at 12:30 pm ET: "Of our entitlement programs, I believe we
> would have the easiest challenge in reforming Social Security," he plans
> to say, according to advance excerpts provided to The Note. "Here, the
> options are well and widely understood. We can bring in more revenues.
> We can restrain the growth of benefits, particularly for higher-income
> workers, while we strengthen the safety net for lower-income workers.
> And/or we can raise the retirement age, recognizing that our life
> expectancy is significantly higher today. What is missing here is not
> ideas -- it is political will."
I hate to be a pollyanna, but that doesn't sound like austerity. That sounds like minor fiddling with a liberal bias.
Admittedly, he could be lying through his teeth, and it's always scarey when pols get near SS and use the word "reform." But from this list of options, it sounds on its face more like minor fiddling trying to sound like austerity to impress people.
It's a sign of our terrible political spectrum, but there's no return in the voting realm to mocking austerity and reform. So that's never going to be the way they pitch it.
Michael