The AARP not a bad deal. You get reduced hotel rates, discounts on dining etc. The membership is about $15 to $20 dollars a year. The membership also buys you membership into the largest political action committee in the United States which has over 40 million members and that is both good and bad.
It seems like yesterday I was watching a 1988 GOP Presidential debate and the subject of Social Security was being discussed. When questioned about monies that had been removed from the trust fund, Bob Dole stated no money had been removed - we had simply given the fund an IOU. No one with any chance of the nomination disagreed with him. The moderator moved on to another subject and I threw dirty socks at the TV.
Pushing the fast forward on our remote let's go to the Presidential debates of 2000 and Al Gore's famous let's put Social Security in a lock box comment. That's right - the magical mythical don't touch the sacred cow lock box that only Social Security lives in.
In 2004 GW wanted to revise Social security and privitate it. No I purposely did no use spell check on the last sentence and that's exactly why no one in their right mind wanted him touching Social Security.
One thing the above had in common is that every few years when the issue of Social Security or Medicare reform comes up the antenna of the AARP anthill go on to full battle protect the queen alert and they get their way. The last time was a couple of years ago when the prescription drug plan was added to Medicare. The plan was approved by Congress with no thoughts to the billions of unfunded liabilities. That's someone else's problem in the future. What was important to the politicians in Washington was getting elected the next time around. Since old people vote in greater numbers and percentage than young people, the AARP usually gets what they want.
Now it is 2009 and the health care debate rages. The Democrats are talking about cutting Medicare and the Republicans are complaining about it. Remembering the quote from the movie "Ghost Busters": "This is Old Testament wrath of God stuff! We're talking about fire and brimstone and dogs living with cats!"
Well, one thing remains constant. No health bill is going to pass without the geezer brigade on board. And that my friends is the ARPPing of America.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
1975 Chevy's and other lessons
Did I say this blog entry was not about seat belts?
OK the above will make sense as you read this entry. The year was 1975 and my father had just purchased a new car. It gleamed in the sunlight and the blue seat fabric had nearly the look of blue velvet. The car had many good things going about it but one thing my father hated. It seemed the government thought it would be a good idea if all of us wore seat belts. Our Federal Government in their infinite wisdom mandated that all vehicles produced that year come with a mechanism that would not allow the car to start without the seat belts being buckled. I did not have a problem buckling my belt but my father bellowed every time he had to buckle his belt. Eventually my father disabled the electric system associated with the seat belts which would not allow the car to start. This was completely legal as there were no laws mandating seat belt usage. I thought my father was stupid and narrow minded at the time and he seemed to be overly concerned with the government getting in our business. The next model year after much complaint from the buying public the hated devices no longer were installed in new cars.
As time passed I moved and traveled all over the USA and witnessed a metamorphosis regarding seat belt laws and usage.
( Did I tell you this was not about seat belts?)
With pressure from the insurance industry individual states enacted safety belt usage laws. The one thing these laws had in common was the promise that you would never ever get a traffic ticket just for not using your seat belt. You could only get a ticket if you were pulled over for let's say speeding and you would get a second ticket for not wearing your belt.
These laws did not satisfy the insurance industry and the Federal Government used their ability to hold federal highway funds from states to force laws that require mandatory seat belt use. Today we have click it or ticket laws. The point to all of this is the government will always seek to expand its powers if given an opportunity and our freedoms will be slowly removed and so slowly so that we won't take notice or complain. The government can also not be trusted to keep its promises. That is why the promises coming from Washington on health care are deserving of our discernment, questioning , and sarcasm.
There is no "slippery slope" toward loss of liberties, only a long staircase where each step downward must first be tolerated by the American people and their leaders. Alan K. Simpson
By the way this blog entry was not about seat belts nor their use and 35 years latter I think my father was a much smarter man.
Till the next time
A Voice Crying in the Wilderness
OK the above will make sense as you read this entry. The year was 1975 and my father had just purchased a new car. It gleamed in the sunlight and the blue seat fabric had nearly the look of blue velvet. The car had many good things going about it but one thing my father hated. It seemed the government thought it would be a good idea if all of us wore seat belts. Our Federal Government in their infinite wisdom mandated that all vehicles produced that year come with a mechanism that would not allow the car to start without the seat belts being buckled. I did not have a problem buckling my belt but my father bellowed every time he had to buckle his belt. Eventually my father disabled the electric system associated with the seat belts which would not allow the car to start. This was completely legal as there were no laws mandating seat belt usage. I thought my father was stupid and narrow minded at the time and he seemed to be overly concerned with the government getting in our business. The next model year after much complaint from the buying public the hated devices no longer were installed in new cars.
As time passed I moved and traveled all over the USA and witnessed a metamorphosis regarding seat belt laws and usage.
( Did I tell you this was not about seat belts?)
With pressure from the insurance industry individual states enacted safety belt usage laws. The one thing these laws had in common was the promise that you would never ever get a traffic ticket just for not using your seat belt. You could only get a ticket if you were pulled over for let's say speeding and you would get a second ticket for not wearing your belt.
These laws did not satisfy the insurance industry and the Federal Government used their ability to hold federal highway funds from states to force laws that require mandatory seat belt use. Today we have click it or ticket laws. The point to all of this is the government will always seek to expand its powers if given an opportunity and our freedoms will be slowly removed and so slowly so that we won't take notice or complain. The government can also not be trusted to keep its promises. That is why the promises coming from Washington on health care are deserving of our discernment, questioning , and sarcasm.
There is no "slippery slope" toward loss of liberties, only a long staircase where each step downward must first be tolerated by the American people and their leaders. Alan K. Simpson
By the way this blog entry was not about seat belts nor their use and 35 years latter I think my father was a much smarter man.
Till the next time
A Voice Crying in the Wilderness
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