AARP Bulletin - May 2012

Your AARP ; Where We Stand
By A. Barry Rand, CEO
What We’re Hearing

Already our na- tional You’ve Earned a Say conversation has generated enthusiasm and engagement. That’s what I found when I was in Richmond, Va., for the March Hundreds of people 50-plus who flocked to similar events held the same day in Denver, Miami and Columbus, Ohio, enthusiastically agreed. Their message was crystal clear—they want

I have worked and paid in since I was 13 years old.” In short, people don’t view Social Security and Medicare as “ entitlements.” They’re benefits people have earned and expect to receive.

The biggest concern is about the future of Social Security and Medicare. A member from Mesa, Ariz., put it this way: “I worry that there will be nothing left by the time I need it.” Still, members are unwavering in their desire to see them strengthened for future generations.

People do recognize that Social Security and Medicare need changes. A member from Fort Collins, Colo., wrote, “They are important social care programs that were well designed, but now need some changes to ensure their continuation at a reliable level. I want

Questionnaire responses as of April 16 127,938 Email

49,290 Telephone

148,188 Direct mail

21,154 State events and mail

12,214 Call center

358,784

The total number of concerned AARP members we’ve heard from so far

and need Social Security and Medicare. They realize the importance of these programs today. Their children and grandchildren will rely on them as much, if not more, tomorrow.

Since that initial launch, we have held more than 400 events in communities nationwide and have reached out to AARP members through tele-town halls and our publications and website. At last count, over half a million people have engaged in the You’ve Earned a Say conversation, including nearly 400,000 who completed questionnaires.

One message that comes through loud and clear is that older Americans are tired of Washington playing politics with these programs. As one member from Albuquerque, N.M., put it, “I and millions of Americans have earned these benefits.

Call to
Action
Go to www
.earnedasay
.org to join the
conversation and
make your voice
heard and to learn
about events
in your area.

to be able to depend on both programs
when I am ready and need them.”
But many people are telling us that
they don’t know what the options are for
strengthening the programs. Nor do they
feel that anyone in Washington is look-
ing at how proposed changes would affect
real people; they believe that politicians
are only thinking about how to make
the numbers work. That not only makes
people nervous, it makes them skeptical.

This is why it’s so important for you to get involved and to make your voice heard. You can let Washington know that decisions politicians make regarding Social Security and Medicare do affect real people. They affect you and your family today and for generations to come. You’ve Earned a Say! Together, we’ll make sure that Washington hears you. ;

EDITORINCHIEFANDVICEPRESIDENTJamesS.Toedtman DEPU TY EDI TOR Joseph C. Haney DESIGNDIRECTOREricSeidman EXECUTIVEEDITORSBarbaraBasler,LarryLipman,CarolSimons FEA TURES EDI TORS Trish Nicholson, Sylvia A. Smith EDI TORIAL PRODUC TION MANAGER Cathy L. Hall CONTRIBUTINGEDITORCarolKaufmann

AR T DIREC TORS Cathy Kelley, Gina Toole Saunders ASSIS TAN T AR T DIREC TOR Anne Masters

DESIGN CONSULTAN T Marlece Lusk

DIREC TOR OF PHOTOGRAPH Y Michael Wichita

PHO TO CONSULTAN TS Anne Polsky, Marisa Zanganeh SENIOR EDI TORIAL ASSIS TANT Nicole Williams AARPMEDIA MANAGINGEDITORMaryC.Hickey(Interim)

FEA TURES EDI TORS Elizabeth Agnvall, Patricia Barry, John Burgess, BarbrandaLumpkinsWalls

SENIOR EDI TOR Carole Fleck

MANAGER, EDI TORIAL COP Y Brian Miller

COP Y EDI TORS Don Beaulieu, Victoria Lemley, Suzanne Tobin EDI TORIAL RESEARCHER Corinne Hayward

RESEARCH CONSULTANT Don Pohlman

ONLINE CONSULTANT Maria T. Fleitas

PRODUCTION MANAGER Brian S. Horting QUALITYMANAGERMelBaughman

PRODUCTION COORDINATORS Roland A. Bland, Sherry Coleman, JudyA.Rutherford ADVERTISINGPOLICIESMANAGERPamelaByrdBerard ADVERTISING POLICIES ANALYSTS Brenda Allen, Mireya G. Donahue PLANNING&PROMOTIONSMANAGERHeatherNawrocki EDI TORIAL CON TRAC TS SPECIALIS TS Amelia Jones, Pauline Moukouri

I T SUPPOR T Consuela Allen, William Coulter, Mariel Galvan, Matthew Haines, Nono Kusuma, Bonnie Russell

VICE PRESIDEN T, ADVER TISING Shelagh Daly Miller ADVERTISINGDIRECTOR Susan Severance

DIREC TOR, SPECIAL ACCOUN TS Ina Nordstrom

NEW YORK SALES MANAGER Peter Zeuschner ACCOUN T MANAGERS Kelly Burke, Raquel Hagen, Helen Holtzman, Michelle Weisfeld

VICE PRESIDEN T, MARKE TING Patricia Lippe Davis DIREC TOR, IN TEGRA TED MARKE TING Mark Bradbury ASSOC. DIREC TORS, IN TEGRATED MARKE TING Linda Tse Correia, Carolyn Fessler, Laurie Levitt

ASSOC. DIREC TOR, MARKETING EVENTS & PROMOTION Shari Horowitz DIREC TOR, OPERA TIONS Christine Edwards ADVERTISING SERVICES MANAGER Lori Cordenner SENIOR ADVERTISING BILLING SPECIALIS T Surfina Adams SENIORADVERTISINGBILLINGASSOCIATE Tracey Fanuele ADVERTISING SALES REPRESEN TATIVES NE W YORK Advertising Sales Office 646-521-2500 NE W ENGLAND Millstone Marketing 203-856-3264 DETROIT Maiorana+Partners 248-546-2222 MIDWEST Zoeller Media Sales 312-782-8855 ATLANTA McLaughlin Media Mix 770-888-2212 FLORIDA McLaughlin Media Mix 407-465-1315 SOUTHWEST Carol Orr & Co. 214-521-6116

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DIREC T RESPONSE Adriana Associates 212-719-9737

Bulletin™

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDEN T & CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Kevin J. Donnellan

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MEDIA SALES & PROMOTIONS

Catherine Ventura-Merkel

VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLICATION OPERATIONS Traci L. Lucien

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