Don't know about the rest of you 50+ folks, but it's time for me to burn my AARP card.
Have to start by saying that I like and respect many people who work for and serve as volunteers for AARP.
An article by Laura Meckler in today's Wall Street Journal reports that "AARP, the powerful lobbying group for older Americans, is dropping its longstanding opposition to cutting Social Security benefits... The shift, which has been vetted by AARP's board and is now the group's stance, could have a dramatic effect on the debate surrounding the future of the federal safety net, from pensions to health care, given the group's immense clout. "If they come around and say they're ready to do something, it will be like the Arctic icecap cracking," said former Sen. Alan Simpson, co-chairman of a White House commission on the deficit.
AARP's position is extremely damaging to the future of Social Security and to the many baby boomers it is working hard to entice into its membership and engage in many of the services it sells and sponsors.
Two reasons... Bad policy -- Given the economic challenges facing today's older people, especially those approaching retirement, we should be doing what we can to focus policy discussion on how inadequate the nation's retirement income system is to deal with the very serious risks (health care costs, lack of LTC protection, job losses, declines in values of housing and occupational pensions, IRAs) confronting those in retirement and those who will soon be. Instead of seeming to position itself as a reasonable inside deal maker that is open to benefit cuts, AARP should be educating about the need to selectively improve the one economic security institution that works quite well (SS).
Bad Strategy for those wanting to protect Social Security. Even if one believes that some ground may have to be ceded at some pointt on Social Security, it is terrible negotiation strategy to signal a willingness to compromise before negotiations are joined. And even if AARP is open to compromise on Social Security, it should be doing absolutely everything it can to make sure that no action is forthcoming this year when Social Security policymaking has been so thoroughly and falsely conflated with deficit politics.
Well, I suppose we should not be too surprised about AARP's willingness to compromise its constituency. After all, AARP hawks health, auto, motorcycle, home, mobile home, long-term care, dental and life insurance besides offering discounts and incentives for travel, eyeglass, hearing aid and many other services. It also sells annuities, mail order prescription drugs and credit cards and has seven no-load mutual funds and well as one of the largest mailing lists in the nation and publishes one of the nation's most widely circulated and lucrative magazines etc.
From an organizational maintenance perspective I suppose it is expected that AARP would, first and foremost, function to protect its many institutional and corporate interests. Still, it's unfortunate to see the "800 pound Gorilla" of aging organizations play such a cautious and stand-offish game. While I would prefer to believe otherwise, it seems to me that, on balance AARP places much more value on its ability to be an inside player and to maintain its reputation as a deal maker than it does on the needs of older Americans.
And so, sadly and with respect for many good people associated with AARP, I have decided to make the supreme sacrifice and "burn my AARP card" and recommend that others consider doing so as well. No more AARP discounts, free magazines with Katie Couric, Sally Field, Michael Fox, Goldie Hawn, Condoleezza Rice, Robin Williams, Robert Redford, Harrison Ford and others emblazoned each month on its cover -- all fine people but hardly typical of the nation's very diverse population of boomers and elders. Oh well.
Fortunately, there are a couple of organizations out there -- the Alliance for Retired Americans and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare -- which maintain an advocacy focus more supportive of the protections provided by Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. For those also inclined to "tune out and drop out" of AARP, maybe its time for us through our various networks, blogs and organizational involvements to encourage others to do so as well. And, with AARP being so wavering in its support of elders, hopefully, two outstanding organizations -- the Alliance for Retired Americans and the National Committee for the Preservation of Social Security and Medicare -- will find opportunity to further build their already substantial memberships and with it to become even stronger advocates for today's and tomorrow's older Americans.
Follow Eric Kingson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/NoSocSecCuts
Roger Hickey: AARP Tells Members They Won't Fight Social Security Benefit Cuts
I understand the issues very well, but there are those of us who have zero access to pensions and our "company match" on our 401K's barely covers the fees on our accounts, so we're basically on our own for retirement. Between paying back college loans, paying for our elder colleagues' health care in the form of ever-increasing premiums, child care, trying to save something for our own children's college so that they may be better off...there is NOTHING LEFT. The well is DRY. We not only can't afford to pay for your retirement, just wait until we get there and there's nothing left (SS/Medicare). With no pensions and having been bled dry, I worry that in 30 years, seniors will be spending their golden years in homeless shelters instead of nursing homes...very sad.
This article is about Media, entertainment, news and what I call nothing!
Worthless information!
How about a real article that talks as such(facts):
USA is RICH, the yearly income is 15 Trillion. We do not had a problem with our Debt-only $14.X trillion, we have a REVENUE problem(Corporations and the Affluent one’s have not been paying your fair share since 1981 Tax law change!)! It’s time these welfare-queens start contributing and not stealing from the rest of us because of laws President and Congress have collaborate provided to manipulate and institute stealing as an honest profession! Financial Institutions would be happy to invest thought loans up to 45% of yearly income! We are below 10%I in borrowing so we have a long way to go before we need to concern ourselves with our Debt, so please tell the truth in the future, inform those delusional folks such as the President, Media, and fellow Congress of the real story!
Social Security does not need any changes, Medicare, Medicaid are great they can provide current activity and should be increased to reflect all money stolen from them by the laws that were changed since 1981 Tax changes which gave to the RICH and stolen from everyone else-through transfer wealth from the 90% which gave to the Affluent one’s-the 10%.
Especially once the then newly-elected Republican House decided to start looking over AARP's tax-exempt status after their rather vocal position in favor of Obama-Care.
Now, if you want to take from that what is most obvious, please be my guest. But AARP has been facing a rather serious threat lately. So this change in position should be no surprise.
What would be a surprise is if their 37+ million membership decided to actually flood Congresspersons' with the message that this B.S. (or Medicare "reform") isn't going to end up well for their careers...
Its time we cut our losses. As a young guy (24) I am completely fed up. My generation will not continue to pay into a fund that won't be around by the time we need it.
Get over yourselves, and get back to work America!
Oh... and if you can't find a job... make one
Apparently you are an expert at making jobs too. Let me guess you decided to make a job working for right wing organizations trolling the comment sections of articles. I heard you can make a decent living parasitically feeding off of your neighbors.
Here is a piece of history that you may have overlooked in your learned 24 years of life experience. Social Security didn't come about out of thin air. It arose after centuries of hellish situations for the elderly and disabled who could no longer work and were left to languish in dire poverty.
Realize that tomorrow you could become permanently disabled, and unless you have wealth in the 10's of millions of dollars you are gonna need social security.
Unfortunately, a lot of seniors have been conned into thinking it somehow represents them.
It does not. Never has.