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Retirees Endorse John Kerry At National 'Town Hall' Meeting

John Kerry kicked off his nationwide Presidential campaign for senior voters on Aug. 11 in Henderson, Nev., at a "town hall" meeting attended by more than 300 "Seniors for Kerry." The crowd included lots of AFSCME retirees — members of SNEA/AFSCME Retiree Chapter 4041 and AFSCME'S Nevada-USA Connection (Retiree Subchapter 153).

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS. Senator Kerry and his wife, Teresa, stood in the center of the gymnasium at a Henderson recreation center and fielded questions from seniors on a variety of issues, including the high price of prescription drugs, problems with the new Medicare law, the Social Security Government Pension Offset, mental health coverage, and the dangers of Social Security privatization.

When Senator Kerry reeled off a list of well-known prescription drugs that cost an average of 200 percent more in the United States than in Canada, the audience loudly booed the U.S. prices. The candidate said he'd do his best to bring prices down (the increase in 2003 alone was 11.5 percent) with a combination of solutions.

Kerry said he'd push for legalization of drug re-importation, for enabling Medicare to negotiate lower prices with the drug makers, and for measures that would speed up the process that permits the sale of generic alternatives to brand-name drugs. President Bush opposes all of these options.

AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE. The drug-price efforts will be part of an overall plan to make health care more affordable, Kerry told the seniors. "For nearly four years, President Bush has failed to take meaningful steps to bring down rising health care costs," Kerry said. "While he has given millions away to HMOs and pharmaceutical companies, families have been squeezed by rising premiums, seniors have suffered trying to get their medicines and small businesses have struggled to compete and create jobs. "In the White House, John Edwards and I will build a stronger America by bringing down health care costs for families, seniors and businesses," Kerry emphasized (see candidates' health care comparison).

ALLIANCE ENDORSES. The Henderson meeting was also the site of a Kerry endorsement by the Alliance for Retired Americans — the 3 million-member organization made up of union retirees and community senior activists.

Alliance President George Kourpias praised Kerry's leadership on behalf of seniors and pledged that seniors would work to elect Kerry President because "their lives depend on it." Kourpias noted that more seniors are registered to vote than any other age group and turn out in greater numbers on Election Day.

KERRY'S 100 PERCENT. According to Kourpias, "Kerry's a leader who understands our needs and will protect the rights that seniors have worked a lifetime to earn." He told the crowd that the Alliance's Congressional Voting Record awarded Kerry a 100 percent rating for votes throughout his Senate career.

Denise Kelley, president of AFSCME Retiree Subchapter 153, said the town hall meeting made her want to work hard to elect Kerry President. "At my age, I can't afford to waste time. George Bush has already set us back four years and another four will be a disaster. Kerry's record tells me he'll do a lot better. He's got my vote."

Kelley and Retiree Chapter 4041 President Danny Coyle are both on the steering committee for Nevada Seniors for Kerry.

This portion of the website is posted in full compliance with FEC regulations (11C.F.R. Sect.11 4.5(i)). It is paid for by the AFSCME PEOPLE Committee, with voluntary contributions from union members and their families, and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

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