Downright <$NoAd$> criminal.
Just out from the Times …
Over the objections of many of its own employees, the Social Security Administration is gearing up for a major effort to publicize the financial problems of Social Security and to convince the public that private accounts are needed as part of any solution.
The agency’s plans are set forth in internal documents, including a “tactical plan” for communications and marketing of the idea that Social Security faces dire financial problems requiring immediate action.
Social Security officials say the agency is carrying out its mission to educate the public, including more than 47 million beneficiaries, and to support the agenda of President Bush.
But agency employees have complained to Social Security officials that they are being conscripted into a political battle over the future of the program. They question the accuracy of recent statements by the agency, and they say that money from the Social Security trust fund should not be used for such advocacy.
They transgress every limit, every rule. Now the Armstrong Williams episode turns out to have been just a blip on the radar, a faint premonition. Your payroll taxes and the whole edifice of the Social Security Administration is being joined to Karl Rove’s outside astroturf groups pushing the Social Security phase-out. Or, I guess you could say that your payroll taxes are being used to cheat you out of what you’ve spent the last decade or two or three paying them for.
Gives a whole new meaning to raiding the Trust Fund.
The White House is intent on making this into a fight about what the country is. So the battle is joined.
Here’s the page the Social Security Administration says to use if you have a complaint.
How does Senator McCain feel about this? Congressman Leach? Senators Chafee and Specter and Snowe?
One more thought: As we’ve tried to show in the last few days, when you dig down into the Social Security Administration website you find a wealth of information which directly contradicts the lies coming out of the White House. How much longer you figure that stuff’s going to stay there? Perhaps some handy folks should start doing some quick site archiving. Call it the Memory Hole Project.
