Identity theft is a serious crime. Unscrupulous predators use names and other vital information acquired from data bases to benefit themselves while causing great financial and emotional hardships to the victims. AARP doesn’t quite fit the profile of an identity thief, but there are startling similarities. AARP members sign up for discounts and other financial benefits, but its leadership uses that membership log to consort (usually) with left-wing organizations (SEIU among others) and big-spending politicians intent on undermining the way of life that most all Americans desire and have grown to expect. This time it is AARP’s tacit support for Obama Care; in the past it was Medicare reform (Pres. Bush’s debacle succeeded with the help of AARP) and Social Security reform (AARP opposes all such reforms.), and next time it will be another misguided position that defies logic. Whatever the issue, AARP has made it abundantly clear that as long as seniors continue sending in their dues without preconditions, they will continue to run their own agendas with little concern for what is in the best interests of its own members. Just as growing numbers of tea party protesters are speaking out against the destructive left-wing policies of Washington—with tremendous success—we seniors need to gain a voice and speak out against the leadership of AARP.
The most obvious problem with AARP is that it is an unprincipled organization. AARP claims to be, “A voice in Washington and in your state, representing you on issues like Medicare, Social Security, and consumer safety.” We could argue over the legitimacy of whether AARP should represent seniors in the legislative process given that virtually the only reason anyone joins AARP is to receive discounts and other monetary benefits, but we must argue over the positions AARP takes when claiming to “represent” 40 million seniors (this number is grossly inflated, since allegedly, 12 million in its “members” don’t pay dues) on political issues that in fact DO NOT benefit the vast majority of seniors! How many seniors are better off with the Medicare prescription drug bill with its “donut hole” and the extra $700 billion price tag? But far worse, how many younger seniors expect to ever receive their Social Security benefits if a major restructuring of the system isn’t allowed to occur? And yet, AARP’s leadership allies itself with big spenders in Congress and happily allows the government to spend every dollar of our Social Security and Medicare withholdings collected each year on current expenditures and never cautions against it. AARP may be representing the special interests of Washington insiders, but it certainly is not representing the financial interests of the seniors in Middle America.
The second and perhaps more insidious concern is that when AARP speaks on behalf of its members, they are driving a wedge between seniors and America’s younger, working class. This is threatening to intensify the Balkanization of our great nation, and AARP is one of its worst perpetrators. For many years, all attempts at reforming Social Security and Medicare have been thwarted by AARP’s heavy handed scare tactics. No true reform appears possible because the threat to mobilize “senior citizen outrage” at the ballot box strikes fear in the hearts of most politicians. Unfortunately, the average working men and women don’t blame AARP for this obstruction; they blame us—that big 40 million membership name-base that votes in nearly every election and is used by AARP’s leadership as its weapon of mass destruction. If pensions and Social Security issues are not quickly resolved—and we don’t mean pushing it upstream once again—we will be facing a collision between America’s seniors, who are living off pensions and government assistance, and America’s working class, who will continue to pay for it, because something will have to give! A truly representative AARP would be busy working on solutions to Medicare and Social Security which would benefit all Americans, before the entire system collapses. But AARP’s leadership offers no such inclinations. Instead, it continues supporting bigger government and more spending, with our perceived consent. How does AARP’s leadership justify using seniors to support a divided America?
If AARP is truly in the business of representing the interests of seniors, as they maintain in their literature, they should avoid being linked to the likes of big government advocates such as Barack Obama, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid. Instead, they should be working to get its members more discounts and warning them how to avoid being victimized by scams like Social Security and identity theft.
Bill Lewis
Executive Director