In my opinion “AARP” should be changed to the Association for the Annihilation of Retired People. The health care reform they support will have a devastating impact on senior citizens.
The same government that taxed us for over 27 years and spent all our money, now intends to solve the problem they created by screwing us out of our Social Security benefits and our Medicare. In the future, baby boomers that become seriously ill are likely to be given happy pills to help exit this world gracefully, while illegal immigrants get free medical care.
In case you need proof, read the following article from the Washington Post.
Without higher taxes,
the national debt will be crushing
Washington Post, by David S. Broder
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/09/AR2010040903717.html
Note the following quote from Ben Bernanke:
“Inevitably, addressing the fiscal challenges posed by an aging population will require a willingness to make difficult choices. The arithmetic is, unfortunately, quite clear. To avoid large and unsustainable budget deficits, the nation will ultimately have to choose among higher taxes, modifications to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, less spending on everything else from education to defense, or some combination of the above.”
Key words: Aging population. Difficult choices. Unsustainable budget deficits. Modifcations to entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare. Who do you think he has in mind?
President Obama already cancelled the Social Security Cost of Living Increase for the first time since 1950. He also increased Medicare Premiums. I don’t recall hearing any objections from AARP. Democrats have been winning close elections for years by claiming Republicans would cut Social Security. Well, Democrats are in power and the first thing they did was cut Social Security. The silence from AARP is deafening.
But that is just the start. The following article from the Christian Science Monitor outlines key provisions of the new law:
Pay attention to the Independent Payment Advisory Board made up of 15 members. This board will submit legislative proposals to reduce per capita Medicare spending, if that grows too fast.
Medicare spending will grow too fast. This board will soon be making decisions on how to cut costs. What actions are they likely to recommend? The following article published in 2002, regarding the Canadian Health Care System provides some valuable clues:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0LVZ/is_8_17/ai_84895863/
This report indicates that according to Canadian Institute of Actuaries, 30% to 50% of lifetime health car expenditures occur in the last six months of life. The solution they propose? More use of palliative care and focus on living wills.
“More use of palliative care.” That means when baby boomers get seriously ill, under Obama care they are probably going to get more pain pills and free access to a really nice hospice, but no real treatment. They will also get a steady diet of creative government advertizing campaigns designed to encourage them to die quickly and cheaply for the greater good.
At a time when seniors desperately need a strong voice to represent their interests, they get the AARP. AARP was so busy helping Obama jam through his health care program that it didn’t notice the cut to Social Security benefits or the increase in Medicare premiums.
We can’t possibly have a strong voice on this subject until we first stop the AARP from pretending to speak for us. All the AARP does now is give political cover for the Obama administration.
Meet the CEO of the AARP:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-03-12-aarp_N.htm
Read what the AARP is saying about health care reform:
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/policy/articles/reform_splash.html
Learn what the AARP may have gained from this legislation:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/26/AR2009102603392.html
At a minimum, the AARP should be demanding that if cuts have to be made, they must be made across the board, without sweetheart deals for unions and uninsured minorities or illegal immigrants. The AARP should be negotiating for protection of senior citizens against the kind of health care rationing that is likely to come. The AARP should be standing up for seniors and holding the House, the Senate and the President accountable. They aren’t doing that. Since AARP is not on board, we need to throw them overboard.
Suggestions:
- Start with the truth. Acknowledge that what is obviously true is obviously true. Understand that if senior citizens don’t unite now and stop this, we are going to pay a terrible price in the future.
- Start an e-mail campaign to get the message out to every senior citizen. Forward this e-mail to everyone you know. Ask them to pass it on. Pass on other e-mails that support the same goals.
- Inundate AARP with e-mails, phone calls and letters. Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper regarding AARP. Cancel your AARP membership.
- Vote to remove anyone who voted for this health care reform legislation.
Baby boomers have been paying higher Social Security taxes since 1983. We have already paid for our Social Security benefits and our Medicare expense. If we don’t act now, the greatest generation will be rapidly replaced by the generation that got screwed.
Use the following link to e-mail top executives at AARP. Just click on his/her name, and then click on “e-mail.”
http://www.aarp.org/aarp/About_AARP/leadership/
The mailing address is:
AARP
601 E Street N.W.
Washington, DC 20049
Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277)
Toll-Free TTY: 1-877-434-7598
Toll-Free Spanish: 1-877-MAS-DE50 (1-877-627-3350)
International Calls: 1-202-434-3525
The sooner we act, the better chance of stopping this.
TDM