We are in the middle of an important election year so expect to hear a LOT about Social Security and Medicare as the candidates do battle to see who will be in office next year.
In response to the increasing debate about the health of Social Security and Medicare, last month the AARP – a non-profit, non-partisan organization that provides education, discounts, and other programs to people age 50 and over – launched a nationwide conversation called You’ve Earned a Say. This conversation is taking place via town hall meetings, questionnaires, telephone conferences and chapter meetings across the United States from now and leading up to the election in November.
The purpose is to give Americans a chance to voice their opinion about Social Security and Medicare instead of Congress and the President making decisions that affect all of us behind closed doors. AARP believes that since we have paid into these programs we should have a say in the future of them. And with over 37 million members, this campaign is a good opportunity to let Washington know exactly how we feel about the programs that we pay for.
Another benefit of the You’ve Earned a Say program is that it will educate Americans on the programs themselves. Research shows that many Americans just have a vague notion of how Social Security and Medicare work, so the AARP wants to make sure that Americans are getting clear and accurate information not only about the programs but also the proposals that Washington is discussing concerning these programs.
Town hall meetings will be held in every state. If you cannot attend a meeting, you can still contribute to participating on one of the online surveys that AARP has available.
To learn more about this initiative, or to participate in a town hall meeting or online survey, please visit www.aarp.org/earnedasay or www.earnedasay.org.
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