- Originally published in the St. Petersburg Times (Florida) February 20
Copyright 2005 Times Publishing Company
Denouncing President Bush's plan for Social Security reform as one that
would disproportionately hurt blacks, NAACP leaders asked to meet with
the president to discuss the issue, the group's chairman announced
Saturday.
Julian Bond, speaking at a news conference during the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People's annual meeting in
New York, also said he expects to name the organization's new president
by July.
"I
want someone with the fundraising ability of Bill Gates, with the
oratorical ability of Martin Luther King and the managerial ability of
someone who's managed big, big things successfully and done well," said
Bond, who has repeatedly declined to identify potential candidates.
A search committee has interviewed more than 200 candidates to replace
Kweisi Mfume, who was NAACP president for nine years and resigned in
December.
Last week, NAACP
leaders asked to meet with the president, submitting a letter to the
White House that detailed their concerns over education and
unemployment, but focused largely on Bush's plan to privatize Social
Security.
"This proposal is extremely dangerous to us," said Hilary O. Shelton, the NAACP's Washington bureau chief.
Among
married couples, twice as many blacks as whites rely on Social Security
for their entire retirement income, and blacks in their 50s are twice
as likely to become disabled as whites, he said.
But
Bush says blacks would stand to benefit from his privatization plan
because, on average, they die earlier than whites and would not have to
wait until retirement to receive benefits.
That argument has rankled many black leaders
who denounced the president for trying to capitalize on the
life-expectancy problem - one they say is rooted in health disparities
and urban violence - rather than solve it.