"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 Critical of GOP Platform
August 27, 2012
For Immediate Release
Wall Street, Insurance Companies Would Profit at Expense of Seniors
The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to the 2012 Republican Party Platform.
“In a platform badly out of touch with the needs of workers and retirees, the Republican Party is seeking to enrich Wall Street and the big health insurance companies at the expense of retirees who are trying to pay their bills and stay healthy. The platform is a perfect fit for the most anti-senior ticket ever to be nominated by a major political party.
“The platform would reverse nearly 50 years of Medicare success by cutting benefits, delaying retirees’ eligibility, and pushing seniors toward expensive, inadequate coverage from private health insurance companies. According to a recent analysis by the New York Times, the Romney-Ryan plan would raise out-of-pocket costs for seniors by an average of $342 per year, drain eight years’ of solvency from the Medicare Trust Fund, and take away popular new wellness and preventive benefits from seniors.
“The Republican Party is once again perpetuating the false and corrosive myth that Social Security fuels our national debt and is on the brink of bankruptcy. Its call to raise the retirement age would be devastating for workers in blue collar and service sector jobs. It is unconscionable for the Republican Party to try to both cut Social Security benefits for retirees and add even more tax break for millionaires and big corporations.
“At a time when middle class families everywhere worry about the cost of long-term and nursing home care, the platform would cut Medicaid and turn the program over to cash-strapped states. This would badly jeopardize the only way over 70 percent of families can afford this type of medical care for their loved ones.
“The Alliance for Retired Americans, a four-million member grassroots advocacy organization, will be educating and mobilizing seniors across the country about how this cold, irresponsible platform threatens the well-being of current and future retirees.”
Mr. Coyle is available for media interviews by calling 202/637-5190.
###
Contact: Michael Buckley (202) 637-5190 / mbuckley@retiredamericans.org
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