Advocates Tell Shopping Senator to Save Social Security
Feature Story by archives.civilrights.org staff - 5/18/2005
Sen. Bill Frist, R. Tenn., spent approximately $200 more on two pairs of shoes last week than a senior earning about $37,000 per year until retirement would receive per month under the Bush administration's Social Security privatization proposal, according to Americans United to Protect Social Security.Sen. Frist's shopping trip last Friday took him to a shoe store right below the Americans United offices, where he was spotted by the group's staffers.
As he bought two pairs of shoes totaling $530, nearly 50 people--staffers and bystanders--demonstrated against Sen. Frist's support for the president's plan to privatize Social Security.
President Bush's proposal to ensure longevity for the plan contemplates creating a voluntary program where beneficiaries could invest part of their payroll taxes into private investment accounts.
Civil rights groups argue that President Bush's plan would unfairly penalize women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities
At one point while trying on shoes, Sen. Frist walked outside the store in stocking feet to talk to the protesters, who were chanting and waving signs reading "Hands Off My Social Security." The group's spokesman called the exchange "cordial for the most part."
According to Americans United's calculations, the average guaranteed monthly Social Security benefit today for seniors who had earned about $37,000 per year during their working years is $922, as compared to the $313 they would receive under the Bush privatization plan.
Sen. Frist's shoes cost $235 and $295, respectively.
The cost of the parking ticket that the majority leader's security detail received for double parking was unknown, however.
