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Thom's blog
There is nothing "grand" about Obama's "Grand Bargain"
Despite the fact that Americans want Medicare and Social Security protected, President Obama has once again included cuts to the vital programs as part of his new budget proposal. As he's done previously, the President has offered up a change to cost of living increases – called the chained CPI – which reduces benefits paid to seniors, veterans, and the disabled.
A new report from Alternet highlights several facts that the President should consider before asking the poor to bear the brunt of more budget cuts. According to the report, half of American workers are “not at all confident” that they will be financially stable in their retirement, and only 57% have managed to save $25,000 or less.
Another stunning factor in these proposed cuts is the decline of pensions in our nation, which shows that over 84 thousand pensions have disappeared since 1985. And with the decline of pensions, we saw a rise in 401(k) retirement plans, however that experiment has been a complete disaster. According to Alternet, “401(k)s are volatile, complicated, expensive, and inadequate,” and they don't provide retirement security for workers.
These are only a few of the reasons why President Obama must take Medicare and Social Security off the table. Many older Americans rely on this meager benefit to survive as they get older, and benefit reductions will only make it more difficult for them to make ends meet. There is nothing “grand” about this “grand bargain.”
Let's stand together to fight these cuts. Call the White House and demand President Obama preserve our social safety net.
-Thom
(What do you think? Tell us here.) |
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Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 9pm... Why Margaret Thatcher would applaud Obama's budget... (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT, and catch past shows on Youtube)
Need to Know: Why Margaret Thatcher would applaud Obama's budget...- Mark Weisbrot, Center for Economic Policy and Research (CEPR)  - Richard Eskow, Campaign for America's Future
Screwed: BREAKING: Exxon oil spill devastates Arkansas wetlands...- Eric Moll, Tar Sands Blockade
The Best of the Rest...
"Reality Check" - where would we be without regulations?- Taylor Lincoln, Public Citizen's Congress Watch
Daily Take: You've met the birthers...now meet the Simpson-Bowlers
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Friday's Daily Stack 
Fighting the GOP war on voting rights- Penda D. Hair, The Advancement Project
Hour Two: Bring it on Friday
Hour Three: White Supremacists to blame for high profile murders?- Mark Potok, Southern Poverty Law Center
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Monday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 3-6pm ET
Hour One: Why the billionaires are fans of chained CPI & what it means for you- Nicole Woo, Center for Economic Policy & Research (CEPR)
Hour Three: What do you do if your Dr. commits the ultimate violation of trust?- David Haynes, The Cochran Firm
And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...
The Thom Hartmann Program...your media support group for "we the people"...
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Tuesday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 3-6pm ET
"It's a special edition of 'Brunch With Bernie'...America's Senator...Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will be talking about all the important issues of the day plus he'll be answering your questions too!
And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...
The Thom Hartmann Program...your media support group for "we the people"...
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Thom's Poll
Will Republicans compromise with President Obama?
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Watch & Listen to Thom
Watch the Full "Big Picture" Show...
Full Show 4/5/13: Obama: The First Democratic President to Shoot Santa?
Guest hosts Sam Sacks and Richard Fowler are in for Thom Hartmann tonight and discuss March's poor job numbers, why Obama continues to talk about cutting social safety net programs and the fast food workers strike in New York. In tonight's "Conversations with Great Minds" Thom talks with author Susan Crawford about her new book "Captive Audience: The Telecom Industry & Monopoly Power in the New Gilded Age."
Thom Hartmann on the News: April 5, 2013
Jim Javinsky fills in for Thom Hartmann commenting on the news for Friday, April 5, 2013.
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 Would you like to help give a child with a very troubled background this feeling of peace? Thom and Louise Hartmann founded the New England Salem Children's Village (NESCV) in New Hampshire in 1979. With states delaying payment for the children they entrust to the village, they need help with cash flow. Can you help? Now on Facebook. |
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