I saw this over on Talking Points Memo. Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) wrote an
op-ed column in the
Yankton Press & Dakotan and has created the perfect frame for the entire Social Security debate.
"The scheme adjusts benefit levels based on consumer price indexing rather than wage indexing. This would leave beneficiaries with a smaller annual cost of living adjustment, or COLA, at a time when Medicare premiums are skyrocketing at nearly 17 percent per year. These changes and the resulting benefit cuts would apply to everyone, even people who chose not to set up a private account. Such a plan essentially results in a steep 'retirement tax' on all seniors. Such a plan is not 'reform' and it will not 'strengthen' Social Security."
More after the break -->
It is my opinion that a lot of people who would be adversely affected by any Social Security "reform" are pretty much ignoring the entire debate because its fairly hard to understand everything that is being discussed.
However, and this is something that the Right figured out a long time ago, frame anything as a "tax" and you have not only piqued their interest, but you've already made a major inroad into how they are going to decide on the issue.
Reframing "Social Security Reform" as a "Retirement Tax" just might be what is needed to get people to really understand what is going on.