Citing a BAD Bill and a BAD Process, RetireSafe Urges Calls to Congress to Stop the Health Care Bill

Economist and author Allen W. Smith is on tour to promote his book, "THE BIG LIE: How Our Government Hoodwinked the Public, Emptied the Social Security Trust Fund, and caused The Great Economic Collapse"

Read more about his efforts at the link below:

Social Security 'Voice Crying in the Wilderness' Touring Florida

Attention Democrats who supported the Pelosi Health Care Bill that guts Medicare to pay for expanded coverage to younger people: Seniors have long memories and they tend to vote in every election.

The 60 Plus Association is targeting 15 Democrats, including two from Pennsylvania.

New $1.5 Million Campaign Targeting 15 'YES' Votes on House Health Care Reform

The Democrats have a real problem on their hands. Angry old people are turning out in large numbers to oppose Obamacare. These are the same people who tend to show up on Election Day.

From a story by Victoria McGrane and Chris Frates in POLITICO:

The senior citizen problem could pose a serious problem for the 2010 election cycle.

Older Americans turn out in much higher numbers than other age groups during midterm elections. In 2006, the 55-and-older age group still had the highest voting rate of any age group, at 63 percent, even though younger voters turned out in record numbers for a midterm, according to census data. Half of all votes cast in the 2006 midterms were from voters age 50 or older, according to AARP. And one out of four were AARP members.

But voting statistics tell only part of the story. Look at the faces at these chaotic congressional town hall events across the country. They are the faces of older Americans who paid into Medicare most of their working lives and are now enjoying the health care benefits they believe they’ve earned for their senior years.

They exhibit a vocal distrust of the government taking a larger role in health care — despite the fact that the very popular Medicare program is run by the government.

Read more about "The Democrats' senior problem" in POLITICO

Despite what Barack Obama and the state-run media tell you, there's no way to provide health care coverage for 47 million more Americans without reducing health care for the rest. The biggest losers will be senior citizens.

From a new column by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann:

The health-reform debate on Capitol Hill is skipping over the key issue: "Universal insurance" means less care for people who have coverage now -- especially the elderly.

And the "compromises" now under way only make the problem worse.

Here's a point that's no surprise except to the "reformers": People with insurance use more health care.

President Obama seeks to cover 50 million new people. Where are the extra doctors, nurses and so on going to come from? Neither the administration nor anyone on the Hill has proposed anything to add to the supply of medical services even as they plan vastly to increase the demand.

The politicians are playing a Washington game -- compromising on false or tangential issues while failing to address the central one.

It doesn't matter if you reduce or eliminate the mandate for employers to provide coverage, if you're still insuring more people without adding medical personnel and other resources. Same story for whether you replace the "public option" government-run plan with government-run "co-ops."

More, all the bills come up with cash to cover their huge costs by ordering cuts in Medicare -- cuts that Congress could reverse only by affirmative majority votes. Basically, the government will be paying doctors and providers even less to treat the elderly -- at a time when countless doctors are starting to refuse new Medicare patients.

More demand; no added supply; Medicare cuts: It all adds up to rationing -- lower-quality medical care for most Americans, especially for the elderly.

Read the full column at DickMorris.com

Times are tough but Pennsylvania residents are still finding a few bucks to buy lottery tickets. OK, it's more than a few bucks.

Pennsylvania just recorded its second best year for ticket sales in the Pennsylvania Lottery's 37-year history, Secretary of Revenue Stephen H. Stetler announced Friday.

Fiscal year 2008-09 Lottery sales totaled $3.088 billion, which was $1.1 million, or 0.04 percent, less than the previous year, according to Stetler.

"Despite tough economic times, the Pennsylvania Lottery had an extraordinary year and only narrowly missed exceeding last year's sales record," Stetler said in a press release. "Throughout the year, ticket sales were in line with last year and, in some months, slightly ahead. Instant games appear to be the games of choice for many players, as sales in that category set a new record."

Stetler won't go this far, but I give the credit to Gus, the second most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania. Every time I see Gus on a TV commercial, I have to run out to buy lottery tickets.

Read the full press release at the link below:

Pennsylvania Lottery Achieves Near-Record Annual Sales; Record Instant Game Sales

Calls to the Elder Abuse Hotline, 1-800-490-8505, can be made anonymously.

Department of Aging Urges Citizens to Report Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults

New Web Site Will Help Consumers Find Lowest Local Prices for Prescription Drugs

After five years in office, Gov. Ed Rendell has finally figured out there's a lot of old people in Pennsylvania.

A new report details the challenges of running a state when one in four residents will be 60 years of age or older by 2020.

You don't have to read the report to figure out that fewer workers will have to support the massive state government that Rendell has built over the past five years.

You don't have to read the report to realize that the tax burden on working Pennsylvanians is already too great thanks to Rendell.

You don't have to read the report to figure out that most of the state's young people are leaving because they can't afford to live in Pennsylvania anymore.

And you don't have to read the report to realize that an older population will put a greater strain on government resources.

It took Rendell five years to figure all this out?

Thanks to Ed Rendell's taxing policies, massive growth in state spending ($8 billion since 2003) and broken promises on property tax relief, most elderly Pennsylvanians are struggling to hold on to their homes.

If you want to read the Pennsylvania 2020 Vision Report, follow the link below.

Governor Rendell Says '2020 Vision Report' Outlines Challenges Facing State Government as Pennsylvania's Population Ages