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Title: Rand Paul to America's Hungry Seniors: Let Them Eat Private Charity
Source:
The Nation
URL Source: http://www.thenation.com/blog/16158 ... s-let-them-eat-private-charity
Published: Jun 21, 2011
Author: George Zornick
Post Date: 2011-06-21 20:53:22 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 1554
Comments: 8
In tough economic times, senior citizens often pay a brutal toll. Already saddled with limited means and poor health, it can be a struggle for some seniors even to get regular meals. A 2009 study found that 5 million seniors face the threat of hunger, which is over 11 percent of all senior citizens in the country. A Senate subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, chaired by Senator Bernie Sanders, held a hearing Tuesday on the “human toll and budget consequences” of senior hunger. Panelists shared tales of woe from older Americans unable to get enough food, and urged increased funding for nutrition programs under the Older Americans Act of 1965. This might have been non-controversial a few years ago, but not with the Tea Party in town. The hearing produced a fierce debate between Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, and Senator Rand Paul, the prototypical Tea Partier, about whether the government should even perform simple tasks like feeding hungry senior citizens. Kathy Greenlee, the Assistant Secretary for the Administration on Aging, began by assessing the problem. Of the millions of hungry senior citizens assisted by the federal government, 24 percent simply do not have enough money or food stamps to purchase enough food. Beyond poverty, millions of other seniors have trouble getting meals because they are either functionally impaired or live alone. Seniors in rural areas, far from grocery stores and perhaps family members, are particularly vulnerable. For around 60 percent of the seniors assisted by the government, the meals they are provided make up half or more of their daily food intake. In written testimony, one panelist shared the story of Peggy Shannon, a 63-year-old administrative assistant in California who was laid off in 2008, two years before retirement. Unable to find work, Shannon was forced to choose between paying for either medications or meals—both requirements, especially given her severe diabetes. “The stress of her situation caused her to lapse into a deep depression where she isolated herself in her apartment and cried most of the time,” the testimony read. “Her deep pride and embarrassment over her situation prevented her from reaching out to family and friends.” Though Shannon found food through a government-assisted program, her situation underscores how the recession is particularly endangering those already near retirement. Since the downturn, 80 percent of aging agencies have seen requests for home-delivered meals increase, with one in five of them unable to fulfill all of the requests. “From a moral perspective, it is clear to me that in this great nation, no one should go hungry, especially those that are old and frail and unable to take care of themselves,” Sanders said. But there’s a financial element as well—medical care for senior citizens is a massive driver of overall health care costs, and ensuring basic nutrition among seniors is a simple way to control those costs. One day in a hospital is equivalent to the cost of a one-year supply of home-delivered meals, according to the subcommittee’s research. Mary Jane Koren, a geriatrician and vice-president of the Commonwealth Fund, noted that seniors often suffer health problems and are put in nursing homes after falling down. Poor nutrition leads to decreased muscle strength, meaning a higher chance of falling—and weaker seniors are more likely to be gravely injured in such a fall. Koren noted that by 2020, the annual cost of medical care for seniors who fall is expected to reach $54.9 billion—many magnitudes more than the approximately $2 billion per year the federal government spends on nutrition assistance for senior citizens. Senator Paul, however, explicitly rejected this logic. “It’s curious that only in Washington can you spend $2 billion and claim that you’re saving money,” he said. “The idea or notion that spending money in Washington somehow is saving money really flies past most of the taxpayers.” Instead, Paul touted the “nobility of private charity” as opposed to government-funded “transfer programs.” He suggested privatizing Meals on Wheels and other government assistance for hungry seniors. Sanders had none of this. “Senator Paul has suggested that only in Washington can people believe that spending money actually saves money. And I think that’s the kind of philosophy that results in us spending about twice as much per person on health care as any other country on earth,” Sanders said. “We have millions of millions of Americans who can’t get to a doctor on time. Some of them die, some of them become very, very ill and end up in the emergency room or end up in the hospital at great cost. “Maybe it’s the same reason why we have more people in jail than any other country on earth including China, tied to the fact that we have the highest poverty rate among children among many other major countries on earth,” Sanders continued. “I happen to believe that intelligently investing in the needs of our people does in fact save substantial sums of money.” Nevertheless, Paul—who’s home state of Kentucky is ranked twentieth in the nation in senior citizen food insecurity, with over 5 percent of seniors there facing hunger—pressed on. Addressing Greenlee, he asked: “If we are saving money with the two billion we spend, perhaps we should give you 20 billion. Is there a limit? How much money should we give you in order to save money? If we spend federal money to save money, where is the limit? I think we could reach a point of absurdity.” Senator Al Franken turned on his microphone and offered a quick reply: “I think you just did.”
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
Union medical personnel, union facilities, union maintenance, union purchasing contracts, union dues, all under the administration of government flacks who don't give a damn how much of your money they spend, as long as the union fills out the paperwork for them. If you drop dead first, there's less paperwork.
Obama's watch stopped on 24 May 2008, but he's been too busy smoking crack to notice.
Typical hit-and-run tactics, from Brian S(ocialist) He's quite the POS.
Bye, rat-boy mike. We'll miss you. [NOT] P*ss on him....he cannot see anything further than the end of his nose. He's brain-dead. Which brings me to say that people that think that way only live for today....and the moment and issue before their faces. They plan nothing!Nor do they think about something before they do it or the consequiences. George Bush was one of them also....yes he is a liberal big time. They are like children that grew up w/no responsibilities...wasted and they are commanding nations of people? We must be insane to vote for people that have no brain!
Yes, indeed, for either political party that ha placed this nation into the "pickle" it dwells within. In fact, I want you to consider a perspective that is fresh in origin. Why does America continue to "hire" folks of advanced academic degree stature? Here is the answer: because the problems presented about the nation are UNSOLVABLE. And that is why we see the best government jobs requiring advanced academic degrees. There are no plausible solutions to the issues, at all. Just debate and talking points. But, there is an unseen issue about the best brains in the country not solving America's problems: they take a lot of money, benefits and time at the people's expense doing nothing about the impossible. We can solve the problems all by ourselves. BTW, I didn't know you posted here at LF until now.
And that is why we see the best government jobs requiring advanced academic degrees. There are no plausible solutions to the issues, at all. Just debate and talking points. That is a well placed and thought out statement. But I believe there is a solution to our problems and it may be advanced academic degrees of a younger generation are the problem and...even unto the end of the world. Plausibility...results are what we have now...never satisfing the end need...just like you said...all we have is debate & talking points. We have changed into a nation that looks unto one person....even the Congress will atest to that every day constantly doing what One man decides to do w/no rule of law....and if they do not agree, he does it regardless. We have changed into a socialist nation where people always look for "HELP ME" from the government...it's real and dangerous but it is RIGHT NOW...Today! There is NO OTHER WAY....other than to make a fight(revolt)...people against people...that are our neighbors but that THINK differently. One says we need a government to Lead Us and provide for us! The other says...."Government! leave us along,...let us grow and we will be prosperous...we are free people."
Also I failed to present a truth...between communism and 'a said to be' free world. Look at China today!(and I don't know if you see this now...but I do, also I have 2 Chinese women in my house and I observe and hear what has happened since the Tiaminian Square thing and how China has opened the door that they closed (nobody in/nobody out) after that event. Now China is WIDE OPEN and the people are free to do business....and are all over the world....doing business with other countries, competing, doing what people were born to do... making money,...making a living.They don't think war! They think prosperity...that's what they want for their families..to give them the best that they can give them. Why do we always have to have a war going on? Is it our pacifier? China is afraid of the USA....the USA makes war w/all countries.
Non sequitur. Before the government got involved, we had this really unique thing called "house calls." But I'm sure you don't know about such romantic ideas as "customer service," eh, Brian S(ocialist)? Feh.
Bye, rat-boy mike. We'll miss you. [NOT] Why do we always have to have a war going on? Is it our pacifier? China is afraid of the USA....the USA makes war w/all countries. Bob, Ike Eisenhower described the phenomena over 50 years ago. America linked "success" with the military/industrial complex. Ike told us about the phenomena but no one listened then and few listen now.
Koren noted that by 2020, the annual cost of medical care for seniors who fall is expected to reach $54.9 billion—many magnitudes more than the approximately $2 billion per year the federal government spends
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
#2. To: hondo68 (#1)
#3. To: Brian S (#0)
Senator Al Franken turned on his microphone and offered a quick reply: “I think you just did.”
#4. To: bobsmooth (#3)
We must be insane to vote for people that have no brain!
#5. To: buckeroo (#4)
Here is the answer: because the problems presented about the nation are UNSOLVABLE.
#6. To: All, buckeroo (#5)
#7. To: Brian S (#0)
Sanders had none of this. “Senator Paul has suggested that only in Washington can people believe that spending money actually saves money. And I think that’s the kind of philosophy that results in us spending about twice as much per person on health care as any other country on earth,” Sanders said.
“We have millions of millions of Americans who can’t get to a doctor on time. Some of them die, some of them become very, very ill and end up in the emergency room or end up in the hospital at great cost.
#8. To: bobsmooth (#6)
Now China is WIDE OPEN and the people are free to do business....and are all over the world....doing business with other countries, competing, doing what people were born to do... making money,...making a living.They don't think war! They think prosperity...that's what they want for their families..to give them the best that they can give them.
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