Early November was an ominous time for many social programs, including Social Security and Medicare. The Super Committee was closing in on its November 23rd deadline and scrambling to make their $1.2 trillion mark. This meant that Social Security and Medicare were on the congressional chopping block, and seniors were not going to take it laying down. Their frustration and outright rage at lawmakers nickel and diming the elderly finally spilled over on November 7th as seniors took to the streets with the Occupy Movement in Chicago. A number of senior groups joined the protestors in Federal Plaza, including the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans.
The seniors were fearless in order to gain support for their cause, they joined the protestors as they marched a block from the park into the intersection of Jackson and Clark. They achieved their goal by bringing traffic to a standstill as protestors stood and sat in the middle of the intersection. Police quickly ushered protestors off the street and issued over 40 citations, however the seniors and protestors would not be discouraged. Many said they would do whatever it took to ensure their benefits weren’t cut. They scoffed at the idea jail, saying that would be a small price to pay to ensure there were no cuts to Medicare and Social Security. "People are already living on starvation amounts of money. It's not time to cut," said protester Tom Wilson.
Seniors are finding support among other politicians as well. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin said:
Social Security has served America for over 70 years. Let's stand behind Social Security and make it strong.
Representative Danny Davis, that represents the 7th district of Illinois echoed Durbin’s thoughts saying: “Get your hands off Social Security. Get your hands off Medicaid. Don't mess with Medicare."
It is clear that the seniors’ message is heard and supported. This is evident by the failure of the Super Committee to reach any kind of deal on November 23rd.It is now a matter of holding politicians’ feet to the fire, making sure they stand by their words and their constituents. "We are citizens too. We vote too," said Ruth Davis, one of the protesters in Chicago.
The overall outcry from protestors garnered the attention from lawmakers. Many agree, now is not the time to cut. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) came to speak at the protest, admonishing Washington for trying to balance the budget on the back of seniors. This month, joining the Alliance Retired Americans and the Strength Social Security campaign, Schakowsky unveiled a report titled The High Cost to Illinois of Raising the Medicare Age. The report details how increasing the retirement age to 67 negatively impact on the state, costing individuals; businesses and the State of Illinois a whopping $524 million more in the first year alone. The answer to the states’ and country’s debt problems are not rooted in social programs.
Congress should remember that as the 2012 elections are around the corner, and senior issues promise to be a key campaign issue.
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