Today, Fred Griesbach, AARP Campaigns sent me one of those unsolicited e-mails telling me all about AARP’s wonderful work in defending Social Security and Medicare, and then asking me for a donation, so they could continue working their magic. Here’s my reply.

Dear Fred,

I know about AARP’s willingness to compromise on Medicare and Social Security for the sake of deficit reduction, and I’m Mad As Hell About it!

Trying to manage fiscal policy by using projected surpluses or deficits as targets is a stupid and harmful distraction from what needs to be done for full economic recovery. It’s a fool’s game which AARP and all the other “veal pen” organizations are playing. Responsible fiscal policy uses Federal spending to produce full employment, price stability, and other important public purposes. It is not policy that is targeted at producing particular deficit, surpluses, debt-to-GDP ratios levels as goals in themselves. Those numbers are best determined by the operations of the economy; and not by futile efforts of the Government to cut social programs or the safety net.

As long as AARP supports a deficit reduction focus in the area of fiscal policy, and retains Bill Novelli, their resident deficit hawk, as CEO, I won’t donate a dollar to its efforts. I will also do whatever I can to see to it that other organizations representing Seniors replace AARP as the leading voice for older people.

As far as I’m concerned AARP can stick a fork in it; ’cause it’s done!

Warm Regards,

Joe Firestone

(Cross-posted at All Life Is Problem Solving and Fiscal Sustainability).