Survey of Gubernatorial campaign websites, 2001-2009: on Social Security

Jack Markell: Golden Years Guarantee: live at home; financial security

I believe strongly that senior citizens’ golden years should be the best years of their lives, and should not be ruined by having to decide whether to buy food or medicine or worrying about their retirement savings. That’s why I have proposed this Golden Years Guarantee, a three-part plan to provide senior citizens will receive the quality medical care they need, ensure they will be able to live in their homes as long as they want and to encourage seniors to continue making valuable contributions to our society.

As Treasurer, I have started programs to help aging Delawareans. My AARP-endorsed Consumer Tool Chest was created to equip senior citizens with financial security tools, and my “Go Direct!” campaign encourages seniors to protect themselves fro financial crimes by direct-depositing their social security checks.

As Governor, I promise to take every step necessary to improve the health, safety and financial stability of Delaware’s senior citizens, our state’s fastest growing population.

Source: 2008 Gubernatorial campaign website, markell.org, “Issues” Nov 4, 2008

Joe Manchin III: $14M for senior services, most money ever

Dedicated more money than ever before to senior services
$10 million for the Aged and Disabled Waiver
$1 million for Alzheimer's Respite Care
$150,000 to the West Virginia Elder Watch program
$3.7 million for in-home services & nutrition
Doubled the senior citizen refundable property tax credit
Developed the only state-sponsored call center in the country dedicated to helping seniors understand the Medicare Prescription Drug Program

Source: 2008 Gubernatorial campaign website, for re-election Nov 1, 2008

Mike Beebe: No diverting social security dollars into private accounts

Our Social Security program is not only our most successful domestic program. Do we need to strengthen social security? Absolutely. But, strengthening this vital program does not need to take the shape of diverting social security dollars into private accounts to fluctuate with the stock market. We can’t jeopardize the guarantee seniors depend on. We need to ensure that all workers have Social Security--this crucial, dependable, inflation-protected pension that has been guaranteed since 1935. Source: 2006 Gubernatorial website, www.mikebeebe.com, “Issues” Nov 7, 2006

Sarah Palin: Fund the Seniors Longevity Bonus Program

I support funding our Seniors Longevity Bonus Program so the program can phase out on schedule, in agreement with public discussion years ago. The program was declining and it was a shame to see our esteemed pioneers face broken promises when they were prematurely lopped off the program. I also support home and community based assistance programs, which are more cost effective than institutional alternatives and also allow seniors to stay in their homes and communities with dignity. Source: 2006 Gubernatorial website, palinforgovernor.com, “Issues” Nov 7, 2006

Chris Gabrieli: Invest state pension reserve in stock & bond portfolio

The Massachusetts Pension Reserve Investment Trust (PRIT) is an investment fund established to invest the assets of Massachusetts public employers. The PRIT Fund was created by the Legislature in 1983 and its goal is to reduce the Commonwealth’s unfunded pension liability and to assist local communities in meeting their pension obligations. The net assets of the Fund currently total over $32 billion.

The Fund seeks to reduce the liability by investing these funds in a diversified portfolio of investments ranging from real estate to stocks and bonds, and international investments.

In 2003, working with State Treasurer Timothy Cahill, and a team of investment experts from McKinsey and Co. Chris led a project to determine whether the state pension fund could apply a small portion of its assets toward economic development projects in our Commonwealth without hurting investment performance or sacrificing returns.

Source: 2006 Gubernatorial campaign website, gabrieli.org, “issues” Jun 4, 2006

The above quotations are from Survey of Gubernatorial campaign websites, 2001-2009. Click here for definitions & background information on Social Security. Click here for other issues (main summary page). Click here for more quotes by Linda Lingle on Social Security. Click here for more quotes by Jim Douglas on Social Security.
*Candidates and political leaders on Social Security:*
*Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:* GA:Chambliss(R) IA:Harkin(D) MI:Levin(D) MT:Baucus(D) NE:Johanns(R) OK:Coburn(R) SD:Johnson(D) WV:Rockefeller(D) *Resigned from 113th House:* AL-1:Jo Bonner(R) FL-19:Trey Radel(R) LA-5:Rod Alexander(R) MA-5:Ed Markey(D) MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R) NC-12:Melvin Watt(D) SC-1:Tim Scott(R)	*Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:* AR-4:Tom Cotton(R) GA-1:Jack Kingston(R) GA-10:Paul Broun(R) GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R) HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D) IA-1:Bruce Braley(D) LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R) ME-2:Mike Michaud(D) MI-14:Gary Peters(D) MT-0:Steve Daines(R) OK-5:James Lankford(R) PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D) TX-36:Steve Stockman(R) WV-2:Shelley Capito(R)	*Retired House as of Jan. 2015:* AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R) AR-2:Tim Griffin(R) CA-11:George Miller(D) CA-25:Howard McKeon(R) CA-33:Henry Waxman(D) CA-45:John Campbell(R) IA-3:Tom Latham(R) MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R) NC-6:Howard Coble(R) NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D) NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R) NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D) NY-21:Bill Owens(D) PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R) UT-4:Jim Matheson(D) VA-8:Jim Moran(D) VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 02, 2018