| About 40 people in midtown Sacramento on Saturday pinned on green ribbons, interrupted speakers with indignant shouts and sat down to write their congressman about saving Social Security.
A sampling of a week's worth of Sacramento-area meetings found that the national debate over changing the 70-year-old program to allow private accounts has spread from the U.S. Capitol to the local community center.
Even though people 55 and older have been assured their benefits will be protected from any proposed changes, seniors are leading the opposition, several recent polls show.
On Thursday, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., spoke to a standing-room-only crowd in south Sacramento that included members of the Older Women's League, the Sacramento Gray Panthers and California Alliance for Retired Americans.
Citing the prospect of future insolvency, President Bush has proposed allowing workers to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes in private accounts.
But the crowd Thursday at the Paratransit Auditorium appeared strongly against Bush's plan.
Joan Lee, chairwoman of the Panthers, said older people oppose Bush's plan because "we're really the ones that know how well Social Security has done for all of us."
Wednesday night, Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Gold River, held his first town hall meeting in Elk Grove, where two-thirds of the questions from the audience concerned Social Security, said spokesman Brian Seitchik.
At a midtown meeting Saturday of the Older Women's League, about 40 people turned out to hear speeches and share their doubts over coffee.
"This matters to more people than us gray-haired folks," said Helen Rusk, president of California's AARP.
"We've committed millions to this campaign. In large numbers, this message has to be heard."
The AARP is blanketing seniors with brochures and posters urging the state's 3 million members to call or write their member of Congress in opposition to Bush's private-investment plan.
A foothills woman saw it differently.
Ann Anderson, president of the Lincoln Hills Republican Group in Sun City Lincoln Hills, accused the AARP of frightening seniors.
"It deserves a good hearing with facts, not hysteria," said Anderson, who backs taxpayers managing their own private accounts.
"I just believe in individual responsibility, smaller government and that I can do a better job than they can."
The debate could be found going on even in a line of people at a local Social Security office.
In the Folsom Boulevard branch of Sacramento's Social Security office, Pat Ardell, 62, waited for his appointment to deliver his completed paperwork.
Ardell worked all his life as a custodian.
Now, with torn rotator cuffs in his shoulders, he said he's depending on Social Security.
"It really frightens me," said Ardell as numbers for those waiting were called over the loudspeaker.
"I think they ought to keep their hands off." |
