Bob Filner: “I rise in support of our Social Security system and in opposition to radical and unnecessary plans to privatize this…”

“I rise in support of our Social Security system and in opposition to radical and unnecessary plans to privatize this system. My constituents and their families know how important Social Security is in their lives. Almost 44 million beneficiaries each year count on Social Security each and every month. It is the most successful antipoverty program in our history. We all contribute, we all benefit, and we all have a responsibility to strengthen the system for future generations. That is why I will fight to stop the push by a few special interests to privatize our Social Security system, to enshrine into law a winner-take-all, win-or-lose philosophy that would leave millions of Americans at risk. Today, nearly every family in America counts on Social Security. In years past, old age meant poverty. Social Security has changed that. For women, Social Security is particularly important. Women over 65 count on Social Security for nearly three-quarters of their entire retirement income. For people of color, Social Security is indispensable. On average, people of color have lower lifetime earnings and fewer pensions. As a result, for more than three-quarters of all older African-American and Latino households, Social Security is more than half of their retirement income. When we consider that the Latino elderly population is expected to triple by the year 2030, we see that Social Security is growing in importance.”