AARP Wants Its Members To Get Involved In Budget Deficit Game

[Masbee]

You may be misinterpreting your article. In this article, the same author calls for increasing taxes on the rich.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/03/25/news/economy/tax_increase/index.htm?iid=EAL

So, he calls for tax increases? One of MANY steps needed to "save" the entitlement programs. How or what am I misinterpreting?

 

[Masbee]

And I know it's semantic, but we're not talking about "the greatest generation" here. We're talking about (no offense to anyone here) baby boomers.

The Greatest Generation is defined by Brokaw (who coined the term) as "the generation who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity within the war's home front made a decisive material contribution to the war effort."

[/URL]:

Yes, the Baby Boomers are the demographic time-bomb that will destroy the inter-generational transfer system, just due to sheer numbers.

However, you are wrong. The "Greatest" Generation are EXACTLY the folks who created, fed and teflon coated the monster.

As well, that generation got what any economist would tell you is a fantastic deal for the explicit taxes paid in. SSI and Medicare taxes started out quite low. The payouts were relatively generous to those retirees that lived long enough. How was that paid for? By the Baby Boomers who saw a significant increase in SSI and Medicare taxes.

So, it is now wonder that SSI and Medicare became WILDLY popular among the "greatest" generation, so much so that they developed a bizzare mental blind spot that allowed them to think they "earned" it or had paid plenty of taxes to justify their "benefits".

Study the history of prior attempts to reform SSI and Medicare so that they were more sustainable. Who created the Third-Rail in American politics?

 

[Masbee]

Why shouldn't AARP lobby the government on behalf of its members? It's a constitutional right to both form voluntary associations and to lobby government.

Read the article. Author points out AARP is also running a BIG business, which is a conflict of interest.

Additonally, AARP has systematically LIED over and over and over again in order to push their policies.

Additionally, AARP has pushed policies in Washington that a majority of their member do not agree with.

And fine, they can push their agenda.

And I (and some others) are free to point out that they are fucking scum of the earth for the incredible damage they have caused this county.

 

[Denny Crane]

You are free to point out whatever you like. Big businesses have political interests, and they're voluntary associations.

 

[Masbee]

You are free to point out whatever you like. Big businesses have political interests, and they're voluntary associations.

Do those businesses have a dual personality?

We know they are profit seeking organizations. We know their primary legal responsibility and main motivators.

It is not the same thing.

AARP has credibility on the issues because they are perceived to be NOT motivated by profit or revenue considerations.

 

[Denny Crane]

Do those businesses have a dual personality?

We know they are profit seeking organizations. We know their primary legal responsibility and main motivators.

It is not the same thing.

AARP has credibility on the issues because they are perceived to be NOT motivated by profit or revenue considerations.

It looks to me like AARP partners with insurance companies and isn't an insurance company itself.

Health insurance through Aetna
Life insurance through New York Life
Auto Insurance through The Hartford
Homeowners insurance through The Hartford
Long term care insurance through Genworth Financial
Motorcycle insurance through Foremost / Farmers Insurance Group
Annuities through New York Life
Property & Casualty from Real Legacy Assurance Company

It looks like they lobby the insurance companies for better rates for their members, too.

 

[MARIS61]

Those enrollee numbers would be cut to less than half if illegal immigration was successfully eliminated.

Cost per enrollee skyrockets simply because we don't have socialized healthcare like every modern, developed country in the world.

WE are now the third world.

 

[MARIS61]

I'm not a legimate source, but AARP put out a commercial blitz stating that they were opposed to any cuts to medicare service whatsoever. The same medicare service that is overrun by an amount annually that can pay for the entire DoD, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the DHS.

Medicare keeps people alive. DOD and DHS kill people. Apples and (Agent) Oranges.

You don't think that if we doubled the size of the military and started fighting two more wars, that someone "legitimate" would state that it's not economically feasible?

We did that 10 years ago and nobody "legitimate" raised an eyebrow.

 

[MARIS61]

The US has no successful health care program.

FIFY.

 

[MARIS61]

It looks to me like AARP partners with insurance companies and isn't an insurance company itself.

Health insurance through Aetna
Life insurance through New York Life
Auto Insurance through The Hartford
Homeowners insurance through The Hartford
Long term care insurance through Genworth Financial
Motorcycle insurance through Foremost / Farmers Insurance Group
Annuities through New York Life
Property & Casualty from Real Legacy Assurance Company

It looks like they lobby the insurance companies for better rates for their members, too.

The rates aren't even that great. You can beat them if you shop around.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Medicare keeps people alive. DOD and DHS kill people. Apples and (Agent) Oranges.

Simplistic, but close. Except that the oranges are mandated by the Constitution. The apples are not.