Dem uses astroturf group to sell balanced budget amendment

Rep. Stephanie Murphy’s event yesterday in Winter Park was advertised as an event to learn about her recent bill to “balance the budget” by way of a Constitutional amendment.  This long-time Republican dream, which would be a godsend and useful tool to slash/trash earned benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare without leaving any “fingerprints” (“the Constitution made me do it”), is being sponsored by our own freshman Democratic Representative.

It was quickly discovered that the meeting was an astroturf exercise by the Concord Coalition, which was presented as a patriot group seeking to save our country by reining in wasteful government spending.  Research discovered it’s really a group of pro-corporate ideologues seeking to redirect government funds to the private sector by slashing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.  It’s a partner in Wall Street mogul and vulture capitalist Pete Peterson’s Fix the Debt Campaign.  The billionaire funding this new round of “town halls” never let an opportunity to enrich himself go to waste.   The money we’ve paid into government coffers our entire lives with the promise that it will be there for us in our retirement is a much too tempting, saliva-inducing target for this plutocrat.   He’s marshaled various politicians over the years to woo us into believing a balanced budget amendment is a good deal for us and, of course, “our children.”

Rep. Murphy’s staff said the bill was part of an effort to “start a conversation” on this issue and she still wants to protect earned benefit programs.  We’re disappointed Rep. Murphy’s conversation and position seems to have started, ended and aligned with a right-wing organization that appears to have motives contrary to those she stated on the campaign trail.  For another opinion ignored in this debate, please see the letter signed by four Nobel Laureate economists.

Here’s a copy of the HJ Res107 Balanced Budget Amendment.  If you’d like to start your own conversation with Rep. Murphy about this issue, she can be contacted at 202-225-4035.