FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Camila Gallardo, NCLR
(305) 573-7329
Enrique Cortez, LSR
(202) 525-7411
Miami forum will address concerns of seniors as part of the ¡Tu Futuro Cuenta! campaign
MIAMI—As concern grows over potential cuts to the financial safety net for America’s seniors and disabled, NCLR (National Council of La Raza), Latinos for a Secure Retirement (LSR), and AARP will host a town hall on Social Security and its importance to Latino families and the state of Florida. The Spanish-language forum will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the Dade County Auditorium, located at 2901 W. Flagler St. in Miami. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature Mayor Tomas Regalado and speakers from NCLR, AARP, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, and others.
Social Security is widely recognized as a successful, efficient public program that serves as a powerful safety net for Americans who cannot work because of age or disability. However, it has come under attack under the guise of deficit reduction, despite the fact that Social Security has not contributed one dime to the federal deficit and will remain financially solvent without any changes until 2036.
Latino seniors are particularly vulnerable to the most recent proposed cuts and changes to Social Security. Although the program keeps millions of seniors out of poverty, the average yearly Social Security benefit for Hispanic seniors is only $12,213 for men and only $9,536 for women. These benefits represent at least 90% of the income for more than half of Latino seniors; cuts to the program could be disastrous.
In Miami-Dade County, Social Security contributes more than $4.1 billion annually to the local economy by paying benefits to more than 371,000 residents, including 256,000 retirees, 42,935 disabled workers, and 25,570 children. Social Security serves over 3.7 million residents of Florida and prevents 1,070,000 of them from living in poverty. The Miami forum is the third in a series being held across the country as part of the Latinos and Social Security ¡Tu Futuro Cuenta! campaign. In addition to experts on this issue, Latino seniors at the event will be available for interviews.
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHAT: Spanish-language town hall on Social Security and its importance to keeping Florida’s Latino seniors and disabled workers out of
poverty. This event is free and open to the public.
WHO: Tomas Regalado, Mayor, City of Miami
Cristina Martin Firvida, Director of Financial Security and Consumer Affairs, AARP
Hector Sanchez, Executive Director, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), and member of LSR Coalition
Leticia Miranda, Associate Director, Economic and Employment Policy Project, NCLR
WHEN: Wednesday, September 21, 2011
10:00 a.m. EDT
WHERE: Miami-Dade County Auditorium
2901 W. Flagler Street
Miami, FL 33135
(free parking available)
Space is limited. To RSVP for this event or to get more information, please contact Camila Gallardo at (305) 573-7329 or cgallardo@mydemocracia.org.
For more information about NCLR, visit www.nclr.org or www.nclr.org/socialsecurity.
For more information about AARP, visit www.aarp.org.
For more information about LSR, visit www.latinosforasecureretirement.org.
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