Social Security Works - WA

In these past few days of just plain bad news, from the debate to the French election to the latest Supreme Court decisions, it is important to realize that progressive systemic policy advances don’t happen from the top down, but from the bottom up. Here in the Seattle area we are making progressive history, challenging market rate housing, and increasing the minimum wage, jurisdiction by jurisdiction. And we are progressing!

The Transit Riders Union https://transitriders.org/ spearheaded a minimum wage initiative in Tukwila in 2022, and just yesterday the minimum wage for mid-sized employers increased to $19.29. In Renton the Seattle Democratic Socialists of America https://seattledsa.org/ waged a successful initiative campaign, resulting in the minimum wage for large employers to increase to $20.29 for large employers, as of July 1st. These advances enabled the King County Council to increase the minimum wage in unincorporated areas of the county to increase to $20.29, beginning in 2025. In Burien, Raise the Wage Burien https://www.raisethewageburien.org/ is gathering signatures for an increase to $20.29 as well.

In Seattle, we are taking on market rate housing and the excess compensation of the professional elite with Initiative 137 https://www.letsbuildsocialhousing.org/ which will put in place a 5% tax on employers for compensation to individual employees in excess of $1 million. That will raise about $60 million a year, dedicated to developing affordable social housing for families with incomes up to 120% of Seattle’s median income (that’s about $155,000 for a four person family). We have gathered 38,000 signatures, so now it is headed for the ballot.

With the national political scene going awry, these local initiatives and efforts take on even greater importance. We can indeed build our commonwealth, starting in our own backyard! Let’s persist and prevail.

Let's Build Social Housing Let’s build social housing! Pass a social housing payroll tax Sign up for our newsletter Sign up to volunteer Seattle voters have mandated social housing On February 14, 2023, Seattle voted to create a social housing developer through I-135 by a 14% margin. Now we’re looking to fund the social h...

Fiscal hawks in Congress want Social Security cuts – and they have a surprising partner in Washington State. Here’s what you can do.

Which Washington Member of Congress is Going After Social Security? A new proposal has Social Security and Medicare in the crosshairs. Here’s what you can do. There’s a lot of scaremongering out there about Social Security’s financial situation – but th…

Nearly all of us are covered by Social Security because nearly all of us contribute -- but we don’t all contribute equally. It's time for that to change:

Hey Congress: “Scrap the Cap” to Strengthen Social Security for Future Generations It’s time for everyone to pay the same Social Security tax rate – on all of their income With every paycheck, both workers and employers contribute to Social Security. When we reach retiremen…

What is happening to older workers makes Covid-19 a retirement story. Some of these older workers will return to the labor force in coming months and years, but older workers who return to the labor market after a prolonged absence are likely to face earnings cuts in their new jobs. Older workers who cannot return will be forced to retire early even though they are not prepared for it.

Covid-19 Is Most Certainly A Retirement Story Most workers nearing retirement had insufficient retirement savings even before the recession, and many planned to delay retirement and work longer to save more.

At $7.25/hour, today’s federal minimum wage is worth less and buys less than it did 50 years ago -- yet the United States is at its wealthiest moment in history. Our nation's inadequate minimum wage hurts not only low-wage workers, but all workers. In fact, it hurts the entire economy while also harming Social Security’s finances and making income and wealth inequality worse. It is both destabilizing and immoral. Updating the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour, as proposed by the Raise the Wage Act, is imperative for America's well-being.

Enacting a $15 Minimum Wage is a Win for Social Security A $15 minimum wage would increase Social Security benefits for low-income workers and bolster the Social Security trust fund.

Today is the day most millionaires stop paying into Social Security for the rest of the year, while most of us will continue contributing F**A payroll taxes through the end of December. It wasn’t always this way. Congress has an historic opportunity to ensure the wealthy pay their fair share, and all Americans can count on the benefits they’ve earned over a lifetime of work.

Millionaires Are Done Paying Into Social Security for the Year Image via Flickr Creative Commons | [Via NCPSSM] Today is the day most millionaires stop paying into Social Security for the rest of the year, while most of us will continue contributing F**A payro…

President Joe Biden, Congressman John Larsen, and Senator Bernie Sanders have each proposed a plan to expand Social Security. Biden's offers a modest benefit expansion and would solidify the program's finances until 2039; Sanders' and Larsen's bills provide for additional benefits and would secure funding to 2071 and 2092, respectively. Legislative action could come as soon as this year.

Biden has promised to reform Social Security — some changes could come as soon as this year President Joe Biden has promised to address Social Security reform. Accomplishing that could seal his presidential legacy, one expert says.

Donald Trump’s appointees to Social Security have sought to undermine the program for two years. Now President Biden has a chance to clean house. But will he take it?

Column: Biden needs to clean house at the Social Security Administration, and fast President Biden shouldn't delay dumping the vandals destroying Social Security from the inside.

President-elect Biden and several Democratic lawmakers all have strong proposals to expand Social Security benefits and raise taxes on the wealthy. The presidential transition may also trigger changes at the top of the Social Security Administration.

Biden's platform calls for big changes to Social Security. Here's what could be on the table Democrats want to increase Social Security benefits and restore the program's solvency. Here's how lawmakers' plans could shape future benefits.

Seniors and other Americans who get Social Security benefits won’t notice much of a difference in their monthly checks next year as the annual cost-of-living adjustment will be the smallest since 2017. That's because the consumer-price index, on which the adjustment is based, underestimates the rising costs facing seniors.

Social Security’s Cost-of-Living Adjustment Will Be 1.3% in 2021, the Lowest Since 2017 The annual COLA of 1.3% is the lowest since 2017, and it will give the average beneficiary an extra $20 a month, to $1,543.

The Trump administration is spending its last weeks in office cutting Social Security benefits for disabled people.

Two more parting shots from Trump aimed squarely at disabled workers Trump Administration is Spending its Last Weeks in Office Cutting Social Security Benefits The Social Security Administration (SSA) has sent the Office of Management and Budget a proposal that may …

Most likely you pay your Social Security taxes all year round. But some high earners stopped paying before their hangover headache hit in the wee hours of New Year’s Day.

Raise The Social Security Cap - Now The Rich Pay Through New Year Day’s Brunch! Some high earners will stop paying before their hangover headache hits in the wee hours of New Years Day.