1

September 15, 2014 August Primary Election Issue #1 No. 14-11

www.VoterEducation.netfacebook: The Voter Publications15-10

September 1, 2015 No. 15-10

Republicans Can’t Agree on a Congressional Map

TALKING POINTS1. The GOP has given up on its

efforts to redistrict.2. Redistricting is now in the

hands of the Florida Courts.

3. Today, nearly 95 percent of American workers contribute 6.2 percent of every paycheck to Social Security. Yet high-income earners stop contributing once they hit the current $118,500 cap—meaning that a CEO earning $2 million pays an effective payroll tax rate of just .37 percent.

4. You can’t influence your party’s candidate choice in the Presidential Prima-ry in March if . . . (see page 5)

5. See Dr. Robert Watson’s 10 Thoughts on the Iran Deal . . . (see page 6}

For Shame“If Florida Republican leaders were capable of feeling shame, they would be feeling it now. After spending millions of dollars to fight the Fair District amendments over three sessions in three years, the GOP has given up on their efforts to produce a constitutional Congressional map. There are no excuses for this obscene and unprecedented waste of taxpayer resources, and for the illegal actions that got us here.Floridians will not forget that when Republicans were asked to govern constitutionally in the sunshine, they simply refused.” --Florida Democratic Party Chair Allison Tant

Yet Another Legislative Session — Between Oct. 19-Nov 6 there will be a Special Legislative Session on new maps for the Florida State Senate districts.The Courts did not provide guid-ance on how many State Senate districts need to be changed. It may be that 70% of the dis-tricts have been inappropriately drawn. There is little hope that this session will be any more productive than the one that just concluded. —Linda Geller-Schwartz, National Council of Jewish Women-Florida

Redistricting Still No Agreement

Pfft! — The Florida Special Legislative Session on the new Congressional Maps ended with no agreement between the House and the Senate.Although a Conference Commit-tee met to resolve the differenc-es in their maps, it was clear that neither side would budge. To see the differences go to:

http://interactive.orlandosentinel.com/florida-redistricting-2015/legislative-differences/index.html

Impasse — The Senate asked for the session to be extended, the House refused and abruptly ad-journed (followed by the Senate). So now it will be up to the Florida Supreme Court to come up with a new Congressional map by October 17th. It is expected that the Court will have before it not only the maps of the Senate and House, but also one from the Governor (and maybe some others).Meanwhile, U.S Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Jacksonville) has al-ready gone to federal court to block the major changes to her current district (5th district).

“Republicans know many things that aren’t so, and no amount of contrary evidence

will get them to change their minds.” —Paul Krugman

2 www.VoterEducation.netfacebook: The Voter Publications15-10

[Continued on page 3, PRIMER]

There Are Two Kinds of PeopleThere are two kinds of people who want to cut Social Security—liars, and people who believe the lies. They’ve heard the conservative talking points:

y Social Security is going broke y Social Security won’t be there for me when I retire y The only way to save Social Security is to cut benefits.”

Lies — Unfortunately, these Wall Street funded lies have gotten plenty of traction in recent years. So much so that a recent survey shows that 43 percent of young people believe that Social Security won’t be there for them when they retire—no matter how much that same survey shows that these same young people want it to.Facts — It’s time to set the record straight. This 4th of July weekend, when you’re speaking with your Chris Christie-loving cousin at the family BBQ, you have the facts on your side:

y Social Security has a $2.8 trillion surplus and can pay out every benefit owed to every eligible person for nearly two decades. After that, even if we do nothing, it will pay out approximately 80% of benefits owed for the next 75 years. y Social Security has not contributed one penny to the deficit because it is independently funded by the FICA payroll tax. y Proposed “tweaks” to Social Security would hurt seniors, disabled veterans and people with disabilities. y All we need is to ask millionaires and billionaires to start paying into Social Security at the same rate as the rest of us and we not only extend the life of the Social Security trust fund, but we can expand benefits to the majority of Americans.

Support — With the facts on our side, we have begun to see a dramatic shift in the national con-versation around Social Security. It wasn’t that long ago that we were still fighting a “chained CPI” benefit cut being proposed by President Obama, all Republicans and some Democrats in Congress. Today, 44 out of 46 Senate Democrats and 116 out of 188 House Democrats have gone on record supporting expansion. And 79% of

On August 14th Social Security Turned 80

Aug 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Bill

http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/social-security-turns-80-changes-needed-to-save-program/

To view a Seattle Times article on changes needed to save the program, go here.

Social Security PrimerSocial Security is a lifeline: In 1935, after bank failures and a stock market crash had wiped out the savings of millions of Americans, the nation turned to Washington to guarantee the elderly a decent income. In those days, only a handful of workers had access to pensions from their employers or through State governmental pension programs.

The Truth About Social Security — Social Security is one of America’s most effective and efficient intergenerational social insurance programs. Yet opponents of the current system want to force very large cuts in existing Social Security benefits.

Federal Income Security — Federal programs that support income security and health are often mistakenly characterized interchangeably. From television pundits to average citizens, we often hear someone refer to Medicaid when they mean Medicare; Supplemental Security Income benefits are often confused with Social Security benefits.

likely voters—Democrats, Republicans and Inde-pendents—support expansion! —eridani, Democratic Underground.com ###

3 www.VoterEducation.netfacebook: The Voter Publications15-10

Direct Deposit of SS Benefits — On March 1, 2011, the Federal Government began requiring new federal benefit recipients to collect their monthly benefit via direct deposit. Recipients whose benefits started before that date will be able to continue getting paper checks until May 1, 2013.

Women and SS Benefits — While Social Security is a program that is vitally important to all Americans, it is especially important to the financial security of women. There are a number of reasons why this is so. First of all, women live longer than men. On average, women today who reach age 65 outlive men by four years. These additional years of longevity increase the risk that women may outlive their savings or that their pensions may lose their purchasing power.

Disability Insurance and Survivors — As Congress and the American people debate the future of Social Security, it is critical to remember that, unlike private retirement plans, Social Security has broader policy goals than merely providing retirement benefits. This fact often tends to be overlooked by those who want to restructure the program through privatization.

African Americans and Social Security — Social Security protects families in the event that a worker retires, becomes disabled or dies. These guaranteed insurance benefits are especially crucial to people of color who tend to have fewer alternative resources, become disabled at higher rates, and disproportionately rely on Social Security’s family benefit features. Social Security provides many elderly African Americans with their sole or primary source of income in retirement. Today’s African-American workers are concentrated in low-wage jobs that typically lack pension coverage. African Americans experience high poverty and underemployment, and have less ability to save and invest for retirement than most other Americans.

Hispanic Americans and Social Security — Social Security protects families in the event that a worker retires, becomes disabled or dies. These guaranteed insurance benefits are especially crucial to people of color who tend to have fewer alternative resources, become disabled at higher

rates, and rely on Social Security’s family benefit features disproportionately. Social Security provides many elderly Hispanics with their sole or primary source of income in retirement. Today’s Hispanic workers are concentrated in low-wage jobs that typically lack pension coverage. Hispanics experience high poverty and underemployment, and have less ability to save and invest for retirement than most other Americans.

Beneficiaries By Age — About four-fifths of all OASDI (old age, survivor and disability insurance), beneficiaries in current-payment status were aged 62 or older, including 22 percent aged 75–84 and 10 percent aged 85 or older. About 15 percent were persons aged 18–61 receiving benefits as disabled workers, survivors, or dependents. Another 6 percent were children under age 18.

How Social Security is Financed — Social Security is financed through a dedicated payroll tax. Employers and employees each pay 6.2 percent of wages up to the taxable maximum of $117,000 (in 2014), while the self-employed pay 12.4 percent.

Child Beneficiaries — About 4.4 million children receive approximately $2.5 billion each month because one or both of their parents are disabled, retired or deceased. Those dollars help to provide the necessities of life for family members and help to make it possible for those children to complete high school. When a parent becomes disabled or dies, Social Security benefits help to stabilize the family’s financial future.

Disabled Beneficiaries Aged 18-64 — Payments were made to 12.4 million people aged 18–64 on the basis of their own disability. Sixty-two percent received disability payments from the OASDI program only, 27% received payments from the SSI (Supplemental Security Income) program only, and 11% received payments from both programs.

Average Monthly Benefit By Sex — Among retired and disabled workers who collected benefits based on their own work records, men received a higher average monthly benefit than did women. For those with benefits based on another person’s work record (spouses and survivors), women had higher average benefits. ###

[PRIMER, continued from page 2]

4 www.VoterEducation.netfacebook: The Voter Publications15-10

In The Two Years When The Democrats Had The White House And The SenateWe got:

y Wall Street reform, y student loan reform, y credit card reform, y healthcare reform, obviously,

y the fair pay act, y expanding of the G.I. Bill, y reauthorized the children’s health insurance programs,

y they fixed the sentencing disparity for crack cocaine versus powdered cocaine.

We got: y the 9/11 first responders bill, y the hate crimes act, y they ratified the START treaty between us and Russia on nuclear weapons,

y they repealed don’t ask don’t tell, y they did cash for clunkers, y they did the stimulus which included the largest middle-class tax cuts ever.

That was all done by the Congress that was elected at the same time as President Obama in 2008. Then the Republicans took control of the House for the first time in years. And since then there has been not a single significant

piece of legislation enacted into law. —Rachel Maddow

The Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act (H.R. 1811)

A Plan to Expand Social SecurityFlorida Congressman Ted Deutch has proposed a plan to expand Social Secrity. His Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act extends the solvency of Social Security by slowly phasing out the cap on contributions from high-income earners and improves benefits for seniors and other beneficiaries by using a cost-of-living adjustment formula that better reflects seniors' rising expenses. It accomplishes both without increasing the retirement age or cutting benefits in any way.Congressman Deutch reintroduced this bill in Jan-uary 2015 to make clear that Social Security is not going broke, has not added to the federal deficit, and should not be targeted for cuts or privatiza-tion. He believes politicians should keep their hands off the Social Security Trust Fund. Social Security is not welfare, but an earned benefit that protects all of us from poverty when we retire, suf-fer a disabling injury or illness, or experience the death of a breadwinner.The promise of Social Security is that hardworking Americans pay into it their whole lives and then count on it to help make ends meet during their retirement years. This bill makes sure that will happen for generations to come.How It Works — Lifting the cap on high-income contributions—currently no Social Security contributions are collected on income above $118,500. While 95 percent of American workers contribute 6.2 percent of their income to fund Social Security, high-income earners stop paying once they hit the cap each year—a lawyer earning $400,000 effectively pays 1.84 percent; a CEO earning $2 million pays just 0.37 percent. This bill would phase out this tax loophole, so that higher-income Americans pay into Social Security all year, just like everyone else.Adjusting and improving benefits to be fair to seniors — Today, Social Security benefits are adjusted by the Consumer Price Index for workers. Yet costs for seniors rise faster than most working Americans. As seniors spend more of their income on medical care, prescription drugs, and energy costs, the purchasing power of their benefits shrinks. This bill replaces the formula with a calculation specifically designed to more accurately measure the costs of goods and services seniors actually buy. ###

Social Security InsuranceWhen you make a claim for an accident, your insurace company is not giving you welfare. You make insurance payments

in advance so that when you have a need, you may collect based on the terms of your insurance policy. The money you pay your insurance company is not called a tax, it is

called a premium. Thus, monthly payments collected by the

government from your pay for Social Security insurance is more rightly called a

premium, not a tax. Tell that to your misguided friends.

Rachel Maddow

5 www.VoterEducation.netfacebook: The Voter Publications15-10

Absentee Ballot Request Your request can be made by phone, fax, letter, e-mail, by going to our website and completing the on-line application, or by request in person at any one of our offices. A request to have a ballot sent to an address other than your permanent address is now required to be made in writing with signature. To use our online application, click on the icon Vote By Mail on the homepage of our website. Please include your name, date of birth, permanent address, and the election/s you would like an absentee ballot for in your request. Selecting All As Permitted will guarantee you absentee ballots for all elections through December 2016.

Party ChangeAll party change requests must be submitted with a written request accompanied by an original signature.

The Florida Voter Registration Form is available to download from our website www.pbcelections.org

Or you may simply write a request that includes your name, date of birth, address, the party you wish to be affiliated with, and signature.

You must complete a party change 29 days before an election to be eligible to vote that party in the next election.

You Can’t Influence Your Party’s Candidate in the March

Presidential Primary If . . . Did You Check? — When you registered to vote did you check the No Party Affiliation, or select a Minor Party in this box?

If you did, then you will not be offered the opportunity choose your preference for either a Democratic or Republican candidate in the March 15th Presidential Preference Primary. (You will only be offered a choice from candidates running in the party you registered for.)

If you prefer Ted Cruz, or if you hate Donald Trump, you will not be given the chance to make your druthers known. If you prefer Bernie Sanders to Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden, you will not be given the chance to make your druthers known.

Do You Want a Chance To Make Your Preference Count — To vote in the Democratic or Republican Presidential Preference Primary you must be registered as either:

If it is important to you to make your preference known on March 15th, you need to re-register and Change Your Party Affiliation before February 16th.How Do I Re-register? — In Palm Beach County go to:

http://www.pbcelections.org/items.aspx?id=18You may register on line or print out a form to fill in, sign, and mail in (see below). ###

Election Voter Registration Deadline

Election Date

Presidential Preference

PrimaryFebruary 16, 2015 March 15, 2015

August Primary Election August 1, 2015 August 30, 2015

November General Election

October 11, 2015 November 8, 2015

6 www.VoterEducation.netfacebook: The Voter Publications15-10

10 Thoughts On The Iran Deal by Robert Watson

[ed: Everyone has an opinion about the Iran Deal. For many of us, our opinion is based on lack of complete information. Agree or disagree, Dr. Watson raises

questions which we all ought to consider.]

10. There Are Essentially Three Options1. Do nothing; Iran will eventually develop a nuke2. Attack Iran’s nuclear facilities; WWIII (Israel

is attacked, the entire Middle East boils over to resemble Syria, a decade-long, economically ruinous war)

3. Try diplomacy with inspections/verification9. There Is Historical Precedent For The Actions

• Kennedy/Kruschev 1962 (Cuban Missile Crisis)• Nixon/Mao 1972 (produced several accords in

subsequent years)• Carter/Begin/Sadat (Camp David 1978; Peace

Accords 1979)• Reagan/Gorbachev (Rekjavik summit 986;

Nuclear reduction 1987)8. The Sanctions Protocol Was Effective

• It devastated Iran’s economy and brought Iran to the table

• Comprehensive, international, long-term[ed: The sanctions were only to bring Iran to the table in order to attempt to negotiate a nuclear deal (The aim was never a larger Mideast peace, elimination of Iran’s support for terrorism, regime change in Iran, and so on…).]

7. Like The Sanctions, This Is An International Deal • Not a bilateral treaty• P5 + 1 [ed, The P5+1 is a group of six world

powers which, in 2006, joined together in diplomatic efforts with Iran with regard to its nuclear program. The term refers to the UN Security Council’s five permanent members (the P5); namely China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; plus Germany.]

6. The Deal: “The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action”

• Iran retains its civilian (energy) nuclear program.

• Iran’s nuclear facilities will NOT be dismantled.But, Iran’s military nuclear program is incapacitated through the following restrictions:

• Iran’s uranium enrichment levels are held to 3.67% (They were at roughly 20%).

• Iran’s uranium stockpile reduced by 98% (from 10,000 kilograms to 300 kg).

• Iran’s centrifuges will be reduced over the next 10 years (from 20,000 to 5,000).

• Iran can’t build another reactor for 15 years.• Iran’s nuclear R&D is restricted to civilian/

energy applications for 8 years.

5. Monitoring• We can’t trust Iran – but the deal is premised

on verification/inspections, not trust.• The IAEA takes the lead in monitoring all of

Iran’s nuclear facilities and activities (with input from the P5+1).

• Physical, computers, sensors, video… will be used in the inspections protocol.

• Long term inspections protocol• Monitor nuke programs for next 25 years

(Fordow, Arak, Natanz)• Monitor centrifuges for 20 years• Long-term presence in Iran (details to be

determined)4. Concerns Over The Deal

• Iran will test our resolve and try to limit access by the inspectors.

• The process for granting access to military facilities is bureaucratic – inspectors can go to any nuclear facility, but must get permission to go to military facilities. The good news is that a committee decides and we have majority of votes (USA, Brits, France, Germany) Iran may have support from Russia and China).

• In return for degrading their nuclear weapons program, Iran gets sanctions relief.

• Frozen investments will be released• Banking, oil, auto parts…• Arms embargo partially lifted (But NOT missile

technology)• Iran can keep its Arak nuclear facility… but only

in accordance w/ other guidelines. 3. Reasons To Support Deal

• Iran is not monolithic – there are moderate elements in Iran and the deal strengthens the political power of moderates (Pres. Hasan Rhohani and Foreign Minister Zarif).

• If the deal is defeated, it would embolden the radicals and hardliners in Iran.

• If the deal is defeated, Iran will continue its nuclear weapons program.

• If the deal is defeated and Iran pursues a nuke, it will likely prompt Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt to pursue a nuke.

• Either way, the sanctions protocol will fall apart at the end of year; Russia and China won’t continue to cooperate in the sanctions.

• The deal may help bring Iran into the community of nations…a bit, and trading partners generally don’t go to war with one another.

• There is a “snap back” provision to reinstate the sanctions if Iran fails to cooperate.

• Some folks say that we should defeat the deal because some Iranian leaders and mullahs

[Continued on page 8, IRAN DEAL]

On Your Side [Your legislative representatives are on your side.]

Senator Joe Abruzzo (District 25) — With community input and advocacy, Senator Abruzzo (FL Senate, District 25) cham-pioned a variety of issues during the 2015 Legislative Session. One such bill, “The Rights of Grand-parents” was signed into law and outlines specific circumstances under which a grandparent or great-grandparent can petition a court for rights to visitation of their grand-children.

Congressman Ted Deutch — While at home in South Florida, Congressman Deutch has pursued unique ways to engage students of all ages in civic life and the democratic process. In September 2014, Ted launched his 2014-2015 Congressional Youth Cabinet, made up of high school students from throughout Florida’s 21st district with an interest in public service. As one of just two programs of its kind in the country, the Congressional Youth Cabinet meets regularly to participate in legislative simulations, hear from guest speakers, and explore federal policy issues. Ted also holds “Congress in the Classroom,” events at elementary, middle school, and high schools throughout the district to walk students through the legislative process and provide a firsthand glimpse of what it is like to serve in Congress.

715-10

To Subscribe for email or mail: www.VoterEducation.net To Unsubscribe: Email request with “Unsubscribe” in the Subject line to:

TheVoterPublications@comcast.net

Copyright 2014-2015 © The Voter Publications, Inc.All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written

permission from the author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review.

Paid for by The Voter Publications, Inc. Not coordinated with any candidate.

Assistant Editors: Robert Terpstra, Nancy Morse

Office Staff: Catherine Theriault,Ed Odette, Marie Isaacson

www.VoterEducation.netfacebook: The Voter Publications

Sen. Joe Abruzzo

Congressman Ted Deutch

French TV Show Laughs At The Credibility Of "The Fox News

Clowns"Jan. 15, 2015 — Earlier this week Fox News hosted Steven Emerson, an alleged terrorism expert, who claimed that the entire city of Birmingham, England was occupied by radical Muslims and was inaccessible to anyone else. His remarks were widely ridiculed, including by David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, who called Emerson an "idiot." Emerson later recanted and apologized for his "terrible error." But Fox wasn't done embarrassing itself with false tales of horror.The Fox News Cult Of Ignorance.

Over at Fox & Friends, Elisabeth Hasselbeck interviewed a former Air Force pilot who claimed to have personal knowledge of the deterioration of French society. Nolan Peterson said that there were "741 no-go zones throughout France." Peterson described his adventures in the wilds of Paris saying that..."It was pretty scary. I've been to Afghanistan and Iraq and Kashmir, India, and at times it felt like that - those places in these no-go zones. [...and that...] You see young men wearing Osama Bin Laden t-shirts in a hookah shop."Really? This veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq was scared of Paris? The segment was seen by Yann Barthès, the host of the French television program "Le Petit Journal." His response was to mercilessly flog Fox and Peterson while exposing the glaring errors in their analysis. For instance, Fox made reference to a poll that said that 16% of the French people had a favorable view of ISIS. However, that poll was debunked by the Washington Post, a point that Barthès noted.Fox also displayed a map of the so-called no-go zones in Paris which brought spontaneous laughter from the residents of Paris in the audience who knew better. It also inspired Barthès to courageously send his crew into the no-go zones for some person-on-the-street interviews. And just to be on the safe side, they were suited up in safety gear and helmets, which turned out not to be necessary. ###

8 www.VoterEducation.netfacebook: The Voter Publications15-10

Dan Isaacson, Ph.D., EditorVoter Education, Inc.

St. Andrews Estates South6055 Verde Trail South, Apt. H219

Boca Raton, FL 33433-4423561-470-7258

Presort First ClassUS Postage

PAIDBoca Raton, FL

Permit#1767

September 1, 2015 No. 15-10

Republicans Can’t Agree on a Congressional Map

immediately began speaking against the deal and calling the US evil. However, they don’t speak for everyone in Iran and are often using such rhetoric for domestic political opportunism… and most Republicans were saying similar things about the deal, Iran, and Obama throughout the process. We can’t let some hardliners undermine a chance to avert war!

• The “breakout” time (time needed for Iran to weaponize its uranium) is estimated by experts to be only 2-3 months! The deal would extend that crucial time to 12 months.

2. The Dust-Up Between Bibi And Obama Is Very DisappointingBut…

• They have met roughly 12 times (more than with any other leaders).

• US and Israel are communicating and cooperating daily on an array of other issues.

• Obama and the Congress have and continue to provide Israel with massive loan guarantees, national security assistance, key vetoes in the UN, funding for the Iron Dome, and an array of additional supports…

• Several other US and Israeli leaders didn’t like one another (Kissinger and Golda could not stand one another).

1. I Am Mostly Upset By The Sloppy Political Reporting And Politicization

• Bibi’s constant condemnation of US foreign policy is not constructive; nor are some of John Kerrry’s comments or Obama’s failure to again adequately explain or “market” his policies.

• The media coverage of the deal has been more like a horse race or episode of the Kardashians, rather than an opportunity to truly and accurately assess the numerous threats facing Israel or the long, productive relationship between the two countries.

• Even though some politicians and certain media outlets are signaling the end of US support for Israel, it could not be further from the truth. Rather, it appears they are trying to politicize the debate, which is unfortunate. This is no time to drive a partisan wedge between US and Israel. Both parties have been very “good” for Israel.

• Mostly, I hope everyone realizes that the deal is only a first step and there is much work to do on this and the larger issues in the Middle East. It will require cool heads to prevail, bipartisanship in foreign and security policy, and vigilance by all involved. ###

[IRAN DEAL, continued from page 6]