Politicians Say "Let Them Eat Cake" on Pensions

Allen Wastler at CNNMoney has a great column up about how politicians regurgitating right-wing talking points about how American workers should just get used to massive pension cuts have no problem taking such a hard line because their pensions are lavish and guaranteed. As he says, "In the coming months, when you hear various elected officials bemoan the state of pensions and the need for reform [aka. cuts] keep this in mind: They got theirs and it isn't going away ... that would take an act of Congress."

You may recall that back in 2003, House progressives offered legislation to convert Congressional pensions into "cash balance" plans - the plans that gut workers pensions, yet which politicians publicly claim are really just terrific. A New York Times story noted that many of the right-wing politicians who have tried to justify efforts to legalize cash balance pension rip offs would stand to lose the most if Congress's pension plan were converted. So what happened? These politicians made sure the legislation never was allowed to be voted on.

That's your "let them eat cake" democracy at work: pension cutbacks for ordinary citizens justified by politicians, while those same politicians refuse to even allow a vote on legislation to make them face the same economic realities as the rest of us.

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