[Peace-discuss] Fw: ] GP RELEASE Greens protest Obama proposals that would dismantle Social Security, public housing

Mon May 31 08:38:53 CDT 2010

----- Original Message ----- 
From: David Sladky 
To: undisclosed-recipients: 
Sent: Monday, May 31, 2010 2:24 AM
Subject: ] GP RELEASE Greens protest Obama proposals that would dismantle Social Security, public housing

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott McLarty <scottmclarty at yahoo.com>
To: media-states at lists.gp-us.org; media-a-v at lists.gp-us.org
Sent: Mon, May 31, 2010 2:15 am
Subject: [GP-US a/v] GP RELEASE Greens protest Obama proposals that would dismantle Social Security, public housing

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Monday, May 31, 2010

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, cell 202-904-7614, 
mclarty at greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene at gp.org

Greens protest Obama Administration proposals that would dismantle Social 
Security, public housing

• Obama is adopting the GOP agenda on privatizing public resources and services, 
say Greens

• Green Party Speakers Bureau: Greens available to speak on Social Security, 
housing, and related economic topics
http://www.gp.org/speakers/speakers-social-security.php
http://www.gp.org/speakers/speakers-housing.php
http://www.gp.org/speakers/speakers-economic-justice.php

• The Green Party's 2010 Annual National Meeting, Detroit, Michigan, June 24-27 
http://greenpartymeeting2010.wordpress.com
Media credentialing page: http://www.gp.org/forms/media
More information: 1-866-41-GREEN, office at gp.org

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Obama Administration's current plans to roll back Social 
Security and mortgage off all public housing amount to privatization schemes to 
dismantle public services, said Green Party candidates and leaders.

"President Obama is trying to accomplish what Republicans have long dreamed 
about -- privatizing public services and resources," said Rick Staggenborg, MD, 
Oregon Pacific Green Party candidate for the US Senate (http://staggenborgforussenate.org).  
(Dr. Staggenborg is founder of Soldiers For Peace International and a member of 
the Alliance For Democracy National Council.)

President Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform is 
expected to recommend cutting Social Security for future retirees, and the 
president himself has said "everything has to be on the table."  The commission 
is stacked with conservatives hostile to Social Security.

As William Greider noted in The Nation, "The Republican co-chair, former Senator 
Alan Simpson, is especially nasty; he likes to get laughs by ridiculing wheezy 
old folks. Democratic co-chair Erskine Bowles and staff director Bruce Reed 
secretly negotiated a partial privatization of Social Security with Newt 
Gingrich back when they served in the Clinton White House..." (May 21, 2010, 
http://www.thenation.com/article/whacking-old-folks).

Greens dispute the Wall Street propaganda that Social Security's cost has 
expanded the deficit and thus requires cuts.  In fact, Social Security's huge 
surplus of $2.5 trillion will grow to $4.3 trillion by 2023 and can cover all 
benefits until 2040.  Any shortfalls can easily be reversed through a modest 
raise in the cap on Social Security contributions from the wealthy.

"Cutting Social Security will force more people to invest in the volatile Wall 
Street casino, which would create billions more in profits for financial firms 
but wipe out the savings of millions of Americans," said Alfred Molison, Texas 
Green candidate for Houston City Council (http://votealfred.com).  "Fiscal 
conservatives on Capitol Hill and financial industry lobbyists have long sought 
to kill Social Security, a program that has saved millions from destitution.  
They know that Social Security has been both solvent and popular, so they're 
using concerns about the deficit, rants about big government, and legitimate 
fears about the recent economic meltdown to persuade the public to accept 
dangerous Social Security reforms."

See "Bush is Sowing Confusion About Social Security" (Green Party press release, 
February 22, 2005, http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_02_22.html) and "Achieving a 
Leninist Strategy," a 1983 article published by the Cato Institute that 
recommends steps to destroy Social Security (http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj3n2/cj3n2-11.pdf#search='Achieving%20a%20Len/inist%20Strategy').  
See also "Social Security 'reform' doesn't protect the young, hurts us all" by 
Joan and Merton Bernstein, May 28, 2010 in The Huffington Post 
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ashley-b-carson/social-security-reform-do_b_593313.html).

The Obama Administration's Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has 
submitted legislation to Congress (PETRA, the Preservation, Enhancement and 
Transformation of Rental Assistance Ac) that would privatize public housing and 
allow the new owners to impose 10% above the market rate in the rental fees for 
poor tenants, to be covered mainly by taxpayers.  (See a report on HUD Secretary 
Shaun Donovan's May 26 statement, http://www.realestaterama.com/2010/05/26/hud-secretary-donovan-issues-statement-on-hud-effort-to-transform-rental-assistance-ID07208.html)

New owners would also be allowed take out a mortgage for building repair and 
maintenance, with no cap on interest rates, which would create more 
taxpayer-funded profits for banks.  If the government reduces its assistance for 
tenants because of budget cuts and the property goes into foreclosure, the banks 
can sell off the property to developers.

"HUD's proposal would quickly become a program to dismantle public housing and 
funnel tax dollars to top lending institutions," said Lisa Green, Green 
candidate for the California State Assembly 2010, 53rd District 
(http://www.votelisagreen.net).  "It will drive up the rent for needy residents 
and send many out onto the street.  It would also push up rental fees for other 
renters.  We're already seeing efforts by Democrats and Republicans in municipal 
office to privatize schools, libraries, parks, public housing, and other 
resources for the benefit of real estate companies, developers, and other 
wealthy interests who contribute to political campaigns."

"That's why we need loud public protest.  And we need to elect Greens, many of 
whom have been fighting privatization schemes at the local level.  Unlike 
Democrats and Republicans, Green candidates don't accept corporate campaign 
checks," added Ms. Green.

See "HUD is Trying to Privatize and Mortgage Off All of America's Public 
Housing" by George Lakoff (Common Dreams, May 21, 2010, http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/05/21-1).

"Like Bill Clinton, Barack Obama is acting in the tradition of Democratic 
presidents who've surrendered to the demands of Wall Street by enacting major 
planks of the GOP agenda," said Nicholas Ruiz III, PhD, Florida Green candidate 
for Congress, District 24 (http://intertheory.org/nriiiforcongress2010.html).  
"President Clinton signed largely conservative, excessively corporatist, 
Republican legislation into law: NAFTA, the Welfare Reform Act, the 
Telecommunications Act, the Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, the 
anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act, along with unreasonably large increases in the 
military budget.  Mr. Clinton adopted Newt Gingrich's rhetoric about 'big 
government,' which means less protection for people and more government handouts 
for corporations.  President Obama has already signed an arguably Republican 
health care bill into law -- since Obamacare is based on earlier GOP proposals 
for mandates.  With the Republicrat duopoly
 fighting for corporations and their royalist aristocracy, that leaves the Green 
Party to fight for We The People."

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
• Green candidate database and campaign information: http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
• Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Green Party ballot access page http://www.gp.org/2008-elections
• Green Party Livestream Channel http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus

The Green Party's 2010 Annual National Meeting, Detroit, Michigan, June 24-27 
http://greenpartymeeting2010.wordpress.com
Media credentialing page: http://www.gp.org/forms/media
More information: 1-866-41-GREEN, office at gp.org

Green Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the United 
States
Winter 2010 issue now online
http://gp.org/greenpages-blog

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