Eric Kingson is a father of three, husband, grandfather, friend, educator, Social Security expert and nationally-known advocate. Eric is running for Congress to take his life and professional experiences to fight to expand, not cut Social Security, for today’s seniors, middle-aged workers facing a retirement income crisis and younger persons who need paid family leave.
Eric is running because he shares the anger and disappointment of many Central New Yorkers who see themselves working longer and harder, but not getting ahead and, for many, actually falling behind. He’s fed up seeing government resources squandered by tax giveaways to corporations that park their profits offshore. Eric has had enough of politics that are dominated by wealthy and powerful interests that put profit ahead of the environment, ahead of building the nation’s infrastructure; and ahead of investing in the education of everyone’s children not just their own.
Eric is guided by respect for the dignity of every person, from his involvement in civil rights back in his college years, to his current work in protecting and expanding our nation’s Social Security system. In his role as educator, researcher, policy expert, author, and nationally-known Social Security advocate, Eric has worked to improve the economic situation of older people; to strengthen health care protections for all; to end employment and housing discrimination; to find ways to keep people in their homes when severe disability strikes; to support those giving care to family and friends; to maintain the reproductive health and rights of all women. He’s served as advisor to two presidential commissions addressing Social Security policy.
Concerned that Social Security benefits would be cut for today’s seniors, middle-aged workers and the young, in 2009 he co-founded Social Security Works and became founding co-chair of the Strengthen Social Security Coalition. Located in the national headquarters of the AFL-CIO, Social Security Works and the coalition are credited with derailing efforts to raise the retirement age, reduce annual cost of living adjustments and cut other earned benefits. These organizations are recognized as the driving force behind the growing movement to address the retirement income crisis and other needs of working families by expanding Social Security, increasing benefit amounts, and adding paid family leave.
Eric rejects the politics of fear, anger and disparagement. He believes our communities and country prosper best when we build on the ingenuity of Americans and the nation’s great diversity of race, religion, ethnicity…
Most of all, he believes that we can build the future we want for ourselves, our children and grandchildren.
