Social Security Advocates Launch Campaigns To Pressure AARP

WASHINGTON -- Two separate campaigns have been launched to pressure AARP to stand firm against cuts in Social Security and Medicare benefits. The campaigns follow a report by HuffPost that the influential senior citizens lobby will soon be holding a private, principals-only "salon-style conversation" with a host of advocates of entitlement cuts.

"Once again, AARP is working behind the scenes to build support for benefit cuts while masquerading about as an ardent defender of the safety net to its massive, dues-paying membership," reads a petition from the progressive blog FireDogLake.com. "This is outrageous, and AARP should immediately call off the event and disavow this shameful attempt to throw its weight behind benefit cuts."

Credo Action, an online progressive advocacy group, asked its members to reach out to AARP. "Ironically, while the CEO of AARP is set to hold a private meeting with people who want to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits, the organization has also just launched a national listening tour on the future of Social Security and Medicare. So if there's ever a time to speak out to AARP, it's now," reads a letter to the group's membership. "We are joining with other groups including our friends at Social Security Works in making sure AARP hears that everyday Americans don't want cuts to Social Security benefits. We need to make sure AARP gets this message loud and clear."

AARP's listening tour officially launches on Monday and is dubbed "You've Earned a Say and We're Listening."

One AARP volunteer who attended a two-day training last week wrote HuffPost to say that the listening tour appeared to be aimed at shifting AARP policy in favor of cuts to benefits. "We were explicitly told NOT to provide any education; furthermore, they want us to urge participants to fill out the surveys at the beginning of the gathering, then as time permits, allow people one by one to express their opinions," the volunteer wrote. "I am wondering if all of this fanfare with the surveys will just be a smokescreen for the AARP backing cuts in Social Security and Medicare and using the opinions gathered in the 'You've Earned a Say' sessions as the basis for their EVOLVING policy."

"AARP is not pursuing any closed door deals or grand bargains," said an AARP spokeswoman. "Our main focus is hearing from our members, and all Americans, what they think about ways to strengthen Social Security and Medicare. That's precisely why we're launching 'You've Earned a Say.' We are interested in hearing from all sides and having civil discourse on these issues."

The nearly 54 million people drawing Social Security benefits receive, on average, $1,073.80 per month, according to the Social Security Administration, as HuffPost previously reported. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates the program keeps some 20 million people out of poverty, including 13 million elderly Americans.

Gary Engelhardt and Jonathan Gruber, in a rigorous 2004 National Bureau of Economic Research report on the program, calculated that each 10 percent cut in benefits would lead to a 7.2 percent increase in poverty. Such cuts are beginning to seem likely, despite the robust state of the program's finances, which can cover full benefits through 2037 and boasts a surplus trust fund of $2.6 trillion as of this past fall. Reversing that trend and increasing Social Security payments would likely lead to a reduction in elderly poverty, if past history is any guide.

AARP has expressed an openness to benefit cuts in the past, only to backtrack under pressure from its membership. The organization, in recent years, has become increasingly entangled with its growing insurance operation.

Isaiah Poole at the progressive group Campaign for America's Future also criticized AARP for hosting the salon:

Here's a message from one AARP member: You've done enough listening. For years now, we've had a "debate" about how to make Social Security sustainable for the next 75 years. One side of that debate is using fear-mongering and deception to make the case for dismantling a public vehicle for economic security that many of the people on that side of the debate never believed should exist to begin with. Their dream remains replacing Social Security with a private insurance system that would be a playground for the same Wall Street gamblers and predators whose behavior trashed the value of our 401(k)s during the 2008 financial crash.

The other side has consistently spoken the plain truth: Social Security is not in crisis, and the long-term liquidity issues that do indeed need to be addressed are not because benefits are too generous. In fact, they are not generous enough. We should strengthen Social Security, and a simple step we could take today is to lift the payroll tax cap, so that people earning six- and seven-figure incomes can pay more of their fair share into the system.

Comments

[EyeEdit1]

03:31 PM on 12/04/2012

AARP members should flood the organization with mail and, more important, should withdraw their membership and participation in AARP insurance and other programs. AARP has failed to advocate for seniors, even those who support it. People need to get outraged and be vocal about this.

[ranger boy]

07:46 AM on 09/12/2012

If Obama gets re-elected the whole country will go bankrupt and no one will receive any entitlements. You can't keep spending money that the country is unable to pay it back. 14 trillion will take generations to pay back. The government needs to make sacrifices to balance the budget.

[Kathryn Dille]

05:01 PM on 04/11/2012

There definitely needs to be a change to Social Security. This was established for the retired seniors who had worked all of their lives and PAID into Social Security. This was not set up for people who do not want to work, who cannot take orders from their bosses, etc., and then they receive a big lump sum payment and then payments for the rest of their lives. This was not set up to provide for drug addicts or drunks. As for children with disabilities, the parents should be responsible for this as it was when I was growing up or this is where the Welfare System should be implemented.

The little Social Security that I, a 76 year old receive, is not an entitlement. It is what has been paid for working since the age of 17 and retiring at 74.

[LORNADOONS]

06:11 PM on 03/19/2012

The following is some important info concerning those seniors who are members of AARP and wish to cancel their membership. YOU CAN DO SO WITHOUT IT AFFECTING YOUR HARTFORD INSURANCE. ( I just did it.)

[clubdead]

01:15 PM on 03/19/2012

Here's the thing that everyone forgets. The reason SS has a huge surplus is that in the 80's the Greenspan commission got the law changed and raised how much you and I pay into SS they did this to build a surplus to cover the retirement of the baby boomers. Now those same people are telling us bay boomers we need to take a cut because the fund will be paying out more than it takes in. Hello, this is why the surplus was built. So according to all the "entitlement" fans who think SS is something you get for nothing, I paid extra for forty years to cover my retirement but I don't deserve it because I'm a senior citizen stealing from the younger generations?

[Edgar Gonzalez]

12:41 PM on 03/21/2012

We set up all of these entitlements, which begin with a lot of hope and promise, only to reveal latter that the government has spent all of the money for general operation. They take our Social Security and Medicare contributions under the false premise that the money will be there when we retire. What do the politician do? They spend it all and leave us with IOUs. America's problem can be traced back to one very specific thing, over spending by both Rs & Ds (mainly Ds).

[clubdead]

02:41 PM on 03/21/2012

The SS administration by law buys treasury bonds not IOU's. And SS has enough money to pay full benefits for another 20+ years. And after that it can pay 75-80% of full benefits. All it would take to fix the current shortfall is to get rid of the cap. That would mean everyone pays the same percentage of their income to SS. Unlike how it is now where any income over 106,000. is not taxed so the richer you are the smaller the percentage of your income you pay to SS.

[Willie12345]

08:54 AM on 03/19/2012

Just give me back every nickel that I was forced to pay, plus the compounded interest and I'll be happy .............. especially if you just leave me alone. The government screws up just about everything it touches.

[brunssd]

10:15 AM on 03/19/2012

Would that have paid a full disability at age 25 like Social Security would have? SS is an insurance program against poverty for both young and old, it is not an investment scheme

[Willie12345]

11:37 AM on 03/19/2012

I could have bought disability insurance on my own with the money taken from me. I've not had any choice in the matter. NONE. Now, all of the promises, commitments, etc that have been made are going to be broken. It's been nothing more than a federal Ponzi scheme, forced upon the common man.

[novenator]

05:47 AM on 03/19/2012

Why *wouldn't* the AARP stand strong against attempts to gut Social Security and Medicare? That's part of the entire point of their organization.

[2lib4oh]

10:55 AM on 03/19/2012

No, they are not a non-profit organization. They want benefits to be cut so that you will have to buy supplemental insurance ,which they will be glad to sell you.
They are a lobbyist group that makes claims to look out for retired folks. They aren't doing their job very well.

Everyone should cancel their membership. It would send a very strong message to them.

We need a REAL advocacy group for seniors in Washington. This one is just a lobbyist organization that sells insurance to retired folks.

[rodlemay]

03:25 AM on 03/19/2012

Hmm, let's see. As representative of the senior set, AARP's interest is to maximixe the benefits to its members. As owner of an insurance company, AARP's interest is to reduce benefits to the maximum possible. Isn't that called a conflict of interests?

[Night Owl00]

02:48 AM on 03/19/2012

AARP wants to make a deal. They want to agree to Social Security cuts in exchange for the politicians not eliminating Medigap plans, which are a big part of AARP's income.

[atravelinturtle]

02:17 AM on 03/19/2012

Hey AARP - think of Komen, think of Rush. We can do without you if you betray us.

[2lib4oh]

10:57 AM on 03/19/2012

You got it nailed. We can do without them. Then we could start a real advocacy organization that is a non-profit.

[onlinenp]

09:56 PM on 03/18/2012

http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/about_aarp/annual_reports/2010_990_aarp.pdf

[onlinenp]

09:51 PM on 03/18/2012

The only pressure that AARP understands is a loss of members and a decrease in the number of products that are sold to its members.

[daveat1910]

09:05 PM on 03/18/2012

If AARP does not stick up for seniors, they may as well fold up there tent, they will lose much of their membership. Democrats and Republicans- the same for you. T-baggers you're just a pain.
For many people this is about buying meds or not, buying some need or not and we all know someone it applies to. And if you're to young to care- you will someday.

[Robin Ferruggia]

07:35 PM on 03/18/2012

I agree the AARP should advocate for the best interests of its membership and what they want and not give in regarding these unwanted and unnecessary cuts in crucial programs like Medicare and Social Security that are a lifeline for millions. But in the end the responsibility to prevent this is the individual voter's. We have to get out and vote in November. A lot of people tell themselves their vote is just one vote, it won't count. Well, there are millions upon millions of people who have only one vote, and it does count. If you want to protect your future and the Social Security benefits you paid into for all your life and are now entitled to receive without all this extra stress and threats of cuts, go to the polls in November and vote for Obama. And ignore all the slop the GOP and their ad execs are going to toss in your direction to confusion you in the meantime, because they're going to bombard us all with crazymaking lies and distortions about everything, try to instigate fear in us, try to make it appear only bums get Social Security and disability benefits, and play us and our emotions every way they can just to make sure the super wealthy can continue to not pay their fair share of taxes at our expense.

[eilish]

05:33 PM on 03/18/2012

The payroll tax cap is ridiculous in that it hasn't kept up with increases in income and is thus useless. It places a limit on benefits that is inarguably poverty-level.

And doncha just luuuuve how SS is called an 'entitlement' as though it's a dirty welfare word? We are entitled to it because of the vast amounts that we and our employers deposited to it over a 40 year career, SS is not in trouble of going broke, unless of course all those T-bills left in promise when the government 'borrows' from it every month are worthless.....

[charlcreat]

05:57 PM on 03/18/2012

It's only an entitlement in the sense that it pays out more than we pay into it. But the fact that the money was never considered by lawmakers( or is it 'lawbreakers?)to be an untouchable trust, now we have to bail it out and so will our kids and grandkids. Oh, but don't you dare talk about letting younger people opt to put even a small percentage into a fund or plan of their own choosing. Why the hell have we all busted our butts for all these years? I'm not counting on it being there when I retire. I'll just show up at the Capitol at lunchtime and look hungry. If I'm still ignored by my Congressman or Senator, maybe I'll drop my drawers and show them my 'Smiley Face' tattoo!

[Robin Ferruggia]

07:40 PM on 03/18/2012

Where do you think the feds got the money that Bush promised to bail out the crooks on Wall St? From the Social Security reserves. Where do you think they got the money to bail out the stupid car makers in Detroit who lost a lot because they're not willing to make cars as good as foreign imports are made? From the Social Security reserves. When the feds keep their hands out of our pot, what we paid into all our lives, then there won't be any problems. There's nothing significantly wrong with the Social Security program and Medicare is the best insurance program there is. They are careful and go after fraud and they even have financial liability protections to protect the elderly and disabled from fraud. No insurance company will give what Medicare does, but they're profit oriented and in the long run will charge more and provide less. Obama in 2012!!

[DIgnified]

05:59 PM on 03/18/2012

marriage, eic, and child tax credits are entitlements.

[eilish]

06:19 PM on 03/18/2012

I have a stepson that has NEVER paid income taxes because his income level + children + real estate taxes & interest + auto tax & license + charitable contributions + who knows what else get him off.

To top that - HE gets a CHECK (credit) every year.