Editorial: Lies about retirement trust fund

Friday, Nov. 12, 1999 | 8:41 a.m.

In an effort to fend off the public perception that Republicans don't care about protecting Social Security, the GOP congressional leadership has insisted in budget negotiations with President Clinton that any surplus in the Social Security Trust Fund be put in a so-called "lock box." In other words, the trust fund would not be used -- as in years past -- to either pay for other government programs or to make the budget deficit appear smaller than it really is.

Not content with the fact that there was near unanimity by both parties on setting aside the Social Security Trust Fund, the National Republican Congressional Committee about two months ago started running television ads in selected congressional districts that claimed Democratic incumbents want to "raid Social Security and spend our retirement money on more big government programs." Many of these ads ran in Las Vegas, attacking Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev. Radio ads similar in content also have been running that are financed by Americans for Economic Growth, a group with ties to the GOP House leadership. The bottom line is that the television and radio ads are false and an example of political demagoguery at its worst.

As a matter of fact, Berkley has done just the opposite, voting several times to prevent the government from spending any of the Social Security surplus, including a vote in favor of the Social Security and Medicare Safe Deposit Box Act. The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, a nonpartisan group, even issued a statement in Berkley's defense, saying she has never voted to "raid" Social Security. Berkley has asked local radio stations to stop running the ads, but so far she has been rebuffed. Broadcast stations in Ohio, Kentucky and Texas, though, have acted responsibly and discontinued airing these ads against Democratic members of Congress.

Despite the underhanded ads, the Washington Post reported last Friday an interesting development: A Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee poll found that the $445,000 GOP television campaign isn't working in the targeted districts. For instance, according to the Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group survey, voters in Berkley's district said they trust Democrats over Republicans -- 41 percent to 28 percent -- to protect Social Security.

The Republican strategy on Social Security also doesn't seem to be making much headway throughout the country, according to a New York Times/CBS News national poll released this week. When asked who would make the "right decisions" about Social Security, 49 percent said Democrats and just 33 percent favored Republicans. The American public, including Nevadans, is much smarter than the GOP House leadership and its surrogates give them credit for. In the sake of decency these deceptive ads should be taken off the air immediately.