This year I am thankful that the Supercommittee was unable to reach an agreement to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits. These programs belong to all of us—the 99 percent and the 1 percent. These vital programs should never have been on the chopping block in the first place. My voice was one of thousands who spoke up in defense of these programs. I’m thankful that no deal was reached to cut the benefits these vital programs provide.  There is much, much that needst obe done before this sort of cut becomes necessary—which I do not believe it will.
We need to start by including the full amount of all salaries, even those >$107,000, in the S.S. deduction program.  We need to consider how many military bases we really need around the world—and start closing those not needed and streamlining the rest.  We need to end the horrors of military drones, that turn civilians into video-game targets for so-called soldiers sitting at computer consoles—if we do not feel the true harrowing impact, war and killing become too easy.
So, let us take stock this holiday, and be thankful for the courage to NOT go along with bad suggestions, but rather to hold off for a deficit-reduction program that will be constructive,
Have a happy Thanksgiving holiday, and come back energized to work for the benefit of all your constituents.

(NB: Customized Stengthen Social Security petition.)