"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
Democratic Platform Shows Stark Contrast Between Two Parties
September 05, 2012
For Immediate Release
September 5, 2012
The following statement was issued today by Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in response to the 2012 Democratic Party Platform.
“The 2012 platform adopted by the Democratic Party this week in Charlotte shows the stark contrasts between the two parties on key issues of Social Security and Medicare.
“The Democratic Party, which signed Medicare and Social Security into law over Republican objections, once again reaffirmed its strong commitment to these two great American success stories. In contrast, the Republican platform would enrich big insurance companies by creating a voucher-based Medicare program, and also allow Wall Street to profit off a risky, privatized Social Security system that would provide lower benefits to workers forced to stay longer on the job.
“Social Security and Medicare are not just seniors issues. Retirees’ health and well-being affect every generation in the family. Medicare and Social Security give today’s workers hope that they will someday be able to enjoy a safe, secure, and healthy retirement. Before Social Security and Medicare, people too often worked until they died, or lived out their final years in terrible pain and poverty. We have come a long way in this country, and this election cannot be the year we begin to roll back this
progress.
“Workers and retirees owe the Democratic Platform Committee, which included Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling, a debt of gratitude for standing up for Social Security and Medicare. These landmark programs are pillars of the middle class and inviolable commitments our nation makes to current and future generations.
“There has never been an election with such stark contrasts between the two parties on fundamental issues of social and economic justice. The Alliance for Retired Americans, a four-million member grassroots advocacy organization, will be educating and mobilizing seniors across the country about these core differences.”
Mr. Coyle is available for media interviews by calling 202/637-5275.
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Contact: David Blank (202) 637-5275 or dblank@retiredamericans.org










