The New York City Alliance for Retired Americans along with a number of other senior organizations coordinated an event with the Occupy Wall Street Movement last Monday the 21st. The event included a solidarity march in which occupiers and seniors marched to Zuccotti Park. Before the march there was a forum held called “Intergenerational Dialogue” Forum where many speakers talked about cuts to Medicare, Social Security, and Medicare and how these cuts would affect the 99%.
A number of labor speakers that talked about how these cuts would affect them and people like them. Many of these speakers are part of the senior movement, including Michael Burgess, who is a policy consultant for New York Statewide Senior Action Council and was the former Director of the New York State Office for the Aging. Natasha Perez also spoke; she is the Regional Field Director for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. Also the Alliance’s very own Nancy True, Director of IBT Local 237 Retirees Division delivered remarks.
This successful demonstration brought a lot of attention to senior issues. These types of demonstrations are necessary to call attention to senior issues such as Medicare and Social Security. Congress needs to know that they cannot simply cut senior programs without a major backlash that they will feel both in the media and the polls.
Retirees with the Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans held a meeting Friday, November 18th at Senator Patty Murray’s office in Tacoma, as the "Super Committee" entered the final hours of their deliberations. This wasn’t a discussion about abstract financial debates, or complex political agreements - it was about real people. These retirees weren’t political insiders that understand the games that politicians play or lobbyists that are paid by powerful special interests. They were regular people who live in Washington State, working hard every day to get by in tough times, and relying on Senator Murray to remember their stories as the "Super Committee" finished its work.
Senator Murray’s office was moved by the presentation of hand-written stories from members across generations identifying the impact of potential cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as well as by personalized testimonies from members Bette Reed from Seattle, and Nancy Lawson from Gig Harbor.
The Washington Alliance put real faces on real problems.
Bette Reed from Seattle is solely dependent on Social Security for her income, and she is by no means alone. She explains the hardship that cutting Social Security would cause for her and others, and the direct impact it would have on increasing the poverty rate among seniors and other populations in Washington and nationwide. She also points out that she does not expect to receive Social Security for nothing. In fact, Reed has contributed to Social Security throughout her entire life, beginning in 1951. Watch her compelling testimony here.
Nancy Lawson from Gig Harbor speaks to Patty Murray here:
The Super Committee announced Monday, November 21st that they could not come to a bi-partisan agreement to reduce the federal deficit by $1.2 trillion. This came as good news to seniors in Washington state and across the country as reports indicated many cuts on the table would have fallen on those least able to afford them – seniors and low-income individuals who rely on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid just to survive – instead of large corporations and the wealthiest individuals. However, the budget deficit debate is not over and retirees will remain engaged and vocal. They will continue to work to make sure that the budget is not balanced only on the backs of seniors and working people who did not create the current crisis and cannot afford to solely fix it.
Early November was an ominous time for many social programs, including Social Security and Medicare. The Super Committee was closing in on its November 23rd deadline and scrambling to make their $1.2 trillion mark. This meant that Social Security and Medicare were on the congressional chopping block, and seniors were not going to take it laying down. Their frustration and outright rage at lawmakers nickel and diming the elderly finally spilled over on November 7th as seniors took to the streets with the Occupy Movement in Chicago. A number of senior groups joined the protestors in Federal Plaza, including the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans.
The seniors were fearless in order to gain support for their cause, they joined the protestors as they marched a block from the park into the intersection of Jackson and Clark. They achieved their goal by bringing traffic to a standstill as protestors stood and sat in the middle of the intersection. Police quickly ushered protestors off the street and issued over 40 citations, however the seniors and protestors would not be discouraged. Many said they would do whatever it took to ensure their benefits weren’t cut. They scoffed at the idea jail, saying that would be a small price to pay to ensure there were no cuts to Medicare and Social Security. "People are already living on starvation amounts of money. It's not time to cut," said protester Tom Wilson.
Seniors are finding support among other politicians as well. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin said:
Social Security has served America for over 70 years. Let's stand behind Social Security and make it strong.
Representative Danny Davis, that represents the 7th district of Illinois echoed Durbin’s thoughts saying: “Get your hands off Social Security. Get your hands off Medicaid. Don't mess with Medicare." It is clear that the seniors’ message is heard and supported. This is evident by the failure of the Super Committee to reach any kind of deal on November 23rd.It is now a matter of holding politicians’ feet to the fire, making sure they stand by their words and their constituents. "We are citizens too. We vote too," said Ruth Davis, one of the protesters in Chicago.
The overall outcry from protestors garnered the attention from lawmakers. Many agree, now is not the time to cut. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) came to speak at the protest, admonishing Washington for trying to balance the budget on the back of seniors. This month, joining the Alliance Retired Americans and the Strength Social Security campaign, Schakowsky unveiled a report titled The High Cost to Illinois of Raising the Medicare Age. The report details how increasing the retirement age to 67 negatively impact on the state, costing individuals; businesses and the State of Illinois a whopping $524 million more in the first year alone. The answer to the states’ and country’s debt problems are not rooted in social programs.
Congress should remember that as the 2012 elections are around the corner, and senior issues promise to be a key campaign issue.
Be sure to hold the following dates for the Alliance’s 2012 Regional Meetings:
* Western Regional: February 29 – March 2, 2012 Las Vegas, Nevada - Bally’s Hotel
* Midwest Regional: March 5-8, 2012 Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Hilton Hotel Milwaukee
* Southern Regional: April 29 – May 1, 2012 Orlando, Florida – Buena Vista Palace Hotel
* Northeastern Regional: May 14-16, 2012 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Sheraton City Center Hotel
Additional information will be available soon. Questions? Please call Event Coordinator Joni Jones at 202-637-5377 or e-mail jjones@retiredamericans.org
