Vital Class Warfare Problem 2003-03-05, 10:38 p.m. This is a complicated Social Security issue, but one that affects millions of workers. This is one that really needs to not get swept under the rug Social Security Offsets Pension offsets unfairly reduce Social Security benefits of retired public employees. Some retired public employees who survive their spouses are unfairly penalized with a pension offset that deducts an amount equal to two-thirds of their public pension benefits from their Social Security survivor benefits. Other public employees are unfairly penalized by an offset that takes away Social Security benefits they earned themselves. This loss can mean the difference between self-sufficiency and poverty. This offset has the harshest effect on those who can least afford it: widowed lower-income women who have worked hard for years. The offsets are discriminatory, unfair and need to be fixed. The Social Security Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision take away some retired public employees' benefits that they have earned, often forcing them into poverty. Public employees like educators, police officers, and firefighters should not suffer a penalty for dedicating their lives to public services. At a time of national teacher shortage, the GPO and WEP discourage talented people from entering the teaching profession. Please support legislation to repeal the Social Security Government Pension Offset/Windfall Elimination Provision (H.R. 594, S. 349). Congress needs to act on this critical issue. Tell Congress to pass the bipartisan legislation (H.R. 594, S. 349) that would repeal these offsets. To email your Congressperson, go here. For more information, go to the National Education Association. previous entries: Anyone? - 2008-01-24 Saturday Film Series at The Free Speech Zone - 2005-12-30 SLC? - 2005-12-21 Please Post - 2005-07-24 From ImpeachBush.org - 2005-06-20 New: Fill out the survey!

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