[NYC] Mark Weisbrot Talk on Social Security, March 20, Staten Island

[Ruth Indeck <soapbox@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

To URPE Members and Friends,

Economy Connection has been providing speakers on Social Security to
activists and radio stations. We invite you to attend a discussion
Sunday with Mark Weisbrot, co-author with Dean Baker of "Social
Security: The Phony Crisis," hosted by the Unitarian Church of Staten
Island.

Ruthie Indeck


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Sunday March 20, 1:00 - 3:00 pm

WHAT'$ WRONG WITH $OCIAL $ECURITY?
A Fair and Balanced Look

Mark Weisbrot, Center for Economic & Policy Research

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Ongoing Public Forum Series at the Unitarian Church of Staten Island
312 Fillmore Street, one block east of Snug Harbor
Creative community dialogue on vital current issues

Directions to Church <http://www.uuforum.org/directions.htm>

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The Issue

Everyone's talking about Social Security. And for good reason: probably
no other social issue will have such a direct effect on our lives in the
coming years.

A great deal of heated rhetoric is being generated. "The gloves are
off," said a recent newscast just the other day, "between proponents and
opponents of the Bush Administration's plan to revamp Social Security."

The purpose of this forum is to generate light rather than heat on this
vital issue. Fortunately, it's an economic issue, and very specific
questions can be answered quite plainly, supported by numbers, charts,
and graphs. Among the questions that will be addressed:

     * How long can the Social Security system continue to pay guaranteed
       benefits at the current level?
     * How does the past performance of the Social Security system
       compare to President Bush s predictions?
     * What size increase in Social Security taxes, if any, would prevent
       the benefit cuts of the Bush proposal?
     * How would such a Social Security tax increase compare to past
       increases?
     * How much would such a Social Security payroll tax increase affect
       the future wages of young workers?
     * Are there workable alternatives to funding Social Security other
       than through payroll taxes?
     * What percentages of guaranteed benefits would the Bush proposal
       cut over time?
     * How would the Bush proposal affect guaranteed benefits for for the
       neediest, lowest-wage workers?
     * Would the Bush proposal ever phase out the Social Security system
       completely?
     * Would the Bush proposal cost more or less to administer than the
       existing Social Security system?
     * What would be the effect of "inflation indexing" under Bush s
       proposed "Plan 2?"
     * Can individual investments be reasonably expected to cover the
       benefit cuts of the Bush proposal?

The Speaker

Mark Weisbrot received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of
Michigan. He is co-author, with Dean Baker, of Social Security: The
Phony Crisis (University of Chicago Press, 2000), and has written
numerous research papers on economic policy. He is currently Co-Director
of the Center for Economic and Policy Research
<http://www.uuforum.org/cepr.net> in Washington, D.C. He writes a weekly
column on economic and policy issues that is distributed to over 550
newspapers by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Information Services. His opinion
pieces have appeared in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the
Boston Globe, and most other U.S. newspapers. He appears regularly on
national and local television and radio programs, and has been a guest
on ABC World News Tonight; CNN, C-SPAN Washington Journal; Fox News;
NPR's Morning Edition, Diane Rehm Show, and Kojo Nnamdi Show; Newshour
with Jim Lehrer; BBC-TV World News and other programs.


Format: half speakers presentation, half audience discussion.
All responsibly expressed viewpoints are welcome.
No reservations needed, but pew seating limited to first hundred.
Additional seating in adjoining library at back.
Suggested freewill donation $5 - no one turned away.
Coffee hour and refreshments follow in the Parish Hall.
<http://www.uuforum.org/pdfs/mar05.pdf>

Directions to Church <http://www.uuforum.org/directions.htm>

Sponsored by
SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE, UNITARIAN CHURCH OF STATEN ISLAND
312 Fillmore Street, one block east of Snug Harbor, Staten Island NY 10301
phone: (718) 447-2204 email: uucsi@xxxxxxx <mailto:uucsi@xxxxxxx>
Church web site:http://www.ucsi.ny.uua.org