Matt Kibbe
FreedomWorks
Mar 21, 2007

Key Vote "Yes" on DeMint Stop the Raid Amendment

Sends notice to U.S. Senate.

Dear Senator:

On behalf of nearly 850,000 FreedomWorks members nationwide, I respectfully urge you to VOTE YES on Amendment #489 to the Budget Resolution offered by Senator Jim DeMint to Stop the Raid on the Social Security Trust Fund.

As many Americans now know, Social Security currently runs a surplus, but will begin to run a deficit by about 2017. What many have been surprised to learn is that Congress is spending the current Social Security surplus spend on whatever it wants—whether it is the $3,000,000 the federal government gave to the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation or the $1,700,000 it paid for the International Fertilizer Development Center. In exchange for these surplus dollars—about $449 billion total between 2008 and 2012—Social Security gets special IOUs that are legally and financially worthless.

It is critical to fix this broken system and Senator DeMint’s “Stop the Raid” proposal takes an important step forward by ensuring that the Social Security surplus is saved using real assets (not more government IOUs) and begins the transition to a partially funded retirement system.

Lawmakers that are serious about addressing America’s impending Social Security crisis and saving the system for future generations should support the Stop the Raid proposal.

We will count your vote on Amendment #489 as a KEY VOTE when calculating the FreedomWorks Economic Scorecard for 2007. The FreedomWorks Economic Scorecard is used to determine eligibility for the Jefferson Award, which recognizes members of Congress with voting records that support economic freedom.

Sincerely,

Matt Kibbe
President and CEO
FreedomWorks

wcbronco
August 2, 2009 - 10:15am
Not only should we stop the raid on the Social Security Trust Fund, we the taxpayer, and "owner" of the government should demand that all FICA payroll taxes go directly into the trust fund, and forbid by law the use of, and or borrowing by the government for any use other than originally intended. The social secuity administration should then be allowed to contract with professional money managers to invest those assets for a reasonable, risk controlled return for current ,and future beneficiaries. Once on sound footing, we can then have the debate of "privatizing" the social security system on the basis of personal choice. Do I wish to to be included in the program as is, or do I wish to opt out in total or in some lesser percentage. Isn't that the basis of our national founding? Personal choice and therefore personal responsibility of the outcome, and its consequences. Some unintended consequences could come from this. Since congress would no longer have access, or the ability to spend FICA taxes, we may actually get some real budget reform. By the way, we have other trusts, such as the highway trust fund that could benefit from similar financial footings.