I’m probably more focused on senior citizens these days, since I recently lost a friend and my Dad is fighting for his life at the VA Hospital. What has me mad as hell is the way that politicians try to scare them into supporting their agendas.
This week Jane Norton, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, called Social Security a ponzi scheme. Given the recent history of real ponzi schemes both big (Madoff) and small (Valley Investments,) it is irresponsible of Norton to scare seniors that their income may disappear, the way that investments disappear in ponzi schemes.
We’ve heard that Medicare will cut benefits to seniors if the Democrats ram a health care reform bill through congress without Republican support. On the other hand, we’ve heard Republican candidates for House District 54 say that Medicare should be eliminated. Somehow that gets translated into a call to keep government’s hands off of health care by Tea Partiers, who enjoy Medicare and VA benefits. In the same breath they blame Democrats for not fixing the Medicare payment formula during the past 20 years, even when the Band-Aid fix this year was held up by one lone Republican Senator.
All of this is because, as one blogger put it, “seniors sometimes forget to put their teeth in, but they never forget to vote.” Scaring seniors gets them to vote against their own best interests.
In 2000, Grand Junction’s population was 17.9% persons 65 years old and over, compared with 9.7% of the state as a whole. By 2008, estimates are that Delta County’s population is 19.9% persons 65 years old and over, compared with 10.3% of the state as a whole. Mesa County’s senior population at the same time was 15.2%.
This district has a senior population that is higher than the average for the state, so our seniors need to know the truth about what is happening in health care and Social Security, not a bunch of trumped up lies designed to protect insurance and investment companies, their profits, and the bonuses of their executives.
Homework:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/0831660.html
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/08029.html
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/08077.html
This week Jane Norton, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, called Social Security a ponzi scheme. Given the recent history of real ponzi schemes both big (Madoff) and small (Valley Investments,) it is irresponsible of Norton to scare seniors that their income may disappear, the way that investments disappear in ponzi schemes.
We’ve heard that Medicare will cut benefits to seniors if the Democrats ram a health care reform bill through congress without Republican support. On the other hand, we’ve heard Republican candidates for House District 54 say that Medicare should be eliminated. Somehow that gets translated into a call to keep government’s hands off of health care by Tea Partiers, who enjoy Medicare and VA benefits. In the same breath they blame Democrats for not fixing the Medicare payment formula during the past 20 years, even when the Band-Aid fix this year was held up by one lone Republican Senator.
All of this is because, as one blogger put it, “seniors sometimes forget to put their teeth in, but they never forget to vote.” Scaring seniors gets them to vote against their own best interests.
In 2000, Grand Junction’s population was 17.9% persons 65 years old and over, compared with 9.7% of the state as a whole. By 2008, estimates are that Delta County’s population is 19.9% persons 65 years old and over, compared with 10.3% of the state as a whole. Mesa County’s senior population at the same time was 15.2%.
This district has a senior population that is higher than the average for the state, so our seniors need to know the truth about what is happening in health care and Social Security, not a bunch of trumped up lies designed to protect insurance and investment companies, their profits, and the bonuses of their executives.
Homework:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/0831660.html
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/08029.html
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/08077.html
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