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(image: Dean Mougianis)
I was so disgusted to read today that AARP now supports cutting Social Security benefits that I wrote the following email to them cancelling my membership.
To: member@aarp.org
AARP is not the organization that it once was. You no longer even call yourself an Association of Retired Persons and go by just the initials AARP. You have turned into nothing but an insurance company middleman, trying to sell insurance policies to your members.
Today, when I read that AARP has changed its tune and supports cuts to Social Security, well, that was the last straw.
Please cancel my membership IMMEDIATELY. You are no longer the organization that my father and mother were proud members of — I was proud to follow in their footsteps and was eager to join when I turned 50 but AARP’s selling out for a corporate bottom line is too much for me.
I am so looking forward to their response. How much do ya want to bet they will try to sell me an insurance policy when they do reply?
Who wants to join me in burning their AARP card?
97 Comments
i included aarp’s email address in the post so feel free to write them and let them know just how disgusted you are with them. if ya do, please share your letter in the comments.
Excellent letter Suz! I bet they do respond with a sales pitch. Which you can immediately put into the round file.
I’ve been getting mailings from AARP for about a year now but I’ve never joined. Now I know I never will.
Woo-Hoo, Suz…! *standing on chair clapping* Rawk on…! ;-)
thanks ll — why don’t you use that email address to tell them why you will never join and that they should stop sending you those mailings.
when i get aarp’s response, i’ll put it in the comments
thanks tut *blushing*
I definitely will!
Excellent, Suzanne.
Most excellent.
Never did join, but now I have a reason to tell them why I won’t!
thanks teddy
Agreed, well done Suzanne:
I had no idea AARP had crossed the line into Obama land. Obama and the Republicans are playing, “good cop, Bad cop”, but both want to cut social security and medicare (while blaming the other); I had no idea AARP had turn on us as well. I too will write these people and give them a piece of my mind (not too much mind you).
Good one, Suzanne!
sweet.. thanks vector — they really crossed the line today — i hope their membership levels really drop
thanks votus
bravo, suze!
thanks ndfg — they forking pissed me off with this bullshit cave that ignores the wishes of their members
they refuse to listen to us — so i am going to refuse to listen to them and every email they send from now on goes straight into spam
i stopped being a fan when they were on the medical establishment’s side during the passing of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act in 2003.
hey dcfox — i wasn’t a member back then. i joined in 2004 when i turned 50 and wasn’t following politics much back then. now i am informed and i know better.
I had a membership in AARP at one time but let it lapse. I still get occasional mailings from them though (when they discover my address after a move) so will probably let them know how I feel about this after I receive the next one.
Stoopid fecks.
I was going to join to support them. Now they are part of balancing the budget on my back. TaTa AARP.
I called yesterday to cancel and told the rep that I wasn’t doing it because of the WSJ article, but because of the “clarification” statement from AARP afterwards. Like most “progressive” Washington-insider organizations, they refuse to fight but are willing to retreat by increments so they can be at the table of power.
I will only come back when they take a clear, unequivocal stand stating “NO CUTS TO BENEFITS, NO RAISING THE RETIREMENT”.
I called yesterday to cancel and told the rep that I wasn’t doing it because of the WSJ article, but because of the “clarification” statement from AARP afterwards. Like most “progressive” Washington-insider organizations, they refuse to fight but are willing to retreat by increments so they can be at the table of power.
I will only come back when they take a clear, unequivocal stand stating “NO CUTS TO BENEFITS, NO RAISING THE RETIREMENT AGE”.
I did the same thing. I previously had told them I didn’t want their junk mail and they kept me on the phone for 20 minutes “to make sure they got it right.” Their insurance sales forms keep arriving in the mail.AARP is worthless. I only joined because I thought their job advertisements would be from companies wanting to hire older workers. Not. Indeed.com powers the ads. AARP is a fraud.
Have refused to join. Nothing but another sales outfit.
Do what I did: write a “Hell NO” all over renewal forms and insurance advertisements and send everything back in their postage paid envelope. Let them pay for harrassing you with ads.
I’m already retired, but would like to know how to get off the AARP mailing list! Maybe that would at least save a tree!!
Hands Off Social Security, HOSS; Indeed!
I never joined, but I’m happy to continue not joining…
I’m not joining AARP. I get the mailings, I like Betty White — but I can’t forget they backed Bush’s misbegotten Medicare drug plan, and now this!
wow! I turned 50 last year –
I’m going to RETURN stuff, as long as it is their postage!
f’king asshole scum. I’m sure they’ll be big boosters of 0bummer.
rmm.
AARP has been a product pusher for years. That was the original argument between AARP and Alan Simpson: AARP tried to intervene in some seniors’ issue or other and Simpson warned them to back off or have their tax exempt charity status looked into. AARP backed off. They didn’t want to lose their tax protected status and they were already way, way over the profit making line.
Long years ago, a friend and I wanted to found the Church of the Graven Image to sell camera equipment and not pay taxes.
Once an org takes up residence in DC, they’re done as an effective advocacy group for their membership. It used to be called co-optation and it’s been noted many times that the Roman Catholic Church is masterful at executing.
I wonder if Betty White would like to know how people feel about this?
Nice headline. But I prefer, “AARP, STICK A FORK IN IT.”
When I turned 50 it was at the height of the Bush era Social Security battle and the AARP was behaving equally egregiously so I never joined.
It’s all about what corporate america is,”Do as I say not as I do” They want the American Government to fail by cutting off it’s revenue so they can privatize all the functions of the government (Social Security,Medicare,Prisons the list is endless.) It’s the only way they can get richer. They have already taken all the low hanging fruit, ie; the MIDDLE CLASSs’ money (assault on Unions and the right to bargain) and now certain states are selling or leasing state property to foreign countries. Example, selling Indiana’s toll roads to a company in Dubi to run for the next 75 years increasing tolls every year and not allowing any rail or other lanes to be added along the toll roads. What happens next is more dollars to Dubi. AMERICA IS FOR SALE AND CORPORATIONS WITH THEIR NEW RIGHT TO VOTE ARE SELLING US DOWN THE RIVER. NO MORE NEED FOR THAT ARCAIC IDEA CALLED DEMOCRACY. Say no to monopolies and Federal no bid contracts. Remember, the top four hundred earners have more wealth than the bottom one hundred fifty million Americans and they don’t pay more than 17% for taxes if any at all. I pay 32% and I’m tired of sending that overseas (WARS and OIL). RAISE THE CAP FOR SOCIAL SECURITY ON THOSE BASTARDS AND GET SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE, AND DON’T TELL ME ABOUT ENTITLEMENTS AS A GOD DAMN TREAT GIVEN TO ME BY THE GOVERNMENT. I’M NOT A DOG!. I’VE PAID INTO SOCIAL SECURITY AND UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FOR THE LAST 52 YEARS AND MEDICARE SINCE 1966. Get your head in the game and VOTE those assholes out that represent corporations and not YOU. Fight for the minimum wage and UNIONS, Believe me corporate america can afford it, they have never made more money in history as they do today. OH, I FORGOT I’M THE ONE THAT BAILED THE BANKS OUT. CAN YOU TAKE THAT KNIFE OUT OF MY BACK please. Resend the Bush tax cuts. What’s not wrong with this country? It all started in 1980 when we went from a creditor nation to a debtor nation and they won’t give up until we STOP them. peace out~
I’m with ya… done this morning… Just another f***ing insurance broker….
Hoepfully they’ll take such a hit in their membership they get hurt financially but then they’ll turn around and RAISE other rates on their remaining members… Once you take the turn that AARP did yesterday down the dark road to doom, you can’t go back… It’s like Sony offering hacked users ‘freebies’ on the websites if they would come back….WHY?? If I’ve been exposed did you help me recuperate the info or insurance coverage I LOST because of you clowns???
Nope and you’ll never help you slime-sucking swill-pond dwellers…
good move, suz!
i quit a long time ago and was thinking of rejoining, but then along came their stand during the health care fiasco, and i remain, gladly, a non-member.
AARP turned long ago.
Good for you, but I’m guessing you will get no meaningful response from AARP. A few years back when AARP was instrumental in passage of Bush’s medicare part D which, if I recall was one tenth useful and nine tenth handout to insurance companies, I did the same thing. I cancelled my membership and told them why and asked for an explanation. The only “answer” I ever got was to the effect of, “we’re sorry you cancelled your membership, please come back”. Again I told them why I cancelled and of course no response.
Good idea but I don’t have one, cancelled when they supported Bush’s prescription drug plan. No offense but you have to be quicker on the draw, don’t keep dating folks who left you standing in the road once already. For example, any progressive who still supports Dems, but I digress…yup, burn it!
Here is the rogues gallery of the leadership of this organization of corporate whores. Why is anyone surprised they sold out our grannies?
Increasing the retirement age is a huge cut to S.S.who do you think we are? teabaggers? your premise is insulting.
Eliteville.
To what comment are you replying?
Yes, you can use their postage paid business reply envelope. They expect to get it back containing something profitable inside. What a surprise!
They lost a lot of members a couple of years ago during the ObamaCare debacle. History repeats itself, no?
Hubert H. Humphrey III
Hubert H. Humphrey III is an executive and professor from Golden Valley, Minnesota.
maybe a note to this disgrace to his fathers name!!!
and WHY AND THE HELL DO THEY NEED SO MANY PAID BOARD MEMBERS?
tsk,tsk tsk….so much waste of $$$$$$
please dont engage the stooopit trolls
Good on ya, Suz!
And btw, Dean made time to make that image while he’s at NN11? He’s A Rockstar!
Unless AARP receives more bad publicity than they did during the Medicare Part D fiasco I doubt that you will even get a response. I certainly didn’t when I cancelled my membership when AARP completely folded on prescription drugs and supported the current dreadful corporate-profit solution.
That’s not to suggest that you should not bother, but rather that you may need to go beyond cancelling ‘membership.’ AARP pretends to be a membership organization. But it is really just another large business and has been for decades.
Dear AARP,
For a year now yo have been urging me to join you. I was holding until I actually turned 50 which was this week. And I am glad I did BECAUSE NOW I WILL NOT JOIN AARP because you, who claim to be an advocate of retired people, of those over 50, now support cuts to Social Security.
I see no benefit to joining an organization which seeks to take away from its peers the means they need to survive. My parents were members, numerous others in my family were members, and I was looking forward to flashing my card. Until yesterday when AARP announced their support of Social Security cuts.
So, please STOP SENDING ME MAILINGS! I don’t need your damn dead trees and for you to waste your members’ dues on printing and postage that I will dump straight in the trash.
AARP, I never knew you. And now never will.
(i corrected the types before I sent it to them..yikes.
you aholes are almost as dumb as the teebaggers…you’re going to get your president Romney or Backman….we’ll call you the d-baggers
Re their wasting money: the last tax return showed that AARP has an annual income of _$1.09 BILLION_ dollars, they paid _$76 million_ for printing and $23 million for advertising, and they paid their useless CEO a $1.6 million annual salary. How many seniors would that support???
I was more immediate and direct. I called their 888 number an after they confirmed that I was a member, the call center operator asked “What can we do for you today.” My answer “Fire John Rother”. She said that she would pass the message on. Why John Rother? He was on the policy staff when they knuckled under on Medicare Part D. The top leadership was fired after that but he remained. He was named in the WSJ article and the The Hill article as the source of the information.
If AARP is serious about representing the interests of retired people (you have to remember that their constituency is only the elderly with retirement funds), then they will not allow Social Security and Medicare to be cut any more than the NRA would allow even the mildest gun regulation. If they are serious… If they are not serious, their members will figure out quickly enough and the organization will collapse or become the insurance agency its development staff always wanted it to be.
Aw, shit, another clever troll. Sheesh, where do they get these clowns?
This person is a perfect example of what middle America will be if all the “privatize everything” jerks get their way. Can’t understand the premise of the thread, can’t spell, can’t write a proper sentence, I could go on. In other words, totally uneducated and proud of it.
I was eligible to join AARP way back when – but after the Part D fiasco I refused and told them why. Over the years I have consistently sent all their junk mail back to them in their postage-paid envelopes. I no longer get any. It took a while….
Makes me wonder if their mothers had any children born with a brain.
Never joined. Never will. They’re nothing but an insurance company.
I wonder how much money and benefits John Rother, Executive VP of AARP makes? Maybe he could tighten his belt a little. Hey, we all have to sacrifice, no?
According to their 2009 tax return, Rother made a salary of $290,089 plus $40,269 in benefits.
yay stoicjim! what was their response?
ooo i like that idea dearie
i think the solution is to start returning all their mailings to them in their postage prepaid envelope. that seems to be the way to get them to stop wasting trees
Boy, if I just had quarter of his benefits I would be sitting happy! Never mind the salary. Since I (and millions of others just like me) are living on a Social Security pension, it might be nice if he tried that for a year. A month is too little. A year. BTW the average SS pension for a woman is just over $12,000 per year. So…Mr. Rother, want to ‘share the sacrifice’ with the rest of us?
I thought not. Pffft.
adams, that’s a great headline! wish i would have thought of it
woohoo, thanks winski.
Actually, if I had HALF of his benefits, that is if I had an income of $20,000 per year…I would be doing really well. That’s not asking for much.
i’m hoping enough folks cancel that the forkers at aarp have to notice they are losing members.
their bottom line is the only thing that matters to them
ooo thanks tasteoffreedom! judas forking priest that’s a who’s who of assholes
thanks kelly –ain’t it a beaut!
And for all the jack-a**es out there who say that people should do more to save up for their own retirements – well everyone who did – all their money that was in 401(k) plans and IRA plans (that is, in the banks and the stock market) was ‘lost’ during the 2008 crash.
Actually it wasn’t lost – it got sucked up by the banksters, and then the same little guys who got taken in that casino wound up paying again by bailing these scam artist out.
That’s why no one has any other money. And now they want to take Social Security away from us too?
Greedy bastards! I wish someone would explain to me just how much money is enough for these guys? If you have more than about $10 million, you cannot spend it all in your lifetime, so just how much is freaking enough? Why do you have to continue to take and take and take from people who have what you consider chump change, but you still want that too?
i like it lisa! let me know what their response is — if they even reply. i’ve still not heard back from them
You are spot-on, thoughtwecould…
One time AARP featured what I thought was an outrageously elitist article in their glossy mag. The gist of it was that some of their selected membership got to “model” some very high-end clothing and accessories, and report how they “felt” about being able to do so. Annoyingly, the tone of the article was that everyone should aspire to wanting and buying these articles; and, so as to reinforce that theory, they published the prices of these goods.
I was floored! Purses for $13,000, briefcases for $500, blouses for $350, etc. So I decided to write a Letter to the Editor about the elitist (fantasist, really!) tone of the article. Three weeks later I received a postcard saying they “get SOOO many letters they can’t possibly publish mine, blah blah.
When the next issue came out, they published a letter from some guy saying “he loved” the article and the prices shown were “affordable.” (?!)
You’re right. Forget about their really responding to what the membership says. The leadership level is not interested in the Social Security crowd.
Suzanne is mad at AARP and urges everyone to cancel their memberships and burn their AARP cards.
Former Lt. Dan Choi is mad at Barack Obama because he hasn’t pushed harder for gay and lesbian rights.
Rachel Maddow is mad at the Democrats, especially Nancy Pelosi, for not coming to the defense of Anthony Weiner.
Hispanics are mad at Barack Obama for not passing the DREAM act addressing immigration issues.
Progressives are mad at Barack Obama for not pulling all of our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Republicans of course are mad at Barack Obama and oppose him for whatever he does — good or bad.
So, what’s a voter to do? 1) Don’t vote in 2012; 2) Vote for the Republican presidential nominee, even if it is Michele Bachmann or Sarah Palin or Rick Santorum. 3) Vote for a third party, assuming there is usually one Green or Reform candidate.
Yes, Suzanne, let’s just all abandon the Democrats in 2012 so we can spend the next 4 years griping until 2016. Republican/Tea Partyers, aided and abetted by the solid phalanx of five right-wing, activist, partisan ideologues on the U.S. Supreme Court, Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Scalia (RATS) + one inaptly named swing vote, Anthony Kennedy, who ruled in Citizens United v. FEC allowed unlimited, unaccounted for gazillions that can be pumped into the election campaigns of Republican/Tea Party candidates.
You know what will happen by then? The United States will become Texas which has a super majority Republican one-party rule that will reign, not for just one presidential election, but for decades.
AARP has not thrown seniors under the bus in spite of all the Chicken Littles who say the sky is falling. Yes, they sell insurance policies. So what? I doubt if there is one person here who has health insurance, automobile insurance, life insurance or home insurance who thinks that the bulk of campaign contributions by these behemoths doesn’t go to Republicans, or the profits made from gasoline they put in their cars isn’t controlled by Big Oil who contribute hugely to Republicans, or the profits from Big Coal that heats so many homes in the U.S. aren’t going to Republican candidates.
Let’s be real here. We are the little people and we are at the total mercy of the few Democrats, flawed and ignoble as they are at times, which is the only party that still represents the best interests of the American people.
Maybe Suzanne is a Trojan Horse. Maybe Suzanne, like the Tea Partyers and Republicans, wants to see more depressed Democrats and more disappointed, more intimidated and disillusioned voters who will stay at home in November 2012.
Then we will for sure become a national extension of Texas which has one of the lowest standards of living for its citizens, the most brutal assaults against women’s rights, state-mandated Bible teaching in public schools, exclusion of key historic figures in U.S. history public school classes replaced by religionists like John Calvin and their rotted, divinely-inspired Creation Science dogma which will replace the study of evolution.
Texas has more of its citizens without any health care coverage than any state in the U.S., a state completely in the stranglehold of corporations who receive tax exempt incentives while the rest of the state’s citizens are barely hanging on before the next shoe drops later this year when thousands of teachers will lose their jobs, schools will close, health services will be diminished, property taxes will rise due to lost state revenues and more people working two or three McJobs just to keep their heads above water.
We’ve got one more chance at booting this mob of Republican hatchet men, executioners, hustlers, Ponzi schemers and swindlers out of our government in November 2012. Tearing up your AARP card and whining over a disgraced politician like Weiner who texted himself out of a job are just what Republicans want to happen. After you burn your card you might as well check in to Red State where you will be welcomed with open arms.
Yep, follow the money. Where does the bulk of AARP’s come from, who does it employ, where and what do they spend their time doing and for whom? Membership dues ought to be the biggest item. I think you’ll find that while they are significant, a big chunk of money comes from a handful of sponsorship deals – really, a disguised access to AARP’s mailing list for marketing outfits from Big Pharma to Big Banks, who pay handsomely for it. That’s what keeps AARP’s top staff in DC clover; they know it and advocate for policies accordingly, whatever the impact on their members.
I’d be really surprised if you receive any kind of response other than an automated email thanking you for your comments. They’re only responding to phone calls because they don’t want the negative publicity that would come from hanging up on the members.
AARP has a fear of being ACORN’d if they don’t toe the Roopublicon line. And they are being challenged by 60+, a conservative front group.
I have news for you–Democrats no longer represent the interests of the average American, and if you truly believe they do, I have some prime beachfront property in Nebraska I want to sell you.
And just voting lock-step for the usual Dem suspects without pushing back on all the things we are disappointed in helps us how?
We have tried that over and over. You know the old saying – doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.
Well, I for one, am tired of making myself insane. I will not stay home. But I certainly will not be voting lockstep for the same old Dems. And I will not be voting for any Repukes either. I will find good candidates I can support and vote for them and work for them.
And I will make sure that my voice is heard – in opposition where ever need be – in citicizing and yelling and screaming if necessary when my elected representatives including Obama do stuff I don’t like. It is my right as a citizen, in fact it is my obligation as such, to do so. And burning an AARP card has nothing to do with voting in an election. AARP is a private entity. Boycotting them is a completely different issue. Sorry you cannot seem to distinguish between the two.
Ok Richard729 so you named the things were pissed about. Now tell me what Obama has done for me…..lets see….no public option just a screwed up Health Bill……higher gas prices….riding the edge of raising the retirement age….Social Security under attack…riding the edge of wiping out Medicare..broken promises to the gays…tax cuts for top 2 per cent…But Oh Wait a Minute…I should reward the Democrats and Obama with another term just because their Democrats and he is Obama and even though they are all “weinees” and afraid to stand up to the right, I should run to the polls and protect their jobs and salaries . What would be the difference for me if Romney was elected??? I am trying to figure that out.
I’ve found that method doesn’t work with the Democratic Party. They aren’t worried about waste apparently.
While you’re getting off the AARP mailing list, why not go a step beyond and get off other mailing lists you don’t want to be on. I donate to only a very few groups, but I get mail from all sorts of organizations asking for money, some because my name has been loaned out by the groups I truly like.
I saved up the mail from two weeks and spent more than two hours contacting each by way of their website. You can usually find the contact you need through their privacy policy (haven’t found such a thing as a privacy policy for AARP). I also registered with something called direct mail or whatever (can’t remember) and that helps, but it doesn’t stop the big groups like AARP or that damn relentless Democratic Party. Otherwise, I have made a huge dent in the amount of junk I get in my mailbox.
In Steal This Urine Test Abby Hoffman suggested that you past the pre-paid return envelope to a brick before you mail it. The USPS charges by the ounce.
What would be the difference for me if Romney was elected??? I am trying to figure that out.
metro, that’s the same question I’ve been asking myself.
“What would be the difference for me if Romney was elected??? I am trying to figure that out.”
O.K., we didn’t get everything we wanted in one fell swoop. But, do you think with Romney (the least offensive of the crop of Republicans) would have tried to end DADT?
Just what do you think Obama can do about the gasoline prices? Nada. The speculators control that market and always have with the exception of the Arab boycott in the late 70′s.
Tax cuts for the top 2% was blackmail by the Republicans with the weak agreement that the government would not shut down — at least for a few more months. Besides, if the 2% didn’t get their tax cut Republicans would have made sure the automatic 10-year Bush tax cuts would expire and EVERYONE, not just the wealthiest 2%, would have seen their taxes increase and you know it.
So far, Social Security, Medicare and Medicare are intact. No way on God’s green earth if Republicans run the table in 2012 will they be safe (Paul Ryan’s plan) and you know that too.
Look at the states where Republicans did run the table and tell me their citizens are better off without collective bargaining rights. Look at the laws they’ve passed against women seeking an abortion, even in cases of rape or incest. Look at the voter I.D. bills they are passing to make it tougher for people to vote. Look at the anti-Hispanic bills like Arizona’s SB-1070 which mandates law enforcement to stop, detain and arrest a person who is driving, walking or standing while brown.
I’ve spent hours plodding through the current 112th Congress House bills. Right now, there are 2,204 bills. Most are benign. But, there are dozens of others sponsored by Republicans that are attempts to strip away more and more rights and liberties while simultaneously lowering the wealthiest tax rates from 35% to 25% + lowering the obscenely low 15% capital gains tax rate to 10%. Some even want to totally eliminate the capital gains along with what they refer to as the “death” tax.
Just for reference, here is a link to the Congressional bills:
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/LegislativeData.php?n=Browse
When you ask what the difference would be if Romney was elected I’ll tell you. He’s the world’s biggest flip-flopper. He won’t sign on to the pro-life purity oath pushed mainly by Tea Partyers, he cleverly said he believes there is global warming and that man-made activity has contributed to it. Clearly, he isn’t a Creation Scientist or Intelligent Design proponent but he understands those issues are important to a large segment of the American people and he wants to appear to be the reasonable presidential nominee so he panders equally to all. He is the master at duplicity.
It’s probable that if he is elected president and there are enough people who stay at home and don’t elect Democrats to national and state offices then the Republican candidate will have big coattails. That means one thing: Republicans will run the table and all the extremist elements of the Tea Partyers will have a much larger majority in the House than they have now and they will take the U.S. Senate as well.
If your contempt for Barack Obama and organizations like AARP is so intense you can be sure, they will disappear as quickly as America’s unions (only about 7% of the entire private workforce is union), Planned Parenthood, NPR, almost all funding for the arts, the dissolution of the EPA (an actual pledge in many Republican state 2010 platforms) a complete militancy toward environmental issues such as clean air and toxic free water and food, a return of a rogue stock market and financial institutions run amok, abolishing of the U.S. Department of Education, privatizing Social Security, vouchering out Medicare and block granting Medicaid.
One thing that Democrats have never learned and that is that Republicans approach politics exactly as war and they treat their political foes as brutally as any torturer would his enemy. I still remember what happened to Max Cleland in 2002. Things have gotten way worse since then.
I won’t be voting for any Republican under any circumstances. I’ve tried voting for a third party candidate before and I can come up with as many criticisms of the Democratic Party as anyone here. But, if you think the 2012 election isn’t important then you are living on a different planet.
Republicans have one Hippocratic oath they live by: Cause as Much Harm to the Common People as Possible.
Good for you.
Now, take some actual action, as opposed to an immediately circular-filed petition and organize people to get out to lodges, senior-centers, etc to encourage MASSES of seniors to do the same, as well as dropping any AARP-sourced services or insurance they may have purchased, educating them along the way. THEN you’ll get my undying cooperation and even my last dollar.
I quit AARP about a decade ago when their magazine had a pic of Colin Powell on the cover and ‘W’ was the unelected Prez. It was the last straw for me. This organization has been and still is working to defeat the interests of working citizens. We need to shun and, by doing so, starve it.
they are a total fraud tony — they represent insurance companies, not their members.
i’m a trojan horse? lard love a duck, there must be a run on tin foil by the aarp paid trolls
curses, foiled again
i’m still waiting for a response. i’m going to call them monday and ask why they are ignoring my request
I was wondering when I’d read that. Yes, based on those who are so virulently anti-Obama I’d say there probably are trolls here.
AARP stance will be tame if Republicans control every lever of government and I hope you understand that. Sorry you resort to the tin foil remark but come to think of it a tin foil hat might look good on a Trojan Horse.
Obama has shown how little is the importance of electing a Democratic President, and how important it is to elect Democrats that are not blue dogs to Congress and State offices.
ok Richard729 I don’t make a statement like that likely. I am a Union Rep and I have worked for the Democrats for a number of years. I know all about the deals and the rotten shenanigans that are played. I was a strong Obama supporter and worked every chance I could for him. I now work in Private industry and my co-workers would wrap my Xmas gifts in him small plastic sign paper when we exchanged gifts at Christmas time because they knew how much I loved him. Never did I dream that I would be fighting for the financial security of my life with Obama as President. Sure the Republicans are causing big trouble but I expected him to stand up for me instead of cave. My conservative friends (I have a few) and conservative co-workers are laughing at us. The Media concentrates on the Republicans because they know they are the most powerful even though the Democrats control the Senate and the Oval Office. I am suppose to see hope down the road with Obama in a second term??? I think he will be dangerous to me because he will cave on Social Security, Medicare and anything else that will benefit me. Maybe there will be a sliver of hope if Dems can control the Senate and the House in 2012 but I just can’t reward this guy with another term. At this time my family and I feel that we will sit this one out and let others decide in 2012.
The greedy selfish Republican Politicans don’t want to increase taxes on the wealthy to help pay down the national debt, but they want the middle class, the working poor, the poor, the elderly, and the disabled to bear the brunt of cuts to social programs to help balance the budget while the rich fat cats go free claiming they are the job creaters and not share their wealth to help our country pay off its debt. This is wrong and its un-Christian and un-American -like too, rob from the poor give to the rich philosphy is being used here by the greedy self-fish sel-centered ruthless un-caring Republican Party. They are only out for their rich buddies, they don’t really care about poor Republicans either, they just use them for their votes, Poor average working middle class, elderly, disabled Republicans need to wake up and start voting Democratic and stop voting against their best interest, if you’re not a rich or well to do Republican, they definitely don’t care anything about you either, switch to the Democratic Party were they would better protect you from the greedy rich Republican cut machine, because the negative changes in Social Security law and policies will also negatively affect you like poor average working middle class Democrats in the long-run.
Tear up those AARP cards too, and no new members should join this traitor organization, send back their applications and print no deal you sold us out to the highest bidder, which is the rich Republican cut hawks who only want to protect the well to do republicans riches and wealth, and dont require them to make a shared sacrifice to help pay down the national debt the was increased by the Bush Adminstration’s un-financed wars in the middle-east and then raided of the social security trust fund which was robbing from Peter to pay Paul.
If Obama and the Democrats in Congress do not get tougher and fight back, I will just stay home on election day if they allows any further changes to medicare and Social Security, I would no longer feel or see a need to vote for either party’s politicans in the 2012 election cycle, I would see them as all the same, not really look out or caring what their average voters wants or needs.
I think the AARP is just reflecting the beliefs of their members. Lets face it, most people are stupid. Give them an SUV and they never question the loss of their freedoms or economic security. Talk to them, you’ll see I’m right.
We don’t care what you call us, as long as you don’t call us late for diner
Three words: Supreme . Court . appointments
Here’s my letter I sent to AARP telling them not to send me anymore membership application packages.
June 18, 2011
To: ALL AARP Executives and Representatives
From: Darrell Prunty
Deleted Personal Address For Security Purposes On Here.
Subject: Stop Sending Me AARP Membership Application Packages
Dear AARP Executives & Representatives:
Stop sending me Membership packages, I don’t want to be a member of an organization that does not look out for my best interest, but instead, side with the Republican social programs cutting hawks, in the name of preventing to tax the wealthy to help balance the outstanding national debt that the Bush Administration created by raging to un-paid wars in the middle east, when President Clinton left office, we we’re in a surplus, but President Bush took the surplus and spent it on national security based on lies and deception and let the rich and organizations get away with not paying their fair share of taxes, now the Republican Congress cut hawks want to balance the budget, on the backs of the elderly, children, the poor, the working poor , the middle class, and the disabled.
You did the ultimate betrayal to your members and future members, by opening the door to cuts on security benefits, raising the retirement age, and reducing cash benefits, and reduced annual COLA payouts, you sold out the highest bidders for your own greedy self-interest and self-fish motives as well, if you sleep with dogs, you sure will catch flees, meaning if you in any way agree with the Republicans on beginning the process of ultimately privatizing Medicare and the Social Security safety net for present and future seniors, then you’re in total agreement with them in my opinion.
You can try and spin this any way you please, people are not stupid to this, you have turned on your own loyal membership for in some shape or form of long-term financial gain, We don’t need to support and organization that’s not on the up and up and not advocating for us seniors 100% with no room for compromise in cuts with the Republican social program cut hawks.
The best way to show how your members are upset and displeased with your decision to back and give political coverage to politicians wanting to change or cut Social Security and Medicare benefits on the backs of Seniors and the Disabled is hitting you financially in your pocketbook, meaning no new members should join your organization through dues or volunteerism, your current member should burn or chop up and throw away their membership cards and then contact you and let you know their disgust and disappointment for your actions towards helping politicians slowly chip away from Social Security and Medicare. and then ultimately play a role in the privation of these two great programs that have worked for many decades. You not only hurt present seniors but seniors to be far in the future. You no longer need to act like you are an advocate and protector of Seniors, but be who you really are, that is corporate insurance hawks just wanting folks money with no real advocacy for them.
I will only change my mind in not supporting or joining AARP if its Executives publicly State and prove that they no longer support in any way changing and/or cutting Medicare and Social Security benefits, raising the retirement age, preventing Seniors and the disabled from receiving annual cost of living increases, and throwing Seniors and the disabled under the bus in the name of profits and helping the rich and organizations maintain their wealth with no shared sacrifice to help pull this Country out of debt is un- American and un-Christian like as well. I never want to join AARP whose Executives opened the door for making any changes or cuts in Medicare or Social Security that is the ultimate betrayal of its present and future members.
Sincerely,
Darrell H. Prunty AAS BS MS
Oh noes the bush tax cuts would die as a whole!
THE HORROR! THE HORROR!
I’m sorry but if your only defense of barry o bush is “he fought to defend the bush tax cuts” then fuck barry.