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Don Rowen, a retired past vice president of the Iowa Federation of Labor, wants legislators to abandon plans to privatize Social Security. On Friday, he celebrated the 70th anniversary of the program with a protest of plans for changing it.
RICK CHASE / Courier Staff Photographer
RICK CHASE / Courier Staff Photographer
Saturday, August 20, 2005 6:05 AM CDT
Labor group joins protest of Social Security proposal
WATERLOO --- Opponents of President George Bush's plans to privatize Social Security celebrated the program's 70th anniversary Friday with a birthday cake and slogan, "cut the cake, not the benefits."
The Iowa Citizen Action Network staged the birthday party protest outside the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center Friday, where the Iowa Federation of Labor was about to start the final day of its state convention.
"Social Security is the most successful program in the United States the last 70 years. If we have anything to say about it, it will be for the next 70 years as well," said Betty Ahrens, co-executive director of the Iowa Citizen Action Network.
Standing at the corner of West Fourth and Commercial streets, the assembled group, mostly union members attending the convention, drew a few honks of support from passing cars and pickup trucks.
A white birthday cake carried the "cut the cake, not the benefits" slogan in red and blue icing. A modified version of Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" substituted for a happy birthday song with lyrics such as "If you get sick and become disabled, this plan puts food on your family's table. It's our insurance and not a gamble."
Following the rally similar cakes were delivered to the local offices of Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Jim Nussle.
Eric Hungerford, a Kirkwood Community College student, is worried that privatized Social Security will increase the national debt and decrease benefit payments.
"It's clear that as I am about to enter the work force, it is me and other young Americans who would be most hurt by this plan. If privatization were to pass, I could expect to see a cut of, on average, $152,000 in benefits over the life of my retirement," Hungerford said.
Hungerford issued a plea to Grassley and Nussle to not support efforts to privatize the system.
Ahrens said Grassley and Nussle have "enormous influence" on the process and need to work against Social Security changes proposed by Bush.
Don Rowen, a retired IFL executive, said he has been promised Social Security changes won't affect him, but he's concerned about others who will depend on the program in the future.
"I'm insulted and outraged that in a great democracy like ours, my elected leaders would ask me to sit on the sidelines while they propose to take away from my children, grandchildren, neighbors and friends the very program that has served my generation so well," Rowen said.
Contact Jon Ericson at (319) 291-1461 or jonathan.ericson@wcfcourier.com.
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