WASHINGTON–The Concord Coalition Citizens Council published a pamphlet
today that will help everyday citizens ask candidates for Congress
vital questions about the federal budget, Social Security, and Medicare
during the 1998 campaign season.
WASHINGTON–The Concord Coalition Citizens Council published a pamphlet
today that will help everyday citizens ask candidates for Congress
vital questions about the federal budget, Social Security, and Medicare
during the 1998 campaign season.
The pamphlet, titled "10 Questions Voters Should Ask Their
Candidates" includes questions about the federal budget, specific
Social Security reform options, Medicare reform, and an extra credit
question asking candidates to explain why the national debt continues
to rise while the federal government is supposedly running a budget
surplus.
"Many candidates hope they will not be asked tough questions about the
federal budget, Social Security, and Medicare during the campaign
season," said Concord Coalition Citizens Council Executive Director
Martha Phillips. "Well-informed voters can use exchanges with the
candidates to find out where they really stand on some of the hardest
choices that face our nation, or whether the candidates have thought
about these difficult issues at all."
The "10 Questions Voters Should Ask Their Candidates" include:
- 1. In order to meet the spending limits established in the
Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Congress will need to reduce total
discretionary spending over the next four years by 10% after inflation.
If you are elected, what cuts would you propose?2. This year’s unified budget surplus, and the projected surpluses
over the next 10 years, are only possible by counting surplus Social
Security income. Given this fact, do you support using the budget
surplus for either tax cuts or new spending programs?3. Do you support raising the payroll tax rate or the wage base
on which the tax applies as part of a comprehensive Social Security
reform plan?4. Do you support gradually raising the retirement age as part of a comprehensive Social Security reform plan?
5. Do you believe that the present method of calculating annual
cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) overstates inflation, and if so,
should the COLA be scaled back as part of a comprehensive Social
Security reform plan?6. Do you support applying a graduated means test to benefits as part of a comprehensive Social Security reform plan?
7. Many people are suggesting that workers would have higher
retirement income, and families would be better able to acquire some
wealth, if they were allowed or required to save even a small portion
of their Social Security taxes in individually owned accounts. Do you
believe that such accounts should be part of a comprehensive Social
Security reform plan?8. If it is decided in the future that individual accounts
should play a role in Social Security–no matter how small or
large–what safeguards would you recommend against risk and depletion
of assets?9. A bipartisan Medicare Commission is currently meeting. Since
most experts agree that Medicare is in worse financial shape than
Social Security, what reforms would you recommend to the Commission?10. The nation’s personal savings rate continues to decline.
Since economic growth depends on productivity gains, which in turn
depend on investment capital, what would you support to encourage
Americans to save more?EXTRA CREDIT: Despite all the talk about budget surpluses, the national debt continues to go up. Please explain why.
Each Concord question is followed by background information. "Some
candidates might try to get by with glib, well-rehearsed 15-second
‘sound bites’ instead of giving detailed, specific answers that put
issues clearly out on the table," said Phillips. "The background
information will allow voters to ask good questions and know when they
have gotten a simplistic or evasive answer."
According to Concord Coalition Citizens Council National Field
Director Harry Zeeve, the "10 Questions" pamphlet will be distributed
to voters in all 50 states by grassroots members of the Council. "Our
grassroots members know they must change the political wind direction
in Washington," said Zeeve. "Voters must challenge candidates to put
the national interest ahead of any short-term political gain."
The Concord Coalition Citizens Council, a non-partisan
grassroots citizen organization, believes that the federal budget
should be balanced without using the Social Security surplus and that
America should begin to prepare now for the fiscal challenges our
country will face once the huge "baby boom" generation leaves the
workforce and begins to collect Social Security and Medicare benefits.
MEDIA ADVISORY: Click here to read the text of the "10 Questions Voters Should Ask Their Candidates" brochure.
