Friday, April 27, 2012

Scott Peters Will Fight to Protect Social Security and Medicare, Strengthen Them for Future Generations

Scott Peters Will Fight to Protect Social Security and Medicare, Strengthen Them for Future Generations



San Diego, CA – Today the Scott Peters for Congress campaign set the record straight about his plans to strengthen Social Security and Medicare after his Democratic opponent grossly misrepresented his position.   

“We’ve got to balance the budget, but we’ve got to do it the right way.  Simply put – we can’t let Washington try to balance the budget on the backs of seniors and the middle-class.  We must protect Social Security and Medicare.  Period.  It’s a right seniors have earned after a lifetime of hard work and paying into the system.”  

“We’ve got to get back on the road towards a balanced budget, but it’s going to require a new approach -- like eliminating corporate loopholes that defy common sense.  It’s time to end taxpayer subsidies to the oil companies – at a time when they’ve never been more profitable.”  Peters said. “Protecting critical priorities while finding new and innovative ways to balance the budget -- that was my record on the city council, it’s my record with the Port Commission, and that’s the type of approach I’ll bring to Congress.” 

While with the City Council, Peters set in motion a plan that reduced the overall cost of the pension program while preserving the benefits already paid for by city employees.  Protecting and strengthening programs like Social Security and Medicare will require a similar approach. “I’m the only candidate in this race that has actually fought to save pensions for employees and partnered with workers to strengthen benefits, while reducing their overall cost.” 

Peters added, “I’ve taken this same approach on the Port Commission. When we were faced with a budget deficit, we cut our workforce by 15%, without layoffs or litigation, mostly through eliminating unnecessary management and executive positions and by combining departments.  We’re actually saving and creating more jobs and it’s costing less money. I’m really proud of this accomplishment, and it’s exactly the approach that would bring results in Washington.”

“When you compare Scott’s record of accomplishment to the Saldaña campaign’s trail of lies and misinformation, the choice is clear,” said Peters Communications Director MaryAnne Pintar. “Lori Saldaña’s false accusation regarding Scott’s position on Social Security and Medicare is just plain wrong; and frankly, her decision to misrepresent the truth on this both pathetic and sad. We're taking our message directly to the voters, and we’re confident they’ll know which candidate will fight for them, and more significantly, which candidate actually gets results. Scott is the candidate who not only gets it, but gets it done,” she said.

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