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IMO, AARP has far too much influence on our legislators...their messages seem to represent seniors without any regard to other generations. Their Soc Sec TV ad last year was a recent example...
Well, it is an organization whose mission is to represent "retired persons." As for its influence: I haven't seen evidence of that, not so during the past several years at least. But if as an organization it has been active, that still leaves most seniors who seem to sit on their hands and whine all of the time about government benefits ... without willing to invest some 'sweat equity' in advancing their viewpoints ... individually.
Well, it is an organization whose mission is to represent "retired persons." As for its influence: I haven't seen evidence of that, not so during the past several years at least. But if as an organization it has been active, that still leaves most seniors who seem to sit on their hands and whine all of the time about government benefits ... without willing to invest some 'sweat equity' in advancing their viewpoints ... individually.
AARP says they have 37-40 million members. As for influence, from Fortune magazine top 25 most powerful lobbying-special interest groups:
1. National Rifle Association
2. American Association of Retired People (AARP)
3. National Federation of Independent Business
4. American Israel Foreign Affairs Committee
5. Association of Trial Lawyers of America
6. AFL-CIO
7. Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America
8. National Beer Wholesalers of America
9. National Association of Realtors
10. National Association of Manufacturers
11. National Association of Homebuilders of the United States
12. American Medical Association
13. American Hospital Association
14. National Education Association of the United States
15. American Farm Bureau Federation
16. Motion Picture Association of America
17. National Association of Broadcasters
18. National Right to Life Committee
19. Health Insurance Association of America
20. National Restaurant Association
21. National Governors' Association
22. Recording Industry Association of America
23. American Bankers Association
24. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
25. International Brotherhood of Teamsters
I doubt they spend millions lobbying with no effect on legislation.
It would be helpful to specify what checks you are talking about. Social Security? Public employee pension checks (and if so at what level - federal, state, county or city)? Private sector pension checks?
If you mean Social Security checks, then you are wrong, because Social Security benefits, unlike many pensions at the level of state governments, are not a contractual obligation. Congress can legislate changes, which would need to be signed into law by whoever is the sitting President unless Congress overrides a Presidential veto. (If you mean Obama making unilateral changes by executive order, then you are right and I agree with you, as they would need to come from Congressional action).
Now if you are talking about the time at which Social Security will run out of surplus - currently officially projected to be in 2033 but which will probably occur sooner - under current law benefits will have to be cut because Social Security benefits cannot be paid out of general revenue. Naturally it is likely that legislative changes will be made before then in order to prevent the cuts in benefits, which would cause a hell of a political uproar.
If you are talking about state or local government pension checks, then of course Obama has nothing to do with them and you are correct. But I don't think that's what you meant or why would you have mentioned Obama at all?
You see how murky and confused things get when we make undefined statements?
Yep;the SS trusteees explian just that in last eyars reprot and they even gave a estimate on when all SS checks across the board by the law would be cut estimated 30%. The breux commission and Nush's proposals sahow just how polticvally difficult any chnages will be to get done ;so like not until its in crisis by date withcuts coming.
For the most part, I doubt the 'voice' of seniors will be heard in any debate about social security benefit changes. Why? Because seniors don't seem to be actively engaged in the discussions and the legislators don't seem to care much about what seniors think about the matter. There may be very few legislative districts where there is some activism, but, for the most part ... seniors are like the youngest of voters ... both demographic groups complain a lot, but they don't care enough to become involved.
I don't know where you got such an absurd idea. Seniors are far more actively involved in voting then other age groups. The most important voice legislators pay attention to are those who vote for them.
Elections are decided by the people who show up at the polls. In the United States, the oldest citizens are the most likely to cast their ballots, which gives them political clout beyond their numbers alone. Some 61 percent of citizens age 65 and older voted in the November 2010 election, the best turnout of any age group. More than half (54 percent) of those ages 55 to 64 also cast a ballot. People under age 45 are much less likely to vote. Just 37 percent of 25- to 44-year-olds made it to the polls in November 2010. And not even a quarter (21 percent) of the youngest citizens—ages 18 to 24—entered a voting booth in 2010.
I realize the truth won't mean anything to these people but take a look at some of the data from Obama supporters like the New York Times. (Doesn't anyone read or watch the news anymore?)
Expansion of Medicaid to include a family of four making $92,200 a year APHA: Medicaid Expansion (good overview)
And, in addition to not bothering with the CD search function, you apparently can't read, either. $92,200 has nothing to do with Medicaid. Do you even know the difference between Medicaid, Medicare, and private health insurance plans? I thought not.
$92,200 ceiling relates to premium subsidies for PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE, per your link:
Quote:
$92,200 - This will be the upper limit for eligibility for income-based subsidies for the purchase of private insurance through the new health insurance exchanges.
Advantage plans have been overpaid about 14% a year, while offering in some (not all) states limited HMO coverage with attendant billing hassles. If people can afford the premiums, in many cases they are much better served by supplement plans.
The election is over, by the way. What campaign are you running that you feel it necessary to promote misrepresentations and hyperbole?
I don't know where you got such an absurd idea. Seniors are far more actively involved in voting then other age groups. The most important voice legislators pay attention to are those who vote for them.
In the final analysis, it's all about numbers. In the 2012 election, 19% of the voters were between the ages of 18-29, while 16% of the voters were aged 65 and over.
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