ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

I'm also sick of the rising cost of health care. Health care has increased more than any other product execpt for college tuition. We need to help doctors with their malpractice insurance as this insurance has increased 4X in 10 years. It is imperative that government get out of the health care business least we will all have a level of health care service that rivals the DMV or the post office. Each individual should be responsible for their own health care and each premium should be adjusted based on the weight and exercise habits of the individual.

Unlike 30 years ago, more and more people have problems with their health, and as more people enter the system than people who pay for it, expect the costs to rise.

As population ages in every country not just the US, the budget gets screwed. For some reason, Americans think Canada and Europe are not running into problems now with a socialist system.

The day will come when old people will have to pick, pay for your life or not give up the RV. No one is going to take care of people for free and have it still be good.

We are such poor, poor pitiful victims of every "big" business. For example, the number one box office winner over the most recent weekend (May 3 and 4) grossed over a hundred million dollars. Yes, Americans are hurting real bad when they can only afford $100,000,000 on one movie over one weekend. We make entertainers very, very wealthy by buying their products and products we do not even need and can't eat or wear or use in any meaningful way at all then turn around a cry like spanked babies when asked to pay for a doctor's visit and some medicine. Whose priorites are skewed in that picture?

I think AARP should be more concerned about a fair tax situation for it's members above fair medicare. If we rely on the government to take care of us we are all up the creek, because it can not even take care of itself! They waste entirely too much of the tax payers' money. Let's band together and get the fair tax Neal Boortz & John Lender wrote about passed then we won't need government to support us.

Is anyone going to bring up subjects such as the rising number of illegals using the emergency system and the effect that this is having on hospitals and their ability to recoup costs that are basically thrown away? I for one don't want to see socialized medicine in the U.S., having lived in Europe and used their systems I have an insight that many Americans don't have. I belive that we tie our politicians hands by holding them accountable for something that we don't want them envolved with. Then we scream bloody murder when we don't like the way it's working. We say that our hopsitals aren't regulated by the government but if they turn away someone for their emergency rooms because they can't pay then they'll be fined, and will be unable to receive medicare reimbursements; which illegals have no reasons receiving anyway (wink wink.) There are so many problems with our system. If someone would just take the first steps in fixing it. It will take a long time before we're done, but it will get done.

I am deeply concerned about the FAIR TAX bills now before congress. The Fair Tax proponents are getting more and more coverage and most tax payers don't understand the program. The Fair Tas is NOT the same as the Flat Tax. The Fair Tax is NOT FAIR for most taxpayers in middle and lower income brackets, especially seniors (like me!) who have paid income taxes for decades and are now earning much less and paying correspondingly lower income taxes. After completing my 1040 last year, I figured what my I would have paid if we had the Flat Tax (a federal sales tax on virtually everything) as opposed to the graduated income tax. I would have paid some $9000 to $13000 MORE under the Flat Tax.

1. What is AARP doing to fight the Fair Tax?

2. Is there an orgaization opposing the Fair Tax? How can I find an expert on Fair Tax to speak to our voters group?

Help!!

Jerrold Sundt