"Raising the retirement age would inflict further hardship among a group of workers who are likely to face health and economic problems in their 60s." –Doug Hart, President, Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans
"Of all the lies and confusion that still surround the Affordable Care Act, perhaps the greatest is that it is bad for seniors." - Dave Meinell, President, Missouri Alliance for Retired Americans
"My father died when I was three. Because of Social Security (survivors) benefits, my Mom, my younger sister and I survived." – Diane Fleming, DC Alliance Member
"We fear that Congress will balance the budget on the backs of the 98 percent, which is working Montanans and retired Montanans. We simply cannot afford these devastating cuts to vital services such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid," –John Forkan, President, Montana Alliance for Retired Americans
"Along with national parks and Social Security, Medicare is one of the best ideas we Americans have ever devised." -Tim Cunningham, New Mexico Alliance Member
"Seniors have earned and deserve their Social Security checks, and they shouldn't have to go to Congress every 10 years and beg for the program to be renewed." –James Parent, Alliance for Retired Americans Regional Board Member
"Today's retirees paid Medicare and Social Security taxes in every paycheck we ever earned. Now that we are retired, these programs help us to be able to stay healthy and pay our bills. They are the promise we make to people who worked hard all their lives, and we need to keep that promise for today’s workers." –Tony Fransetta, President, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans
"Today's seniors want to lower the budget deficit. We do not want a large debt to be the legacy we leave to future generations, but we should not punish people who have paid Social Security taxes all their lives." –Jim Moore, President, North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans
"Social Security should remain what it has been for 77 years – a solid, reliable way that generations of workers have been able to retire with dignity, economic security, and peace of mind." –Barbara J. Easterling, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
"The fight for Social Security and Medicare is part of a larger fight for justice and fairness"—Barbara J. Easterling, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
"The health insurance reform helps not just seniors, but also middle-class families and young Americans, who are just starting to see the benefits. Don’t let Republicans take all that away." –Don Rowen, President Emeritus, Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans
"Honoring the promise of Social Security and Medicare should not be a partisan issue. Honoring the contributions that we make throughout our working years so that we may feed and clothe ourselves, keep a roof over our heads and those of our family, there is no reason for that to be a hotly contested partisan issue." –Edward Coyle, Executive Director, Alliance for Retired Americans
"We need to make sure that people who need Social Security to make ends meet will have it, and not fall victim to ill-informed and unnecessary cuts to these vital programs."
–Barbara J. Easterling, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
Press Releases
Retiree Leader: Simpson's Anti-Senior Slurs Disqualify Him from Fiscal Panel
November 29, 2010
Should Recuse Himself from Commission Voting
For Immediate Release
November 29, 2010
The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to Alan Simpson, co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, calling today’s seniors, “the greediest generation.”
“Alan Simpson’s recent comments that the ‘greediest generation’ of seniors oppose his calls for reducing Social Security benefits and raising the retirement age are the latest in a long line of anti-senior slurs that sharply call into question his ability to objectively carry out the Commission’s agenda. Moreover, his comments deeply insult all that this generation did for our nation, both at home and overseas.
“The Alliance for Retired Americans calls upon other Commission members to denounce these remarks, and for Mr. Simpson to recuse himself from the panel’s final voting, which may occur this week.
“Mr. Simpson has continually chosen mean-spirited, intemperate words to describe the millions of seniors who are struggling to get by in today’s economy. Earlier this year, in a vitriolic e-mail to an advocate for older women, he described Social Security as ‘a milk cow with 310 million tits.’ Mr. Simpson had previously referred to seniors as ‘greedy geezers,’ said that lower-income Americans are ‘lesser people in society,’ and that he is frustrated hearing from retirees who, ‘live in gated communities and drive their Lexus to the Perkins restaurant to get the AARP discount.’”
“Mr. Simpson’s ability to lead a fair and balanced discussion of federal spending is clearly compromised. If Social Security were on trial, there is not a judge in the land who would let Mr. Simpson serve on the jury.
“The average Social Security benefit for a retiree is $1,172 per month. If Mr. Simpson believes that a person trying to get by on $1,172 each month is greedy, he is badly out of touch with the nation he is sworn to serving. He has repeatedly shown that he should not be co-chair of this Commission.”
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