On Presidents Day, February 21, Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, co-chairs of the President's Deficit Commission, were featured speakers at the Panetta Institute for Public Policy at the Monterey Conference Center. As well-heeled attendees entered 1 Portola Plaza to hear Simpson and Bowles talk about dismantling Social Security, members of groups including Senior Action Network, California Alliance for Retired Americans, and the Gray Panthers chanted "No Privatization, No Way!" Raging Grannies carried plastic shovels and buckets labeled "BS", referring to Bowles and Simpson.

The co-chairs' proposals to raise the retirement age, tax benefits, means-test Social Security benefits, and privatize the program are all moving forward in the new Congress, even though they did not have the 14 votes to pass their plan of action through the Deficit Commission. Demonstrators said this was a rare opportunity to let the two powerful Republicans know how they feel. Around 80 people traveled by bus from San Francisco, San Jose, and Fresno, to join with members of the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council for the protest.

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California Alliance for Retired Americans | Monterey Central Labor Council | Gray Panthers | Senior Action Network