IT’S UP TO IOWA TO STOP CHANGES THAT WILL HURT IOWA’S SENIORS
DES MOINES – Today, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan released the following statement on the White House Budget:
“The budget released by the White House today could lead to real pain for Iowa residents. A few key provisions in the budget will unfairly burden Iowa’s seniors and veterans.
“While there are various positive elements in President Obama’s budget, they do not negate the harm that would be done to seniors and working families if the proposals for the chained CPI and means testing Medicare premiums were to be adopted. The President’s proposals are a double whammy for seniors, reducing Social Security benefits while also increasing Medicare costs for many. These proposals jeopardize retirement security at a time when we should be shoring it up.
“These proposals would especially impact Iowa. According to information released by the US Census Bureau in 2011, Iowa has the fifth highest percentage of residents who are 65 years old or older.
“Asking Iowa retirees to dig into their pockets to pay more than their fair share for Medicare will put an undue burden on their families and the communities they live in. Means testing for Medicare is a slippery slope that will impact senior citizens across the state and stall the overall economic recovery.
“We call on Iowa’s members of Congress to stand up to the bad ideas in Washington that will have real and devastating consequences here in Iowa.”
Any budget that continually puts the US 1 trillion dollars more in debt every year is a SHAME -BAFOON – SMOKE AND MIRRORS – Phooey !