At Blair, local Democrats hold press conference to counter President Bush

When the presidential motorcade, the long line of buses carrying audience members, and most of the protesters left the vicinity of Blair, a few high-profile Maryland Democrats set up their own press conference to voice their opposition to President George W. Bush's Social Security plan.

Bush has traveled to over half the U.S. states touting his plan that would change Social Security, which since 1940, has paid out a guaranteed check each month to Americans over the age of 66, by allowing Americans to invest their money ahead of time into the stock market or savings bonds. The plan has been unpopular nationally because of the risk involved in a program with the word "security" in it.

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), State Sen. Ida Ruben (D-Silver Spring), State Sen. Sharon Dooley (D- Takoma Park), Bruce Dunton of the Alliance for Retired Americans, 2003 Blair grad Cory Choy and Thomas Hucker, the director of Progressive Maryland all spoke at the 11:30 a.m. press conference Thursday, which was held in the Blair student parking lot.With a large "Save Our Social Security" banner and dozens of other opponents of the President's private accounts proposal behind him, Hucker led off the press conference with sharp words. He said that Bush's proposal would "explode" the national debt "by nearly $5 trillion over the next 20 years." He went on to say that the president's plan would have a "devastating impact" on seniors and on Maryland's budget.

The 60 or so opponents of private accounts that watched the press conference responded to Hucker's sharp attacks with applause. Hucker said that Social Security, as is, injects "$7.8 billion…into Maryland's economy" each year.

He asserted that Bush's plan would send 92,000 seniors — who, according to the 2000 Census, were teetering on the poverty line — into poverty. "The president's privatization plan," he said, "dramatically reduces the guaranteed benefit for all Americans — increasing senior poverty dramatically."

Maryland, Hucker said, would have to foot its 2 percent of the estimated $480 billion burden over the 75-year Social Security planning window that is spread out among the 50 states. He said, "Social Security privatization imposes a cruel new unfunded mandate on the states."Dutton spoke briefly, railing against the instability of pensions and contracts in the business world. "One person," he said, "has the right to tear up contracts and pensions and throw them in the garbage can. I thought contracts meant something." He added, "I'm getting angrier by the day."

The retiree said that he supported raising the Social Security tax cap from $92,000 to $140,000. Currently, Americans pay 6.2% of their taxable income, up to $92,000 per year, into Social Security.

He called on the "rich" to foot the bill on a $140,000 cap, mentioning that "Bill Gates and someone making $93,000 pay the same amount in Social Security."

As a union representative, Dutton said, "I worked 36 years representing some of the lowest paid workers. The rich need to support them, not the other way around."

Choy, now a rising junior at New York University, said that he heard earlier this week that President Bush was coming to his alma mater. "I called and said, 'Can I get a ticket in my old school?' They said no."He also mocked the promotion of Bush's Social Security events as "town hall meetings," where only pre-approved supporters are allowed in.

"I drove down today from New York at 3 a.m. to let [Bush] know that we disagree with his plan for social security," Choy said to applause. He left the podium to an ovation when he said, "Bush carted in two buses of [Republican National Committee] interns to my home school! And I'm here to say, Mr. Bush, as real Blair students, we disagree with you!"

Duncan, who is expected to run in Maryland's 2006 gubernatorial race, said that President Bush, with his plan, is willing to leave seniors behind. "Social Security is the biggest thing we've done to lift seniors out of poverty. When President Bush talks about an 'ownership society,' what he really wants is an 'on your own society.'"

Duncan explained, "'If you're rich enough for health care,' [Mr. Bush] says, 'that's great. If not you're on your own. If you're able to invest properly in private accounts,' he says, 'that's great. If not, you're on your own.'" He ended by saying that all seniors need a guaranteed social security check, and that "we stand as Americans committed to helping everyone, so we all can teach the American dream."

Sen. Ruben said that in proposing to introduce personal accounts into Social Security plan, "President Bush is sending everyone up a tree."

Hans Riemer, a representative from Rock The Vote, who gave out "I Love Social Security" posters in support of the protesters' cause before their rally in the morning, criticized the "town hall" inside Blair. "Inside, there were no questions from young people…no opportunity for other opinions" other than those in support of private accounts, he said.

Sen. Dooley said, "This is what democracy looks like," referring to the protesters and press conference. She slammed what went on inside the school, saying it was a "town meeting without town residents."

Van Hollen called President Bush's plan "misguided," and said that Americans are becoming "increasingly skeptical about his plan." He went on to say, "[President Bush's] plan takes a guaranteed benefit and turns it into a guaranteed gamble."

Van Hollen later questioned the scheduling of Bush's event at Blair. "I find it curious that he would come to Blair when school is out." He challenged Bush to return to Blair in the fall to speak with actual students. "I want the president to come back to Blair High School when they have the whole student body," he said.

The congressman called on Bush and the Democrats to "reach a bipartisan compromise," such as the one reached when the Social Security system was tweaked in 1983, "so students at Blair High School can have security."

After the press conference, Van Hollen told reporters with reference to the "town halls", "The president has very carefully scripted these meetings."