Alliance Endorses Barack Obama with Events in Ten States on Same Day

October 17, 2008

Alliance Endorses Barack Obama with Events in Ten States on Same Day

Citing his strong support for Social Security in a time of economic anxiety, the Alliance endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President on Tuesday. "Barack Obama opposes Social Security privatization, because he knows that we can't gamble away our savings on Wall Street. He will fix our health care mess, lower the cost of prescription drugs, and do away with income taxes for seniors earning less than $50,000. We are proud to support the Obama-Biden ticket," Alliance President George J. Kourpias said. In contrast, Kourpias noted, John McCain fully embraces President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security, having voted three times to take money out of the Social Security Trust Fund and create private accounts tied to the roulette wheel of the stock market. "George Bush and John McCain must be the only two people left who think Wall Street is a good place for Social Security," Kourpias said. According to the Congressional Budget Office, Americans' retirement accounts have lost up to $2 trillion in the past 15 months. Kourpias said that retirees were "deeply offended" this summer when John McCain, who receives $23,000 in annual benefits, said it was "an absolute disgrace" that younger workers must pay for current Social Security beneficiaries.

Alliance chapters in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania held events on Tuesday to announce the endorsement. Featured speakers included: Shirley McAllister, an Obama delegate to this year's Democratic convention and a delegate to the six previous conventions, in Phoenix, Arizona; national Alliance Executive Director Edward Coyle in Fort Myers, Florida; former U.S Senator Birch Bayh in Indianapolis, as well as former U.S. Rep. Tim Roemer in Mishawaka, Indiana; U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) in Des Moines, Iowa; State Treasurer Kate Marshall in Carson City, Nevada; State Alliance Presidents John Mendolusky in Concord, New Hampshire and Emil Shaw in Albuquerque, New Mexico; national Alliance Director of Government and Political Affairs Richard Fiesta in Raleigh, North Carolina; former U.S. Rep. Bob Shamansky in Columbus, Ohio; and Allegheny County Council Member Amanda Green in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Benefits for Social Security Recipients, Federal Retirees to Increase by 5.8 Percent

Following a year of rising food and energy prices, benefits for Social Security recipients and federal government retirees will see a 5.8 percent increase, the largest cost-of-living adjustment since 1982, in 2009. Although large compared to last year's 2.3 percent increase, many experts believe the rising prices will exceed the increase in benefits. Nonetheless, if the McCain-supported Social Security privatization initiative of 2005 had not successfully been defeated, seniors would have seen an enormous drop in benefits, not a record increase. Alliance Secretary-Treasurer Ruben Burks remarked, "As of this week, the Dow is down 35.33 percent for the year. If John McCain and George W. Bush had had their way, seniors would have seen a massive reduction in their benefits from Social Security--a far cry from the nearly 6% increase we will enjoy instead."

Illegal Voter Suppression: Foreclosure Does Not Mean Loss of Right to Vote

A recent New York Times editorial states that partisans are compiling lists of voters who have lost their homes or are on foreclosure lists, so that they can argue to poll workers that the foreclosed individual no longer has a local address and cannot vote in that community. Many state elections officials are already working hard to make sure all voters can cast their ballots. You can help by contacting your state election official and making sure that they: 1) Widely advertise the law in their specific state that if someone has lost their home, they can change their registration and vote; 2) Properly train poll-workers so that they know the law, and increase the number of poll workers to handle the confusion that could arise at the polls; and 3) Remind local boards of election that the fact that a voter is involved in a foreclosure is not, by itself, sufficient basis for challenging his or her right to vote. The National Campaign for Fair Elections has lawyers throughout the states. Report any voter suppression efforts to them at 1-866-OUR VOTE (1-866-687-8683).

As Budgets Tighten, More People Decide Medical Care Can Wait

With Wall Street devouring retirement savings and unemployment rising, the economic crunch is causing a growing number of anxious Americans to scale back on medical care. According to The Washington Post, consumers are pushing off less urgent services and gambling with their health in the hope of a brighter financial future. Physicians believe, however, that these short-term savings will result in more expensive and severe long-term health implications. Edward Coyle said, "America’s seniors are losing their savings and at the same time struggling to pay for medical treatment. It is a tragedy when they have to postpone health care because of lost savings."

San Diego to Host Gerontological Conference

What is the economic impact when an older person falls down? How much income does a senior need to survive in today's economy? The 2008 American Public Health Association meeting in San Diego on October 25-29 features answers to these questions and other presentations on gerentological health, drawing upon the expertise of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the data of the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the nation’s largest state health survey. Learn more at: www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu/APHA2008 .

Did You Know--
A total of 308 prescription drug plans qualified to serve low-income Medicare beneficiaries in 2009, 200 fewer than in 2008 (CQ HealthBeat News).

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