Faneuil Hall Hosts Fiscal Cliff Rally

BOSTON/Faneuil Hall--As fiscal cliff talks ambled along in Washington over 500 union members activists and others flocked to Faneuil Hall demanding no cuts to Social Security or Medicare and higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans. The crowd which packed tightly into the venerable Great Hall heard from US Representatives John F. Tierney (D-MA 6th) and Mike Capuano (D-MA 8th) along with several local citizens and activists from diverse organizations including 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East Massachusetts Senior Action Council and the Greater Boston Labor Council. The main theme of the event was clear: Enough is enough; no corporate welfare at the expense of vital services and programs. "The rich need to pay their fair share " said John Murphy of Carpenters Local 40. "The CEOs the banks Wall Street have taken too much from the working class and it's time—it's time—to take this country back ... Voting is just not enough not anymore." The action came as part of a coordinated effort by a coalition of labor unions liberal pressure groups and community organizations nationwide in an effort to bring attention to the fiscal cliff debate and highlight the myriad failings of the deficit proposal advanced by the CEO Fiscal Leadership Council—whose members include some of the wealthiest and most powerful business leaders in the nation including the CEOs of General Electric Goldman Sachs Boeing and Honeywell among others. Dubbed a “nationwide day of fiscal cliff action ” similar gatherings were held across the country. Spending on Medicare Medicaid and related programs represents about a 20 percent of the federal budget while Social Security spending accounts for roughly 21 percent. Medicare Medicaid and Social Security have a combined enrollment of over 140 million according to the latest statistics. In a new report by former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Christopher Cox and Bill Archer former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee however the pair show that while the government's deficit this year stands at $1.1 trillion and the national debt at $15.96 trillion the projected gap between future benefits and future tax collections known as the unfunded liability is $20.5 trillion while the unfunded liability for Medicare is $42.8 trillion. Many observers believe Social Security can be made viable by a slight increase in future retirement eligibility ages adjustments to the inflation measure used to calculate benefit increases or by subjecting incomes over $113 700 to the Social Security tax. Medicare on the other hand is widely viewed as a much tougher task as far as attaining financial sustainability. Congressman Capuano alluded to the fact that adjustments to Social Security and Medicare may be inevitable but insisted these tough decisions don't have to be made at the expense of the workers and the middle class. “America was built on the backs of the middle class and working people and I will tell you that you deserve to be represented in Washington ” Rep. Capuano told the gathering. “We understand we have some tough decisions but there are ways to make tough decisions that don’t have everything flowing downhill and raining on the people at the bottom of the hill.” Representative Tierney echoed his counterpart’s sentiments before taking the opportunity to land a quick jab across the aisle. “Did we not make it clear enough that we would not balance this budget on the backs of people in the middle class?” Asked Congressman Tierney rhetorically. “Last August $1.2 trillion was cut from these programs (Social Security Medicaid) we all rely on to build a strong middle class to support people who are struggling ... [John Boehner and Eric Cantor] would like to take us back to that point of [being] on the precipice. That’s why they keep talking about this cliff.” Noticeably absent from the two local legislator’s comments was any mention of the CEO Fiscal Leadership Council proposal which takes a ruthless “cuts first” approach to resolving the budget standoff that has many advocates outraged. Other speakers however showed no such restraint. “These CEOs are the same guys who tanked the economy and now we want their advice?” Asked Richard Rodgers Executive Secretary Treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council. “If you ask me they should all be under indictment.” Among the major issues with the CEO Fiscal Leadership Council proposal is the idea that the CEOs backing this approach—who received a combined $41 million in personal savings last year by virtue of the Bush-era tax cuts—now have the gall to urge austerity measures upon the American people through what the Institute for Policy Studies has labeled a “trojan horse” deficit proposal which would implement a territorial tax system and could see companies involved with the "Fix the Debt" campaign collect as much as $134 billion in potential windfalls. If implemented the territorial tax would permanently exempt foreign earnings from federal income taxes. “We will not stand idly by and allow the fiscal cliff to be exploited as a means for more corporate welfare ” said Veronica Turner Executive Vice President of SEIU local 1199 in a press release distributed to local media outlets prior to the rally. “Healthcare workers support a revenue first approach because the patients we care for rely on Medicare and Medicaid—and because investing in these services will create jobs and economic stability for the whole region.” The importance of government-funded programs such as Medicare and Medicaid can’t be overstated and this position was backed up by the large contingent of seniors who made the trek to Faneuil Hall for the rally. “We want to put a face on this for the public ” said senior advocate John Bennett in a press release. “We can’t afford to be invisible in this debate. This isn’t just about Washington D.C. this is about real people ...” President of the Mass. Senior Action Council Ann A. Stewart said the recent elections demonstrated the will of the people is with the protesters. “The election proved voters are firmly against cuts to Medicare Medicaid and Social Security ” she said in a press release. “At the same time there is this CEO group calling for a cuts-first approach and we think their stance is hypocritical and bad for the economy.” Following the speaking program participants donned signs and placards and joined hands in protest outside Faneuil Hall chanting "jobs not cuts!" The action was aimed at reminding holiday shoppers at Quincy Market of the impact cuts to earned benefit programs could have on those who depend on them. Bookmark/Search this post with: Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Reddit Newsvine Facebook Google Yahoo Technorati