I'm not at all surprised that the AARP is not making an all out effort to protect Social Security. For the past ten years, I have been researching and writing about Social Security, and I have published four books on the subject. During that entire period I have been trying to alert the public to the fact that all surplus Social Security revenue generated by the 1983 payroll tax hike was being diverted to the general fund and used for general government operations. The money was supposed to be saved and invested to build up a large reserve in the trust fund with which to pay benefits to the baby boomers.
The AARP is fully aware of the great Social Security scam, but they don't want the looting exposed. When my book, "The Looting of Social Security" was published in 2004, I sent a review copy to then AARP CEO William Novelli, along with a letter requesting that the AARP give me help and support in alerting the public to the looting of the trust fund. I received a reply from William Novelli, dated April 9, 2004 scolding me for exposing the looting.
Novelli wrote, "Saying that the trust funds have been looted could result in people losing confidence in Social Security, and that is counterproducti ve." Following that letter, the AARP cut off all communcations with me. I tried repeatedly to communicate with the organization, which I had been a member of for many years, but they would not respond to my letters, emails, or phone calls. I have had no further communications with them, but they have fought my efforts to expose the looting every step of the way. It wasn't that Novelli didn't believe the trust fund was being looted. His concern was keeping the public from finding out about the looting. In my opinion, the AARP is more concerned with maintaining good relations with corporate America and government officials than it is in representing the best interests of its 38 million members. Their refusal to join with the other organizations in fighting against benefit cuts reinforces that opinion.
Allen W. Smith, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics, Emeritus
Eastern Illinois University