“Granny pods,” “silver tsunami,” the “graying of America:” these metaphors typify the current NPR obsession with what public radio apparently sees as the coming horde of “Baby Boomers.”   For instance, Jennifer Ludden’s current series focuses on technology and programs for keeping dependent, frail, and elderly folks in their homes.  This is an issue with which I don’t have a problem per se.  I am all for improving the quality of life for the “frail elderly.”

The problem, as I see it, is the repetitious presentation of the growing elderly population as a problem rather than as positive facet of U.S. culture.  When Linda Wertheimer introduces Jennifer Ludden’s segment on needy, decrepit elderly parents (and their burden on their children) with terms like “graying of America,” and “silver tsunami,” the narrative becomes:  “We will have all of these old people that we will need to babysit – “oy vey” what to do?”

Here is a quote from a professional caregiver on Ms Ludden’s segment this morning:  “At the same time that we have this huge population of aging folks, we have a shrinking population of caregivers, of younger people able to provide the care that these older people are going to need.”  Because this professional person works for a company that provides electronic monitoring of elderly persons, she alarmingly proclaimed that her technology will save the day.  She said, “If we don’t find other ways to do that, then we are really going to be in big trouble in the future.”

Well, Ms Taylor – that’s her name – is just plain wrong about the “shrinking population of caregivers.”  Every segment of the U.S. population is growing rather rapidly and will continue to grow rapidly.  The child population surpassed the 70 million mark (the peak of the “Baby Boom” population in 1964) in 1996 and has risen to 75 million.  This population will continue to grow rapidly and reach 101 million by 2050.   

Furthermore, the 18 to 65 population reached 190 million by 2010 and will grow to 249 million by 2050.  No doubt, the 65+ population will grow from the current 40 million to 88 million by 2050.  As a proportion of the total population, the 65+ demographic group will shift from 13% to 20% of the total population.  Is this a big problem for an advanced, industrialized society with a GDP of $13 trillion? 

Demographic characteristics and trends presented above are not disputed by demographers in general – I have taken them from the U.S. Census Bureau.  Nevertheless, my research suggests that most everyone in the U.S. has a distorted view of the size of age categories.  The media is helping spread this distortion.

A big portion of the elderly 20% will be capable of making positive contributions to society.  Most elderly Americans are independent and do not need long term care and assisted daily living.  However, if we stereotype and infantilize the elderly, public policy will be misguided and counterproductive.  The problem, in my mind, isn’t that we will have too many old people but rather the problem is too many myths and misperceptions about older Americans.

Fred Slough

Fred Slough is with the law firm of Slough, Connealy, Irwin, and Madden, a law firm with the most decent and humane group of people that I know of in the practice of law.  Fred is an expert on the law but he is also a strong supporter of human rights.  The following is his statement concerning the current controversy surrounding the building of a Muslim Center near the site of the 9/11 tragedy in New York:

The site of the 9/11 murders is now being called “sacred” in an effort to thwart the building of a mosque that is only nearby, not actually on the “sacred ground”.  This position is clearly not American.  Americans respect the rights of people of every faith to worship where they please.  And, we do not blame the Muslim faith and Muslim people for the criminal acts of the few.

Many came here to avoid religious persecution.  We incorporated religious liberty into the founding of this nation.  Are we such cowards that we will give that up so easily? Or has history been forgotten because we are riding our religious high horse and wish to condemn the Muslim faith to second class status?

Fred Slough

This morning I picked up the Denver Post (August 9, 2010) and, under the byline of Jennifer Brown, saw the following headline “Uninsured Swamp Denver Health.”  Ms Brown stated that “A rising number of needy patients without health insurance is overwhelming community clinics in Denver, leaving some sick people to wait up to four months to see a family doctor.” 

The emergency room at Denver Health, the safety net hospital, will see everyone.  If they present with a heart attack or are in an automobile accident, they will receive care.  However, if patients are diagnosed with heart disease or diabetes or other life threatening illnesses, it may take months for them to see a physician.

Presumably, this problem will be solved eventually by the Affordable Care Act.  At least by 2014 citizens will be able to buy affordable insurance and will be subsidized to some degree or other if they have a low income.  Hopefully, medical care in the form of adequate numbers of physicians and medical facilities will be available to meet the needs of ill Americans.

There are at least 40 million uninsured United States citizens now.  There are at least another 40 million or so that are under-insured due to poor coverage, high premiums, high deductibles, and high copays.  If the economy stays in the doldrums, these numbers can only grow.

My question to the conservatives, Tea Partiers and the like who want to see the Affordable Care Act repealed or seriously weakened is:  “What is your plan?”  “What should we do for people who die or suffer from an illness for no other reason than they are too poor to buy insurance or are rejected by insurance companies due to a pre-existing condition?”  “Should we just let them suffer and/or die?”

Opponents of health care reform have been able to pass Proposition C in Missouri, which basically indicates a large majority of Missourians is against the requirement that everyone purchase health insurance.  So what do the supporters of Prop C suggest we do?  Should we just let sick people die without medical care?  Should we provide a single-payer, universal health care system?  Or, are these people just negative and anti everything the President and Democrats try to accomplish – at the expense of Americans needing medical care?

DISCUSSION OF THE CURRENT MOVE TO REDUCE SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE BENEFITS ON SHARON LOCKHART AND ALEXIS BURDICK PROGRAM “EVERY WOMAN,” TOMORROW, SATURDAY, AUGUST 7^TH AT 3:00 PM

Sharon Lockhart - Co-Host of "Every Woman" on KKFI

Republicans and the DLC branch of the Democratic Party pushed poor and working class women and children deeper into poverty during the 1990s.  Now the same gang wants to push the poor elderly deeper into poverty.  The Tallgrass Activist (Dave Kingsley) will be discussing President Obama’s so-called National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform – a euphemism for “let’s balance the budget on the backs of the elderly commission” – tomorrow at 3:00 PM on Sharon Lockhart’s and Alexis Burdick’s program “Every Woman” on KKFI FM 90.1 at 3:00 PM (Saturday, August 7th).

Most Americans aren’t aware of the stealthy way Democrats and Republicans have whittled away at Social Security benefits for the past thirty years and are continuing their efforts in that endeavor to this very day.  First we had the Greenspan Commission during Ronald Reagan’s first administration, which recommended, amongst other things, pushing retirement age back and taxing Social Security payments.  The Democratic congress adopted Greenspan’s recommendations.

Not long after the Greenspan Commission, we had the Boskin Commission.  Many people are aware of the Greenspan Commission but few people know that the Boskin Commission is responsible for drastically reducing Social Security benefits.  That commission redefined the Consumer Price Index (inflation) and has consequently underestimated inflation for the past twenty years.  Instead of a real annual average of 7%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been using several illogical techniques for lowering the CPI to an average of 2.5%.

More about the inflation manipulation will be discussed on this blog in the future.  This post is an alert about the current efforts underway by the Republicans and Republican-wing of the Democratic Party elite in Washington to devise a way for Congress to reduce the deficit by robbing Social Security and reducing Medicare benefits.

The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility & Reform, apparently appointed by President Obama, is now looking at ways to reduce the deficit through “entitlements reductions” – this commission is stacked against the elderly.  One of the few members of the 16 members that could perhaps be considered a friend of the working people, Andy Stern, recently retired head of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), told the Huffington Post today that he is in favor of investing the Social Security Trust Fund surplus in Wall Street. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/30/andy-stern-invest-social_n_631228.html

Andy Stern - Selling Out The Laboring Class

This is a bad idea!  Social Security has been just fine without Wall Street involvement.  Fight it!

Here is the Commission:

Co-Chairmen:  Alan Simpson (Conservative Republican), Erskine Bowles (Conservative DLC Democrat, Former Clinton Chief of Staff)

Executive Director:  Bruce Reed (DLC Executive Director & Former Clinton Domestic Advisor)

Commissioners:

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)

Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA)

Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI)

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK)

Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)

Dave Cote (Chairman & CEO Honeywell International)

Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID)

Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)

Ann Fudge (Former CEO, Young & Rubicam Brands)

Senator Gregg Judd (R-NH)

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)

Alice Rivlin (Brookings Institution)

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)

Rep. John Spratt (D-SC)

Andrew Stern (SEIU)

 Of these 16 members, only four could be said to be mildly liberal left of center – Jan Schakowsky, Richard Durbin, Xavier Becerra, and Andy Stern.  Conversely, Tom Coburn, Gregg Judd, Paul Ryan, Max Baucus, Kent Conrad, Mike Crapo, Jeb Hensarling, Alice Rivlin, and John Spratt range from mildly right of center to extreme right-wing.  Paul Ryan and Tom Coburn are right wing extremists.  All but Schakowsky, Durbin, Becerra, and Stern have signaled their intent to “reduce entitlement benefits).

With the possible exception of Jan Schakowsky, you won’t see any members of the left wing of the Democratic Party on this commission.  This is a set-up and it shakes my confidence in President Obama’s commitment to the working people and to the liberal side of the political spectrum.  My support for him in the future is beginning to waver.

I just returned from my local Target Store on South Iowa.  The purpose of my trip to the store was to hand the manager a letter on my personal letterhead.  The letter stated that I would not shop at Target due to the company’s support for Tom Emmer, candidate for governor of Minnesota, through its $150,000 donation to his campaign.  Amongst his other right-wing attitudes, Emmer has been aggressive in opposing gay rights.  Furthermore, he has denigrated low-paid service workers. 

Basically, he supports the typical cruel, insensitive, destructive, and pro-plutocracy views of the current Republican Party.  The $150,000 Target donation to his campaign reflects the new political reality following the Citizens United case.

The manager at my local Target store was quite upset and concerned.  He said that he was not aware of the controversy but that he had never known Target’s involvement in political issues.  He said that he would send my letter “up the line” to corporate headquarters.  I urge everyone who find persecution of gay, poor, immigrant, or any other groups of Americans unconscionable to take a letter to your local target store.  Boycott Target and let them know that you are boycotting them. 

 Read more about the issue, compliments of MoveOn.org:

1. “Target Corp. defends Minn. political donation,” Associated Press, July 27, 2010

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89661&id=22226-17563536-tmEGDIx&t=4
2. “GOP-linked punk rock ministry says executing gays is ‘moral’,” Minnesota Independent, May 25, 2010

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89716&id=22226-17563536-tmEGDIx&t=5

“Emmer Camp On Comment That Waiters Make $100K: ‘It’s An Extreme Example’,” Talking Points Memo, July 13, 2010

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89717&id=22226-17563536-tmEGDIx&t=6

3. “Minn. Ad Puts Target At Center Of Campaign Finance Controversy,” NPR, July 27, 2010

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89714&id=22226-17563536-tmEGDIx&t=7

Size matters – size of the crowd that is.  The media and politicians are impressed by numbers.  Believe it or not, that is a major factor in making laws and public policy these days.  Don’t believe it?  Think Tea Party.  So that is why those of us who can must show up at a rally opposing the environmentally devastating and yet unneeded 895-megawatt coal-fired power plant.  Here are the details:

The rally will be at 1:30 PM today at Blue Valley Northwest High School (where the hearing on the permit will be held)

Address:  135th & Switzer, Overland Park

 Speakers include Bruce Niles from the Sierra Club.  The hearing will begin at 2:00 PM and break at 5:00 PM.  If necessary, it will commence again at 6:00 PM.  “If necessary” apparently means that the hearing will end if no speakers are left to speak after 5:00 PM.  The opposition to this proposed travesty is so strong that it is hard to imagine that no one will be left on the docket after 5:00 PM.

Dirty Holcomb Power Plant - Now They Want Another One

If you are opposed to building a power plant that will pollute the air, further stress the Ogallala Aquifer, provide benefit only to one county in Kansas and an empire building power company, then you can help stop it by showing up early at public hearings on the permitting process.  Get your name on the docket and get a seat before Sunflower Electric has a chance to pack the place.

The following schedule has been taken from the GPACE website (www.gpace.org):

KDHE Public Hearing Schedule

• The public comment period for Sunflower’s Holcomb Station coal plant is open from July 1 – August 15. Public comments can be submitted to KDHE anytime during that period.
• August 2 in Overland Park at 2:00 PM Blue Valley Northwest High School (135th and Switzer)
• August 4 in Salina at 2:00 PM Highway Patrol Training Center Auditorium (2025 East Iron)
• August 5 in Garden City at 2:00 PM Garden City Community College Joyce Auditorium (801 Campus Drive)
• Hearings will break at 5:00 PM and reconvene at 6:30 PM, continuing until all verbal and written comments have been submitted.
• Those wishing to deliver verbal comments must sign up at the hearing location at either 2:00 PM or 6:30 PM. For more information, visit KDHE’s Website.

I will be there because I love the State of Kansas and can’t stand what is happening to it.  Maybe other parts of the country think that we should be a dumping ground for polluting power plants, irrigated corn and the like but I plan to fight back!

My great grandfather homesteaded on the Smokey River in the late 1800s.  My father raised wheat and cattle near Cedar Bluff Reservoir without center pivot irrigation and nitrous ammonia.  As a small child I was with him when he and the other farmers and ranchers put up the REA power lines so that we had electricity. 

Now we have gone from real farming to producing the raw ingredients of the corn-based U.S. diet.  It seems to matter not if we are ruining our soil and depleting a precious aquifer.  We have a State legislature hell bent on building a dirty power plant for the benefit of one small part of the state and other parts of the energy wasting U.S. that will get the electricity from this power plant.  All of this is happening for the sake of short term profit, greed, and selfishness!