Social Security is a lifeline for millions of Americans. It is one of our proudest historical achievements, this promise from one generation to the next that we will care for those who came before us. Last week we celebrated Social Security's 75th anniversary, and in commemoration I stood with House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman, Sandy Levin, and signed the Medicare Pledge. In doing this, I committed to oppose all efforts to privatize Social Security, divert any funds to private investment accounts, or cut benefits -- a promise I did not make lightly.
The day after I signed this pledge, my opponent, former banking lobbyist Steve Stivers, announced that he also opposes privatizing Social Security. You know, it would be great if this were true, but it's just one more example of political doublespeak -- saying one thing to the public and another when you don't think anyone else is listening.
The truth is, Stivers' campaign is being bankrolled by organizations that have waged a ten year crusade to destroy Social Security: the National Federation of Independent Business -- which Karl Rove praised as "walking hand-in-hand with the Bush Administration" -- and Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform. These groups are working overtime to make sure that their friend Steve goes to Washington, and we all know that when it's time to vote, they're going to call in their favors....
Is Stivers, a former "top" bank lobbyist, according to the Columbus Dispatch, telling voters one thing and the anti-Social Security special interest donors something entirely different?
ProgressOhio has this revealing news:
Republican Candidate Steve Stivers’ office refused to accept a pledge, in which, the signer would agree not to privatize Social Security.
A member of the Alliance for Retired Americans and I attempted to drop off a pledge to the Republican Candidate’s campaign office. We were let into the building and given directions to Mr. Stivers’ office. My ARA friend stated, when greeted by the staff, that we were with ProgressOhio and were dropping off a pledge for the Candidate to sign. A staff member immediately told us to take our camera out of the building. I informed the office that we would go and asked if the office would accept the Social Security pledge before we left. Mr. Stivers’ staff refused to listen.
Acquiescing to their request we made our way to the exit. A staff member chased us out to the door repeatedly stating that he was calling the police and asking how did we get in. Responded truthfully, we informed him we were let in and directed to the office. Our last effort to state our purpose while exiting the building was ignored.
Is Stivers, a former "top" bank lobbyist, refusing to sign a pledge to protect and not privatize Social Security? Guess we know where he stands.
* According to WCMH, channel 4, Kasich says that he'll kill the 3-C Rail project if he is elected. If Kasich wins, that means that the millions of dollars that would have been used in Ohio would be sent to another state. Those 6,000+ construction jobs would go somewhere else as well.
Kasich has not been elected but he has publicized his plans to privatize the Ohio Department of Development (400 state employees would be fired). With Kasich's plan to cancel the 3-C Rail project, 6,000+ jobs would disappear. Election day isn't even here yet, but Kasich is already killing 6,400+ jobs.