| Romney Absent on Retirement Plan |
| Posted by Becky (rebecca) on Aug 16 2011 at 11:59 AM |
They Really Said It
Not only has Romney been absent on the campaign trail but it seems he’s absent on explaining his position on raising the retirement age too. At a recent community meeting in New Hampshire, the GOP frontrunner responded to a WFW activist’s question regarding the impact of raising the retirement age on workers in physically demanding occupations by stating that “I haven’t released my report about that yet but I will.” Romney supports raising the retirement age on the younger generation but admittedly doesn’t know how the raise will impact workers.
What It Really Means
According to a study by Social Security Matters "Adjustments to Social Security's "Retirement Age" sound to non-experts like a work incentive or an appropriate adjustment for much longer, healthier lives, when it is simply an across-the board benefit cut, albeit disguised, which falls heaviest on those who are in physically demanding jobs or who find themselves laid off and unable to find new employment. Also, because of age discrimination in the workplace, older workers are often forced out of the workforce and can’t find work even if they do not want to retire.
What Really Should Be Done
Social Security is the most successful prosperity program in history: it's rescued hundreds of millions of Americans from the want and fear that was once the common experience of aging, widowhood and disability. It's the collective contribution of all working America that spreads the benefits and risks and keeps the system strong. Simple, common sense solutions can ensure Social Security will be there for generations to come, without cutting benefits or endangering the solvency of the system. These include making sure high-salaried workers pay their fair share and diversifying the trust fund’s investments.