ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

AARP sat down not too long ago to talk with U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, where he told them rather than focusing on the second economic stimulus, his efforts were directed towards making efforts to stable world markets and the U.S. financial system. Here's some of his thoughts:

"We have not done as good a job at communicating as we should have . . . Our objective has never been to save a particular financial institution, but to serve the public interest. "Stability in the financial system is a social good. If we don't have confidence in the financial system and our markets, the people who are the losers are the American people. And the biggest losers are those who are retired and on fixed incomes and those who are working hard to make ends meet. It's a crushing burden."

Indeed it is. Make sure to check out the whole feature.

Times are tough, but governments still need money to provide us services. They also need to find ways to create jobs so people can pull themselves out of their personal economic troubles. Severe economic downturns can sometimes defy typical solutions and some folks are getting a little more creative with their ideas. In New York, Mayor Bloomberg is considering a plan that could bring in revenue and help the city go green. He is mulling over introducing a 6 cent tax on plastic bags to encourage people to adopt re-usable bags for their shopping.

A recent article in Time also suggests that one way to dig the country out of this hole would be to start a major infrastructure project. By rebuilding many of the nation's deteriorating roads, rail systems, dams and sewers, we could improve our ability to compete with other countries while creating thousands of jobs for unemployed Americans.

The economic downturn is forcing people to take a hard look at their expenditures. Shoppers across the country have been cutting back, and their grocery list seems to be one major victim. Half of people are buying fewer prepared meals at the grocery store and just under half of Americans are trying to stretch the use of household cleaning products. Also, lots of consumers are eating out less often and trying to share items like toothpaste and shampoo with family members. How have you been cutting back?

Well, a historic election has just wrapped up. While it's definitely a relief to be done with the election, it's time to turn toward actually addressing the real problems facing America. This is certainly a tough time to be taking over as President, and there will be plenty of challenges on the road ahead. For most people the biggest concern has been the economy, but just why has it gotten so bad? AARP's Chief Operating Officer Tom Nelson suggests that a lot of the problem can be traced to the skyrocketing cost of health care in America. It seems as though we will have to address health care in this country if we want any shot of repairing the economy. Let's see how our new President-elect can deal with the hand he's been dealt.

Today was such an important day in history - for so many reasons, and for so many people.

I started voting as soon as I was able to: when I turned 18. Not any one candidate or issue got me fired up, it was simply an important rite of passage. To vote meant to participate in one of our greatest freedoms.

Voting is perhaps the most important representation of a democracy which we are so lucky to have here in America. People in other countries have given their lives to achieve this privilege of a voice. A voice that isn't pressured by any one else but is representative of one's own best judgment.

It is massively important for everyone of all ages to vote, but for those of us who are over 50 and older hopefully have some experience. Perhaps our perspective and appreciation that our voting will have significant policy and leadership impact to the well being of not only ourselves, but of future generations is felt a little bit stronger as we age.

The work day is over, you're heading home...or off to vote...or the bar...or to your brother's mother-in-law's house to watch all the election night hullabaloo.

If you're hosting your own party, or maybe just want to have some fun with your family, here's a few suggestions:

Real Simple has election night cocktails to celebrate the occasion and also has some food ideas as well.

Make a game of Bingo! from commonly used election-related phrases from media and candidates alike! Daily Kos has a few examples.

How about a nice game of trivia? Scribble a few trivia questions down about past Presidents and have a go. Click here for some ideas.

If you're like me, and just can't keep track, print out this blank map of the U.S. and grab a blue and red marker to track who's winning where.

Came across this interesting little calculator today....gives you a rough estimate of what each candidates tax plans will do to your taxes over the next four years....

http://www.electiontaxes.com/

Iowans got a whooole lotta Champ, the Divided We Fail mascot, today...check him out!

One more guest blogger for you today. This time, Arturo Vargas from National Association of Latino Elected Officials (or NALEO) joins us in talking about the much sought after Latino vote...

Today, the Latino community has a historic opportunity to play a decisive role in the outcome of the presidential election. In order to meet the needs of the country's Latino voters, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund has been engaged in an unprecedented voter engagement campaign that is changing the face of the American Electorate by increasing Latino voter participation.

Nationally, there are 17 million Latinos eligible to register and participate in the nation's electoral process, of which 30 percent are over the age of 50. We anticipate that today Latinos will play a critical role in writing the next chapter of the American story.

Over the past few weeks, the NALEO Educational Fund and its national and local partners, including Mi Familia Vota and the National Council of La Raza, have been making live phone calls to voters in eight states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Texas. In all, live phone canvassers reached out to more than 160,000 thousand young, newly registered, and infrequent Latino voters.

Today, all of the organization's resources are focused on our 1-888-Ve-y-Vota hotline, the largest live-operator bilingual hotline. It is serving as the voter information hotline for the ya es hora campaign and the official Spanish-language hotline for the national Election Protection Coalition. We will be taking calls all day helping voters find their polling places and taking reports on voter protection issues.

Arturo Vargas
Executive Director
NALEO

Beth Carpenter in Missouri sent us this photo today...first Howl-O-Ween and now this!

Here's a few places to play online with while you're at work related to the election:

CNN has an interactive electoral map where you can call the race yourself....have some fun and play the numbers.

Google has some customized searches you can do to find out local election results.

Browse around the Washington Post's polls and survey results page.

If you're looking for a funny take on the elections - Saturday Night Live's web site has all the skits related to the election on their homepage. Just don't laugh too loud...your coworkers will know what you're up to!

New York Times has an interactive map that will be updated every hour.

You can always watch MSNBC's streaming coverage from your computer if you're really looking to kill some time in your cubicle...

I'm sure some of you have heard about or seen the popular PSA campaign called "Don't Vote"...it has every Hollywood celebrity you can think of saying "don't vote" and then acting very confused.

Tamara James, our AARP Ohio Associate State Director for Community Outreach had this to say about her voting experience:

The combination of early voting and six voting machines instead of four at my precinct seems to be successful. My wait was only 20 minutes this morning, instead of the 2.5 hours in 2004. While I was waiting in a shorter-than-expected line, I realized that the young guy explaining how to use the electronic voting machines is my 18-year-old neighbor. After I got over my initial shock that he is old enough to vote, I started thinking back to when I was in grade school and the movement to give 18-year-olds the right to vote. I remember hearing the justification that someone old enough to fight in the Vietnam War should have the right to vote in elections. It seemed so logical to me, even as a 3rd grader. Our family was far from political and didn't pay attention to issues, but it made an impression on me at the time and I vowed that when I turned 18, I would exercise my right to vote. I did, and I've tried to vote in every general, special or primary election ever since.

Tamara James, our AARP Ohio Associate State Director for Community Outreach had this to say about her voting experience:

The combination of early voting and six voting machines instead of four at my precinct seems to be successful. My wait was only 20 minutes this morning, instead of the 2.5 hours in 2004. While I was waiting in a shorter-than-expected line, I realized that the young guy explaining how to use the electronic voting machines is my 18-year-old neighbor. After I got over my initial shock that he is old enough to vote, I started thinking back to when I was in grade school and the movement to give 18-year-olds the right to vote. I remember hearing the justification that someone old enough to fight in the Vietnam War should have the right to vote in elections. It seemed so logical to me, even as a 3rd grader. Our family was far from political and didn't pay attention to issues, but it made an impression on me at the time and I vowed that when I turned 18, I would exercise my right to vote. I did, and I've tried to vote in every general, special or primary election ever since.

AARP's Tallahassee office having a little Divided We Fail fun...

So if you haven't already voted I am sure that you are on your way to do that right now. And since you are being such a good citizen, I'm sure that you're probably aware of the obstacles and troubles you may have to deal with when trying to vote. Just to be safe, here are some things to look out for when trying to vote. Be ready for long lines and make sure to have some sort of ID, just to be safe. Just remember this is the most important thing you can do today, so stick it out even if the conditions aren't the best. You'll feel better in the morning knowing your voice was heard.

AARP's Florida state director, Lori Parham sent us this note:

Florida elections officials deserve credit for promoting early voting, which almost certainly has helped with congestion today. Some 4.26 million Floridians voted early, either through early voting or by absentee ballot. Almost 38 percent of all registered voters had cast their ballots before the first of the state's 7,000 polling places opened their doors at 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time today.

Our folks are seeing only a few problems with ballots or machines. A few precincts we checked had long lines upon opening, but most of those lines had cleared out by 9 a.m. In one Tampa Bay precinct, an optical scanning machine jammed, causing a two-hour delay in voting. On the other hand, in one Tallahassee precinct, another optical scan machine caught an error by a voter and rejected the ballot. The voter was immediately provided with a fresh ballot, and was able to vote successfully.

Another one from our ever dilligent Kathy Keller:

We're hearing from friends and volunteers across the state who tell voters already were in line as early as 5 a.m. today to make sure they could vote before going to work. That morning rush had waits of an hour to an hour and a half between 7 and 8:30 a.m., but lines had largely disappeared in suburban area polling places by 9:30 this morning.

From the AARP North Carolina State President Diana Hatch:

"Rainy election-day weather in North Carolina doesn't appear to be dampening turnout. Lines are long in many precincts, but they appear to be moving at a good pace. Election officials had anticipated that some three million votes would be cast on election day, but those estimates have now been scaled back to around two million after extremely heavy early voting in the Tar Heel state. More than 40 percent of North Carolina's eligible voters - over two and a half million persons - have already cast their ballots. The electorate here has changed significantly with some 400,000 new registrations in the last year, many representing retirees and others who have moved to North Carolina from other states; we'll have to see what impact that has on long-standing patterns in presidential elections."

There has been no shortage of discussion about gender this election cycle, whether it was the candidates themselves or the issues they were discussing. Here's Debra Ness, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families on why this election is so critical for women:

Most of us who are over 50 have voted quite a few times, perhaps for hundreds of candidates if you add up the choices we've made on the many Tuesdays when we've trudged to the polls. That gives us the perspective to recognize that this is an election like few others.

As the long campaign draws to a close, and we rejoice that the political ads are finally going to disappear from our TV screens, it's worth taking a moment to consider what's at stake. For women, the outcome of this election will help answer key questions:

• How will the next President and Congress address our economic woes, and will they make it a priority to protect middle- and low-income workers and preserve our retirement income?
• What kind of health care reform will we adopt? Will it be meaningful reform that gives everyone access to quality, affordable health care with the drug benefits we need? Or will we continue to tinker around the edges, while the ranks of the uninsured grow, and medical errors and other quality problems get worse?
• Will we pass stronger laws to protect seniors, women, people of color, and others who face discrimination in the workplace - and will we enforce the anti-discrimination laws we have?
• Will we establish a minimum standard of paid sick days, so low-wage workers can take a few days off to recover from flu, care for a sick child, or get a mammogram without losing their pay or their jobs?
• Will we adopt paid family and medical leave, so we can all afford to take time off when illness strikes?

The answers lie not just in the results of today's election, but in how engaged and active we are afterward.

Today it feels like the future really is in our hands. But we make the most of it only if we vote today, and then speak out and stay involved tomorrow.

Debra L. Ness, President
National Partnership for Women & Families

Remember SchoolHouse Rocks? Well, here's a 3 minute diddy on the Electoral College a la SchoolHouse! Could be good to show your kids and grandkids while you're at it?

One more video that breaks it down...

Since we're bringing election updates and analysis straight to you here at Shaarp Session, we thought we'd invite a few guest bloggers to share their perspectives too. Below, Ralph Everett from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies talks about why this election is so important - especially for African Americans. Read on:

This is a historic election - in more ways than one.

Take, for example, the issue of voter turnout. With record numbers of new voter registrations and polls showing enormous interest in this election among a broad cross-section of the voting age public, the number of Americans who will cast ballots in this election may surpass the previous record.

The same goes for turnout among African American voters. We expect that African American turnout will increase by about 20 percent and thereby establish a new record for black voter turnout. This increase is driven by strong concerns about the economy and the war in Iraq as well as the historic candidacy of Senator Barack Obama. A surge in black voter turnout would continue a trend that we saw in 2004.

We expect that as young African Americans have been most electrified by the candidacy of Senator Obama, they will record the greatest increases in turnout. In addition, we would expect turnout to reach a zenith among African Americans age 50 and over - because there is enormous interest and concern in issues such as affordable health care, retirement security and family financial security. All of these issues will be affected by the policies and programs of the next President of the United States. Our polling has shown that Social Security is important to retirement security among African Americans, with some one-third of them expecting that it will be their major source of income in retirement. In addition, large majorities of black voters think the next President should do something to ensure that health care is affordable.

Given the stakes, it is difficult to imagine that there are any African Americans under the age of 25 or over the age of 50 who will sit this election out. The surge in interest and participation - something the Joint Center has promoted for nearly 40 years - is a great thing for our country and for the prospects of America becoming that "more perfect union" we all know it can be. If you are one of the few who hasn't yet voted or made plans to cast your ballot, what are waiting for?

Ralph B. Everett
President and CEO, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

From our good friend Morie Smilie - also Communications Director for AARP Colorado:

Downtown Denver Election Commission leadership is calm prior to the polls opening! They moved to a precinct model so traffic should be more manageable than earlier elections. Also, 64% have already voted in early voting!

The weather isn't going to be a factor on the eastern plains, partly cloudy and a high of 67. In the mountains, snow is flying with 8 to 14 inches of powder expected.

McCain will rally his supporters in Grand Junction on the western slope this morning.

While you're partaking in your civic duty why not get a flu shot too?

Select polling places around the nation have accompanying facilities that are offering flu vaccinations! I know I know...everyone's got a theory on the flu shot...but hey, it's better than getting sick!

Now what! Other than sit back and watch the results roll in (and partake in a little punditry of your own)...check out the national chains giving away freebies if you're sporting your "I Voted" sticker!

Find a Starbucks near you...though that shouldn't be hard.

Krispy Kreme is giving away star shaped donuts at participating stores.

Pick up a free scoop of deliciousness at your local Ben and Jerrys.

I even hear that Chick-fil-A is giving away chicken sandwiches with proof of voting!

Grab a free taco at California Tortilla while you're at it!

Divided We Fail teams are out in full force encourage folks to vote! This snapshot comes from Florida...

Kathy Keller, state Communications Director for AARP Ohio sends the following note this morning:

Since we fell back into Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, dawn was beginning to glow as polls opened at 6:30 this morning. Weather forecasters across the state are calling for mostly sunny skies and temperatures to reach the 70s.

County boards of elections are reporting that a quarter to a third of registered voters already have cast their ballots. Ohio's Secretary of State is predicting that 80 percent of the state's registered voters will cast ballots in this election.

Polls remain open until 7:30 p.m. today, and poll workers have been instructed to allow anyone waiting in line at that hour to vote before closing.

Here's a photo from 8:08 am from the Oak Pointe elementary precinct in Irmo, South Carolina. The line is about 75 people deep behind where I took this photo and they are a still coming. We have been in line for about 20 minutes.

For those of you who will be glued to your television sets tomorrow - or out at a watch party - check out Bulletin Today's article on how things might play out tomorrow.

Impress your friends with your deep knowledge of political strategy!

Our state President, Stella Hyde says that over the last year, our volunteers and members have collected over 30,000 Divided We Fail pledge cards from Pennsylvanians who believe that all Americans should have access to healthcare and lifetime financial security. Our members across the state realize the growing importance of the older voter. She believes quite strongly that older voters in PA are informed and ready to make their decision on Election Day.

Why PA is so interesting to watch this cycle:

• The dramatic increase in registration numbers for Democrats, especially in the SE corner of the state, make the area a place to watch, not only on the national level but how it translates into votes on down-ticket races
• Early election polls are favoring Obama to gain 21electorial votes in Pennsylvania, while Republicans have placed a great deal of importance on Pennsylvania in the Presidential race. Since the end of the GOP Convention, McCain has made 17 campaign stops throughout the commonwealth, including one today (Monday) in Pittsburgh. Running mate Palin, has made 23 campaign visits, including last Friday's stops in Latrobe and York.
• This year we are anticipating weather to play a large role in a massive voter turnout with weather forecast predicting highs in the 60s forecast from for most of the state from Erie to Philadelphia.

Our Communications Director in Missouri passed along this note:

On Saturday at the Kansas City Election Board, the line for absentee voting was LONG, but those waiting were in good spirits and chatty. One gentleman was distributing bottled water, snacks and (Starbucks) coffee.

Weather tomorrow in Kansas City: 73 degrees with a few clouds, good air quality. Should be like that for most of the state. Bad weather is rolling in from the West on Wednesday (rain and a cold front).

1.Know where your polls are and when they close.

Most polls close between 6pm and 9pm. In some states, such as Maine, you only need to be in line at the time the polls close in order to vote - others may not be as lenient. Also, make sure you are voting at the correct voting place - your vote may not count if you go to the wrong location.

2.Make sure you're registered.

In some states you can register at the polls on Election Day (Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming. North Dakota does not have voter registration).

3.Leave the Obama or McCain sweatshirt at home.

It's not a good idea to wear political clothes, buttons, stickers, etc to the polls. Many states restrict how close you can get to the actual polling station with politically motivated speech.

4.Bring photo identification.

AARP advises everyone to bring information identifying them by name and address and, if possible, with a photo. At the very least bring a utility bill for your current home address, and, if possible, a driver's license or work ID.

5.Vote.

The fact is in 2004 the election was settled by a matter of less than 120,000 votes in Ohio; in 2000 it came down to 537 votes in Florida. This doesn't even count state wide races, such as for Governor of Washington in 2004 which was decided by 129 votes. The reality is that in 2004, more than 14 million people who were registered to vote did not. When elections come down to thousands, hundreds and sometimes dozens of votes, showing up is everything.

Election Day is November 4th (that's tomorrow!). Vote.

State Director, Lori Parham has this to say about Floridians and voting:

"We anticipate extremely heavy turnout on Tuesday. Floridians have been voting early since Oct. 20, and we're seeing long lines at polling places throughout the state," said Lori Parham, AARP's Florida State Director.

As of Nov. 3, more than 2.61 million Floridians already had used the state's early-voting option. If absentee ballots are included, party and news-media vote totals suggest that some 4.26 million Florida voters already have cast their ballots, out of a total number of registered voters of 11.25 million, or nearly four in 10 voters.

"Clearly, these statistics signal extremely strong voter interest," Parham said. "We may be about to witness history-making voter turnout in Florida."

I remember going with my mother to vote in Tucson, AZ when I was growing up. She would check in, take her ballot and walk into the booth. I was instructed to hold on to her jeans so she could rest assured I wouldn't run away. After she was done voting, we'd head off to the kids table where I'd vote by picture and collect an "I Voted" sticker of my own.

I have no doubt that watching my mother vote election after election has impacted my voting habit today. So, whether your child or grandchild is 8 or 18, take them to vote. Make it a family activity and foster a healthy discussion on politics and where they stand!

Ann Black from our Iowa office sent the following note this morning as well:

For the past five weeks, Iowa AARP and Divided We Fail have been on a 16-stop 'Break the Gridlock Tour' around the state talking with capacity crowds in packed rooms about the rising costs of health care and long term financial security. "I have never seen Iowans more engaged in an election," said AARP Iowa State Director Bruce Koeppl. "Iowans are as concerned today about these issues as they were when this process began two years ago. They are tired of the gridlock in Washington and they expect the next President and Congress to work together and demand action on these issues."

Kathy Keller, Communications Director in our Ohio office sent me a note about how things are looking there on the ground:

• Unseasonably balmy weather (57 degrees in downtown Columbus at 9:30 a.m. - with the temperature expected to reach 71 later today and tomorrow) is adding to expectations of record voter turnout
• Early voting has been especially heavy in metro areas - voters waited in lines for up to 6 hours Sunday in Columbus in order to cast ballots.
• Voters already were in line this morning at the early voting site in downtown Columbus - Veterans Memorial Auditorium - hours before it opened at 8 a.m. this morning. The site is open until 7 p.m. tonight for early voting, and elections officials say anyone in line at that hour will be allowed to vote.

There have been many responses to high fuel costs. While many people traded in their S.U.V.s for smaller cars, others have gone the route of taking mass transit when possible rather than driving. In fact, so many people have switched to public transportation, that many mass transit systems are seeing record ridership levels. This has lead to a call for expanding these systems, particularly our railways. Congress has approved a $2 billion grant to encourage states to link-up through new rail systems and it has also promised $13 billion to fund Amtrak and help with the development of high-speed rail corridors. Even states are getting involved. California is considering selling billions of dollars in bonds to fund a high-speed rail network connecting major cities. Many people view rail transit as a way to lower fuel demand and diminish congestion on American roads.