Social Security Debate Heats Up in Pennsylvania

In a battleground state with a disproportionate number of older Americans, Senator Rick Santorum's attempts to win over young people with his advocacy for President Bush's Social Security plan have faced strong opposition from retirees and those near retirement. Santorum's strategy emphasizes the importance of private accounts for young people's futures, but older Americans refuse to be shut out of the debate. The situation in Pennsylvania underscores the challenge for Republicans as they attempt to neutralize retirees by promising that their benefits would not be affected. On the ground, Democrats like Representative Allyson Y. Schwartz are appealing to seniors' strong feelings about Social Security and their skepticism about relying on the private marketplace for retirement security.

Key Takeaways:

• Senator Rick Santorum, a key Republican advocate for the president's Social Security plan, is facing opposition from retirees and those near retirement in Pennsylvania, a state with a disproportionate number of older Americans.
• The 2000 census recorded 15.6 percent of the population as over 65, a number only exceeded by Florida, making Pennsylvania a challenging battleground state for Republicans on Social Security.
• At public forums, including one at Widener University, attendees over 50 occupy a significant portion of the seats and ask negative questions about the president's plan, contradicting the Republican strategy to mobilize younger people in support.
• Representative Allyson Y. Schwartz, a Democrat, has seen intense opposition to the president's plan at grass-roots level in the state, including at a meeting at the Jewish Community Center-Klein Branch in Northeast Philadelphia.
• Top Republicans in Pennsylvania, including Arlen Specter and Michael Fitzpatrick, are engaging in careful distancing from the president's plan, citing a need for more details.
• Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans president Martin Berger says older Americans are a potent political force in the state and will not be silenced on Social Security issues.
• Many seniors have strong feelings against the plan and believe that it will lead to benefits cuts for their children and grandchildren, with some also expressing skepticism about relying on the private marketplace for retirement security.

Statistics:

• 15.6% of Pennsylvania's population was over 65 in the 2000 census.
• Pennsylvania has the second-highest percentage of older Americans in the country.
• Representative Allyson Y. Schwartz's audience, which included about 50 retirees, showed a strong opposition to the president's plan.
• 92% year-old Milton Shapiro, who retired from the greeting card business, expressed skepticism about privatizing Social Security.

Sources:

• New York Times, "Social Security is an insurance plan" article.
• G. Terry Madonna, professor of public policy at Franklin and Marshall College.
• Martin Berger, president of the Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans.
• Representative Allyson Y. Schwartz's statements at the Jewish Community Center-Klein Branch meeting.
• Senator Rick Santorum's statements at public forums.
• Census data, 2000.