Congressman Walsh's office received hundreds of calls from constituents complaining about a message they received saying he supports a costly Social Security privatization plan



Congressman Walsh's office received hundreds of calls from constituents complaining about a message they received saying he supports a costly Social Security privatization plan

Walsh responds to anonymous phone calls
Updated: 2/1/2005 11:11 AM
By: Al Nall, News 10 Now Web Staff

On Monday, Congressman Walsh's office received hundreds of calls from constituents complaining about a message they received saying he supports a costly Social Security privatization plan.

"This plan will cost tax payers two trillion dollars. It would also decrease future benefits to retirees by 47%," the message says.

"It's really a scurrilous activity. I've never really seen anything like this before in my sixteen years in Washington," Walsh said.

Congressman Walsh says not only does he not have a position on supporting such a plan, there is no proposal currently before Congress.

Walsh responds to anonymous phone calls

Congressman Jim Walsh wants to know who is calling hundreds of his constituents telling them he supports a two trillion dollar tax payer funded plan to privatize social security. News 10 Now's Al Nall has more on the anonymous calls that are making waves from Syracuse to Capitol Hill.

He says the calls are scare tactics similar to those being made in at least seventeen other congressional districts across the U.S.

"The Social Security trust fund should be in a locked box, not a Wall Street slot machine. Tell Congressman Walsh that we want real Social Security reform," says the message.

In a USA Today story last week, segments from the calls made in other districts are identical to calls made here.

The story says those calls came from a number registered to the American Federation of Teachers.

The AFT says its number was hijacked and disconnected the line last week. The Congressman says the information is false and whoever did it should at least own up to it.

“You think if they really believed in what they are doing, whoever it is, they would say and this message has been brought to you by whoever, but they don't. So it just scares people,” Walsh said.

He says in the next few months there will be a full public debate on reforming social security and he urges his constituents to contact him with their views.

Congressman Walsh says the calls are scare tactics targeting older people who will not be affected by any changes in Social Security.

When this story was posted in January 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

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