GAITHERSBURG_/strong> Merle Cuttitta, president of SEIU Local 500, issued the following statement in response to a new report released today by the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA) that examines and proposes solutions to the growing retirement insecurity faced by working Marylanders:

The Schwartz Center's report sends a strong warning about the future of our prosperous state, and we must take heed before it's too late. The retirement insecurity faced by nearly half of Maryland's workforce surely will place a significant strain on our state and local budgets as seniors are forced to rely on their families or social services for support. This is going to leave each generation poorer than the previous one.

"It's time to renew the American Dream by ensuring all working people have the promise of economic security in their golden years. Policymakers, employers and workers must come together to find comprehensive solutions to our looming retirement crisis. Working until you die or retiring in poverty should not be the only options in our state.

"We must use the study as a jumping off point for a serious dialogue that will result in greater retirement security for all Marylanders."

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