Etheridge: Rural Voters Oppose President's Social Security Plan

News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

June 24, 2005

Contact: Joanne Peters
Phone: (202) 225-4531

Etheridge: Rural Voters Oppose President's Social Security Plan

Etheridge, National Leaders Unveil New Poll Results

WASHINGTON - On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) joined Barbara Kennelly, president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), and U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, in releasing the results of a ground-breaking poll showing that rural Americans are opposed to President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security.

"The President's plan to privatize Social Security is out of step with the values of rural America," said Etheridge. "It rewards the greed of Wall Street and sacrifices the values of Main Street. Instead of standing up for our rural communities, the President's Social Security plan jeopardizes the most important safety net in rural areas for retirees, widows and children, and the disabled."

The poll, conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, found that rural voters who supported President Bush over John Kerry (57 percent to 37 percent) in the last election oppose his plans for changing Social Security by a margin of 53 percent to 39 percent. This is believed to be the only poll conducted specifically of rural Americans on the issue of Social Security since President Bush announced his effort to privatize the retirement program during his State of the Union Address in February.

"Rural Americans understand better than anyone just how critical Social Security is to families and communities," NCPSSM's Barbara B. Kennelly said. "Rural communities depend on Social Security tremendously and have made it clear they do not want to trade their guaranteed benefit for private accounts. These survey results confirm what working Americans have been telling us for months...they do not want private accounts. It's time the President and Congress listen to that message and consider legislation designed to strengthen Social Security, not dismantle it."

The survey found that:

Seventy-one percent of rural voters say that Congress should wait and develop a different plan for Social Security rather than approve Bush's proposals, while just 16% want Congress to pass the Bush plan.
More than three-fourths (78%) of rural voters feel that Social Security is consistent with their own moral values.
Just 27% consider Bush's Social Security proposals to be consistent with the values held by people in their community, whereas 61% report that these proposals are out of step with rural values.
By 60% to 33%, rural voters reject the notion of allowing people to invest some of their payroll taxes in private investment accounts, with an offsetting reduction in guaranteed benefits.
By an even more decisive 62% to 27%, rural voters oppose the President's proposal to reduce benefits for future retirees with earnings of more than $20,000 while maintaining benefits for lower-income workers.