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The ten worst frauds against America's seniors

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"Fraud" is intentional deception to get property or a lawful right from a person. This book is put out by "The Seniors Coalition, Inc.", a lobbying group in Fairfax Virginia that claims to educate America's senior citizens. The `Introduction' says that what you read in newspapers or hear on radio and television is often false. This is not just about advertising! But misleading people is the implied purpose of the media as they all have an axe to grind (the wishes of the owner). Who owns this lobby?

The first false claim is that no National Health Care System is needed. In fact, we have a flood of different systems (HMOs, Medicaid, Medicare, state and national systems). Would just one system be better? Probably, if what the reports about the Canadian system are mostly true (the same or better coverage at lower costs). The few complaints in this chapter are solvable once you pay doctors instead of administrators who don't treat anybody but themselves). Seniors are concerned about Social Security because it is their main financial resource. Medicare is important because of increasing health problems that they didn't have at 40 or 50. The AARP is one national organization whose business is seniors. But the AARP, like other groups, is only as good as the people elected to its management. The comments on federal grants to the AARP are no different from grants to states, cities, and the defense industry.

Brand-name drugs have to charge more to pay for advertising and other costs. That is why supermarket brands are usually a better buy, but not in all areas. When tons of money are at stake there are efforts to create legal loopholes for those who pay the lobbyists. [They do not mention how taxpayer dollars are used for research that is given to drug companies.] Social Security is safe and secure as long as you elect politicians who support this and other New Deal legislation. Social Security was based on the 1917 Railroad Retirement Act and other legislation. It is not a "Ponzi scam" given its strength for over 70 years. The real fraud is the attack on Social Security by the lies in this chapter. The arguments to "reform" Social Security are an attempt to murder it. Medicare was passed to provide health care for seniors (by paying for doctors and drugs). Does it promise more than it can deliver? Scarce resources have to be rationed so everyone gets their fair share. [Its always better to be healthy than sick.]

The Kyoto Treaty on Global Warming has been defeated, but the alarmist propaganda continues. Oilman Al Gore keeps pushing for rules that benefit Big Oil. Global trade is one cause of global warming and one cause is NAFTA (the ancient arabic word for petroleum). Global trade has resulted in new vermin and diseases like dengue fever, yellow fever, and malaria. If Congressmen and Senators don't represent you the cause is the lack of a democratic and populist political party (suppressed by corporations). Money affects government since Senators wore togas. Corporations cause corruption (p.105). Another fraud in this book is the claim that electricity deregulation would not be bad. It has happened in many states, and the result is higher costs everywhere, even before the price of oil went up. Deregulation leads to monopoly prices, regulated competition does not. See the example of California (p.122). Another fraud in this book is their claim that "earnings limits" are not fair. I don't know of any business where you can collect your pension while you work (p.124), not even in Congress. Nobody retires for their Social Security when they can earn much more working. The Reagan-Clinton tax on Social Security should have the limits raised for the devalued currency (p.128).

The last fraud in this book is their claim that Estate Taxes are wrong. The transfer of money is usually taxed (sales or excise taxes). Estates should be divided equally, the excess taxed to prevent an aristocracy. Estate taxes have no effect on retirement years. Big corporations do not want small businesses. This book ends with some good advice on how to contact your Congressman.