2014 California Governor's race: on Social Security


Antonio Villaraigosa: Entitlement reform must be part of reining in debt

Villaraigosa commented on the federal budget: "We can strengthen the economy and lay the foundation for long-term middle-class job growth by reining in budget-busting programs like Social Security and Medicare now." Villaraigosa was reacting to Pres. Obama's proposed budget, which would trim entitlement spending over the next 10 years. The proposal is controversial within the Democratic Party, with some accusing the president of "dismantling" Social Security. Last year, Villaraigosa went so far as to join Fix the Debt, a committee largely made up of Fortune 500 CEOs who are pushing for Social Security and Medicare cuts.

"We have an obligation to rein in our national debt," Villaraigosa said yesterday. "Entitlement reform must be at the forefront of the solution. The cost of entitlements will only drive the national debt upward if we do not stop spending from spinning out of control."

Source: L.A. Weekly on 2014 California governor's race Apr 11, 2013

Neel Kashkari: Index for inflation; increase retirement age; means-testing

Social Security is considered the easier of the entitlement problems to address, especially if it is done early enough. According to the 2012 Social Security and Medicare Board of Trustees reports, Social Security is on significantly more sound fiscal footing than Medicare is, and addressing the Social Security shortfall is arguably more straightforward than tackling the rise in health-care costs, a significant driver of Medicare's growth. Shoring up Social Security requires some combination of modifying how benefits are indexed for inflation, increasing the retirement age, means-testing benefits and raising taxes--all without having to affect those close to or in retirement. If lawmakers were to address Social Security shortfalls now, they would be able to do so in a measured, balanced way that would not undermine its function as an essential retirement savings vehicle for millions of Americans.
Source: Kashkari Washington Post OpEd: 2014 California governor race Jun 1, 2012

Neel Kashkari: We must cut entitlements, to avoid national insolvency

The fiscal crisis in Europe has awoken Americans to the enormous challenge we face from entitlements. The promises our country has made over the past few decades, combined with changing demographics and rising costs, have put us on a path to national insolvency. Most economists agree that raising taxes cannot pay for these commitments; entitlements must be cut.
    I believe three steps are necessary for our country to embrace any meaningful proposal to cut entitlements:
  1. Our economy needs to experience sustained growth, creating good jobs, so Americans feel economically secure. It is hard for anyone to think about long-term sacrifice when they are worried about how to pay their bills today.
  2. The emotional bruising inflicted by the financial crisis needs to heal.
  3. Our leaders need to make the case for cutting entitlement spending by tapping into our shared beliefs of sacrifice and self-reliance.
Source: Kashkari in Washington Post : 2014 California Governor race Jul 26, 2010

  • The above quotations are from 2014 California Gubernatorial debates and race coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Social Security.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Jerry Brown on Social Security.
  • Click here for more quotes by Antonio Villaraigosa 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 05, 2018