San Francisco,CA-Oct 24 SF Labor Council teach in on proposed cuts to Medicare & related programs

Medicare in the Crosshairs Social Security Next Monday, 7pm, October 24 Plumbers Union Hall, 1621 Market St., S.F. (5 blocks from Civic Center BART station) A Teach in sponsored by the San Francisco Labor Council Dear Healthcare Activist, I hope you can attend the San Francisco Labor Council's Teach In on the looming cuts to cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. On August 2, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Budget Control Act of 2011, which will ensure at least $2.4 trillion dollars in deficit reduction. A Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (JSC) will deliver a report on November 23. We expect cuts to our earned healthcare programs will be proposed. At the Labor Council's teach in, we will also discuss how labor and the community can respond to the proposed cuts. See leaflet below. Download leaflet here. We encourage you to forward this alert. And we need your help building the meeting. Please let us know if you can attend, if you can help staff the teach in, and if you can help call our phone tree. ___ I plan to attend the October 24 Teach In. ___ I can help sign people in on October 24. ___ I have forwarded this alert. ___ I can help call our phone tree. I can send you local phone numbers and a suggested script. Some people take 10 names, some 25, some more. Let me know how many calls you can make. ___ I would like to make a financial contribution to help Single Payer Now build this event. To make a contribution, click here. Or you can send a contribution to Single Payer Now PO Box 460622 San Francisco, CA 94146 Thank you, Don Bechler Chair – Single Payer Now 415-695-7891 www.singlepayernow.net MEDICARE IN THE CROSS-HAIRS SOCIAL SECURITY NEXT? Politicians' Consensus: Cutting Medicare-Medicaid is the #1 Budget Target - President Obama just proposed a $248 billion cut in Medicare as a starter & another $72 billion in Medicaid cuts. - Obama indicated on September 19, he will support cutting more than $320 Billion if Republicans agree with him on taxes. - Vice-President Joe Biden last June, offered Republicans to cut $400-$500 billion in Medicare-Medicaid. - Republicans last April, proposed raising seniors' out-of-pocket costs for Medicare by $7,000 per year. - The 'Supercommittee' of 12 in Congress said last week they want to cut even more than Obama proposed. They will report 'how much' more on November 23. - Congress will vote on how much more in Medicare-Medicaid cuts before December 23. How Much Will Your Medicare Be Cut? How Much More Will You Have to Pay? Come Hear the Facts Open Discussion to Follow SAN FRANCISCO LABOR COUNCIL TEACH-IN MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2011, 7:00-8:30pm Plumbers Union Hall, 1621 Market St., S.F. (5 blocks from Civic Center BART station) SF Labor Council Education Project - Information, call delegates Hene Kelly 415.533.5244 & Carl Finamore 415-829-3816 Printed & Endorsed - LL1781, IAMAW, AFL-CIO OCTOBER 24 TEACH-IN SPEAKERS Education project of the San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO Plumbers' Hall, 7pm, 1621 Market St., SF 5 blocks from Civic Center BART Dr. Jack Rasmus Professor of Economics, Santa Clara University; former National 1st Vice-President, Natl. Writers' Union, UAW 1981; former CWA Local 9415 Vice-President and organizer for SEIU 715 and HERE 19. Member AFT Local 1474 and lecturer, labor economics, Univ. of California, Berkeley Tom Rankin Former president (ret) of 2.1 million member California Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; Treasurer, California Alliance of Retired Americans (CARA) Hene Kelly Vice-President & Legislative Director, California Alliance for Retired Americans; Chair, Calif. Federation of Teachers' Retirement Comm.; Sgt. At Arms, San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO SOME FACTS ABOUT MEDICARE & SOCIAL SECURITY (All data cited below from the 2011 Medicare and Social Security Trustees' Reports) - Social Security has a $2.4 Trillion Surplus, $3.7 Trillion by 2024; - Medicare's Hospital Trust Fund has a $272 Billion Surplus; - The Hospital Trust Fund is projected to grow faster than expenditures over the next 10 years with Income growing 6% and Spending 4.9%; - The 2010 Affordable Care Act already reduces Medicare costs; - Medicare's Doctors' Fund (Part B) is projected to have a $100 billion surplus by 2020; - Medicare's Prescription Drug Fund (Part D) income is projected to cover all costs by 2020; - The Doctors' and Prescription Drug have never been financed by payroll taxes; and - According to Social Security Trustees, a mere 0.5% Medicare payroll tax (0.25% each for worker and employer) added to the current 2.9% Medicare payroll tax would cover all projected Medicare cost increases for the next ten years; another 0.5% levied in 2021 covers all costs for the second ten years to 2031; - Spending will decline thereafter as users of Medicare decrease along with the decline in the 'boomers' population. Printed & endorsed by LL1781, IAMAW, AFL-CIO

Single Payer Now survives on the generosity of our supporters. Please consider making a donation. www.SinglePayerNow.net | 415-695-7891 | dbechler@value.net