What are peoples views on AARP?
- Thread starter qwerty3656
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Telly
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Oh that evil AARP, them and their politics 
For me, Youbet has summed it up well.
I like having an organization that looks out for us older folks interests. There are so many well-funded (there's an understatement!) lobbyists and associations for just about anything/everything courting congress every step of the way. Who speaks for me? Would we have Part D drug plans without them? Would we already be on Chained-CPI? (I love the one-shot saying on Chained-CPI: "If beef goes up, you buy more chicken, and less beef". Uh-huh, but what is the response if chicken goes up, also? ). Without AARP, I also suspect that the Medicare payment schedule to doctors would have been cut significantly, "to save money". Resulting in doctors and practices dropping Medicare folks and not taking on any new ones. A great way to "save money" in healthcare is to severely limit healthcare.
For me, Youbet has summed it up well.
I like having an organization that looks out for us older folks interests. There are so many well-funded (there's an understatement!) lobbyists and associations for just about anything/everything courting congress every step of the way. Who speaks for me? Would we have Part D drug plans without them? Would we already be on Chained-CPI? (I love the one-shot saying on Chained-CPI: "If beef goes up, you buy more chicken, and less beef". Uh-huh, but what is the response if chicken goes up, also?
). Without AARP, I also suspect that the Medicare payment schedule to doctors would have been cut significantly, "to save money". Resulting in doctors and practices dropping Medicare folks and not taking on any new ones. A great way to "save money" in healthcare is to severely limit healthcare.SecondAttempt
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I love the one-shot saying on Chained-CPI: "If beef goes up, you buy more chicken, and less beef". Uh-huh, but what is the response if chicken goes up, also?
You buy more goat. Or horse.
SecondAttempt
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I think the biggest thing about AARP politics is that they have grown into a HUGE lobbying organization. I think many of the people here BENEFIT from some of the things they support even if you do not politically agree with the programs. For example, Medicare Part D.
There was a call earlier this week from a presidential candidate to raise the retirement age. I would be very curious how AARP handles this. While I don't want to get political, the call was to do so for young workers. I think that is a reasonable thing to do to protect the system for everyone including younger workers. The reality is that demographics and life expectancy have changed dramatically since social security and medicare began but politicians of all persuations have been too scared to make adjustments to adapt to the changes.
I'm not comfortable supporting the AARP taking absolutist positions that I may not agree with. I mentioned the NRA taking the same big-tent, low membership fee approach. I am generally very supportive of a broadly interpreted Second Amendment. But I similarly don't support the NRA's absolutist positions so I will not be a member.
We have a lot of problems in this country but problems are rarely solved from absolutist positions.
There was a call earlier this week from a presidential candidate to raise the retirement age. I would be very curious how AARP handles this. While I don't want to get political, the call was to do so for young workers. I think that is a reasonable thing to do to protect the system for everyone including younger workers. The reality is that demographics and life expectancy have changed dramatically since social security and medicare began but politicians of all persuations have been too scared to make adjustments to adapt to the changes.
I'm not comfortable supporting the AARP taking absolutist positions that I may not agree with. I mentioned the NRA taking the same big-tent, low membership fee approach. I am generally very supportive of a broadly interpreted Second Amendment. But I similarly don't support the NRA's absolutist positions so I will not be a member.
We have a lot of problems in this country but problems are rarely solved from absolutist positions.
Negative due to politics/lobbying. In addition to the $, I don't want to be counted as "one of our members" that vote as the put pressure on congress. A lot of people sell their souls so to speak for a discount on X. They also seem like the sell a lot for their benefit. I turn 49 this year and in the last 6 months or so started getting pounded with ads for AARP, mostly online but occasional snail mail. ...I guess they are laying the groundwork to try to convert me but it won't work.
I also won't donate to charities that lobby for tax payer funding. Even if I agree with the mission, I want them spending my money on the purpose and not trying to get more money from me by force and since money is fungible, any lobbying is a no-go. If they want to be a public enterprise they can take their cut of my taxes.
I also won't donate to charities that lobby for tax payer funding. Even if I agree with the mission, I want them spending my money on the purpose and not trying to get more money from me by force and since money is fungible, any lobbying is a no-go. If they want to be a public enterprise they can take their cut of my taxes.
Thanks for an interesting discussion
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