Re: Medicare's Future: Whose Side Is AARP On?

"MDZig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> IMHO: All AARP members who oppose the bill and resent AARP's blanket
> endorsement without member consent should demand a refund of their
> membership dues and a cancellation of membership.
>
> I am an AARP member who does not want to belong to (and support) an
> organization that provides endorsements so contrary to member
> interests and adds insult to injury, by doing so without first
> consulting its members.
>
> What a farce, AARP, who is supposed to represent the interests of
> senior citizens, is selling us out -- and then telling us it is for
> our own good.
>
> Well, we know what is good for us. Let's show them  that a group that
> sells us out for their own selfish interests does not deserve my (and
> your) membership money!
>
> Sincerely,
>
> M. D. Zig
>
>
> On Fri, 14 Nov 2003 06:18:42 GMT, "Alexander Gross"
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> >Earlier today I sent the following message to AARP (the American
Association
> >for Retired People).  I urge all of you who may be members of this
> >organization to go to their website and leave a similar message at:
> >
>
>http://www.aarp.org/contactaarp/Articles/a2003-01-28-contact-issuesform.htm
l
> >
> >I have added the URLs at the end for some of the articles appearing
> >in todays's media which led me to send this message:
> >
> >------------------------------
> >
> >Dear AARP Officers:
> >
> >I have been reading articles on the Senate-House Medicare debate since
early
> >in the summer.
> >
> >Based on the position attributed to AARP in several recent publications,
> >that you are inclined to support a version of the bill favoring aspects
of
> >privatization (contrary to your policy as stated on your site), I want
you
> >to understand that to the extent that these reports are true, my wife and
I
> >may find it impossible to continue as members of AARP.
> >
> >I suspect that many other low- and medium-income AARP members may feel
the
> >same.
> >
> >Sincerely,
> >
> >Alex Gross
> >
> >-----------------
> >
> >If these reports from today's published press are true, they can only
mean
> >that AARP has now abandoned its main constituency and membership, namely
> >older & retired Americans.
> >
> >You can judge this issue for yourselves by looking at the following
> >articles, first from today's Washington Post::
> >
> >http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38377-2003Nov13.html
> >
> >and also from the following UPI piece:
> >
> >http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20031112-011330-7210r
> >
> >Politics may well be the art of the possible, and compromise may also
play
> >an
> >important role in successful politics, but the people being compromised
by
> >AARP's position are in fact none other than their own members.
> >
>
    With all due respect to my fellow posters, I am sincere when I tell you
my posts here are NOT to push any particular agenda. Rather....these humble
ramblings are an attempt by my ageing mind and heart to share something with
you fellow seniors that may actually be helpful to us all.
    With that, I would remind many that the above quoted story in the
Washington Post and written by Dana Milbank and Amy Goldstein, Washington
Post Staff Writers all are both a newspaper and Staff who have, shall we
politely, a somewhat "left" bent view on the world and events therein.
    I can quote from you're AARP Executive director as contained in a
somewhat more objective source, namely the Associated Press. And the quote
is thus:
"The bill is not perfect, AARP chief executive William D. Novelli told the
Associated Press in an interview, ading, "But the country can't afford to
wait for perfect."

The organization, which claims 35 million members age 50 and over, issued
its endorsement as Democratic critics renewed their attacks.

Novelli said in the interview his organization would "pull out all the
stops" to get the bill passed, including a three-day television campaign
timed for the run-up to expected action on the legislation in the House and
Senate at the end of the week.

Rother said the AARP was prepared to spend more if Congress has not voted
before Friday.


Democrats voiced their displeasure.

So, there you have it fellow seniors, not perfect but better than what we
have now.......NOTHING.

All The Best

DrFrank