Another tough year ahead

Another school year begins.

Unfortunately this is not a year of hopeful, new beginnings. Our brothers and sisters still in the classroom have escaped threatened layoffs but face budget cuts that mean soaring class sizes, supply shortages and scores of unforseen problems.

Memories for us of the ’70s.

As retirees, once again we face a tough year ahead just to maintain what we worked so hard for over the years and what we hoped was safe.

We saw a summer of roller coaster ups and downs as the nation teetered on the brink of default brought on by 18 months of partisan struggles over how to reduce the nation’s debt. We saw one proposal after another go down in flames. We saw House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s plan to replace Medicare with vouchers to buy private health insurance, the report by the presidential debt commission headed by Simpson/Bowles, the Senate Gang of Six budget framework, a Tea Party attempt at a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget and President Obama’s proposal to balance the budget by a combination of spending cuts and tax increases.

What did we end up with? The agreement that became law on Aug. 2 cuts $400 billion in immediate spending and $1 trillion in discretionary spending by 2021, and extends government borrowing power past the election into 2013.

We got a measure that is stop gap at best, provides no new revenue and establishes yet another committee.

As deeply disappointing as the outcome is — Standard and Poor’s lowered — the U.S financial rating for the first time in the country’s history Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid escaped unscathed for now.

The threats continue even as both extraordinarily popular and efficient systems celebrate anniversaries this summer. Social Security is 76 years old and Medicare is 46.

The new danger is the bipartisan Super Committee of 12 charged by law with finding an additional $1.5 trillion in spending cuts by Thanksgiving for Congress to vote on — strictly up or down with no amendments — by Christmas. If the committee is not successful, a trigger will automatically cut $1.5 trillion in domestic and defense spending over the next decade.

As Barbara Easterling, the president of the Alliance for Retired Americans, has pointed out, “Even though we averted default and no Social Security payments were delayed, do not think the crisis is over. We need to keep a close, wary eye on this new congressional panel.”

A close look at the new panel is not reassuring. First of all, the six Republican/six Democratic split in the committee will make it almost impossible to get the seven votes needed for passage. Four of the appointees served on last year’s bipartisan debt-reduction commission and voted against that plan. All seven of the committee Republicans have signed the Grover Norquist anti-tax pledge.

Of great concern is that the committee may work in secrecy since no provisions have been made for public meetings, hearings or lobbying disclosures. As one critic put it, “Think of the behind-the-scenes lobbying! Instead of seeking to influence 535 members of Congress, Washington’s well-practiced lobbying machines will be able to focus on only 12 members.”

A recent New York Times editorial noted, “Washington influence-peddlers are already out in full force,” adding, “It’s undemocratic enough that so much power has been granted to only 12 lawmakers. The public certainly has the right — and need — to know who is trying to influence their work and how much is being spent to do it.”

Together we will keep an eye on this committee and do what it takes to protect our own interests and the interests of the millions of working families who have been taking it on the chin for far too long.

Stay tuned.