Tell MSNBC: Correct Abby Huntsman's False Social Security Attacks
Campaign for America's Future
Thursday, TV viewers were subjected to more anti-Social Security rhetoric, this time from Abby Huntsman, co-host of MSNBC's "The Cycle" and daughter of millionaire and former Republican presidential candidate John Huntsman.
Her talking points ranged from misleadingly used life expectancy data to claims that there would be “nothing left” in Social Security for her generation. The two solutions Huntsman offered were to either cut Social Security benefits by 20 percent or to raise the retirement age to 75.
Click here to join us in demanding that MSNBC issue an on-air correction.
Huntsman’s are the same talking points dreamed up by right-wing think tanks and used time and time again by politicians and Wall Street billionaires who are trying to create a phony generational war, pitting young against old.
When Huntsman says that our options are to either cut benefits or raise the retirement age (which is simply another form of a benefit cut), she ignores that today Social Security can pay out 100 percent of benefits through 2033 and 75 percent of benefits through 2087.
The simplest solution to the problem that Huntsman overstates is to ask millionaires and billionaires to start paying into Social Security at the same rate as the rest of us. This would not only allow Social Security to pay out 100 percent of benefits owed for the next 75 years, but could also result in a benefit increase by as much as $800 per year for the average recipient.
Please join us today by calling on MSNBC to issue an on-air correction to Huntsman’s false claims.
We won’t stand by and allow right-wing talking points to serve as legitimate evidence for the need to cut our earned benefits. Stand with us as we fight to expand, not cut Social Security!
Thank you for all that you do.
Sincerely,
Roger Hickey
P.S.: Our own Richard Eskow took apart Abby Huntsman's commentary in this "Dear Abby" letter on OurFuture.org. Perhaps MSNBC could invite Richard to balance Huntsman’s extreme views?