AARP IN
ACTION
TOGETHER AGAIN AT THE L.A.
MEMBER EVENT Carol Burnett and
Tim Conway kick off three days of
exhibits, information sessions, evening concerts, and sneak previews
of the latest Movies for Grownups®
at Life@ 50+,
AARP’s National
Event and Expo,
September 22
through 24 in
Los Angeles.
Registration
is free when
you renew your
membership
for three years
(800-883-2784
to register;
800-511-6274
to renew; aarp
.org/events).
Carol
Burnett
Tim
Conway
COUNTERCLOCKWISE, FROM TOP RIGHT: MICHAEL LEWIS; MABEL CAT INC; COURTESY OF CONWAY ENTERPRISES
TAKING AWAY THE KEYS
Is it time for the older driver in
your family to hang up the keys?
Safety comes first, but helping him
or her give up driving can be an
emotional and logistical minefield. Find tips on navigating this
life transition—including learning
to recognize danger signals and
finding alternatives to driving—in
an online course, “We Need to Talk”
( aarp.org/weneedtotalk).
HELP FOR PARENTS OF
GROWNUPS The kids are grown
and out of the house, and you
can breathe a sigh of relief, right?
Not so fast—new empty nesters
are dealing with everything from
deciding whether to give their
grown kids money to learning how
to cook smaller dinners. Take a
look at AARP’s online information
for parents of adults, where you
can also swap stories in discussion
groups ( aarp.org/relationships/
parenting).
ASK LEE
Q: Could the budget debate
in Washington lead to cuts in
Medicare?
A: For months Washington lawmakers
have been talking about Medicare as if
it were just a line in the federal budget,
not the guarantee of health coverage
millions of older Americans rely on.
AARP is fighting to stop legislation
that would cut benefits or arbitrarily
limit Medicare funding (to do so could
threaten patients’ access to their doc-
tors or other health care), or would force
Medicare recipients to pay much more
for needed services. Instead of shifting
costs to people who depend on Medi-
care, Congress needs to find ways to
lower health care costs throughout the
system, such as by increasing access to
generic drugs, improving the coordina-
tion of care, and promoting prevention.
Q: How does AARP decide
what position to take on
public policy issues?
A: It begins with our all-volunteer
National Policy Council, which repre-
sents a diverse cross section of
members who have public policy expe-
rience. Using member input from policy
forums, surveys, and polls, the council
focuses on the issues you say you care
about most: economic security; health
care, including access to affordable,
quality long-term care; and creating
and maintaining livable communities.
After analyzing options, the council
recommends specific policies to the
Board of Directors, which has power of
approval. Approved public policies are
published in The Policy Book; take a look
at the new 2011–2012 edition online at
aarp.org/policybook.
Q: How do you spend most of
your time as AARP President?
A: As AARP’s lead volunteer, I share
AARP’s positions and views in speeches
and media interviews. I represent AARP
at national and international events and
conferences, such as the 2011 AARP–
U.N. Briefing Series on Global Aging;
I testify at congressional committee
hearings on Capitol Hill (I spoke in March
about the impact of proposed cuts in
funding to the Social Security Administration); and I support work at AARP
state offices nationwide, meeting with
staff, volunteers, and state-government
officials. I also serve on AARP’s Board
of Directors, which approves AARP’s
budget as well as its policies, programs,
activities, and services. I’ll devote more
than 200 days to these duties this year,
without reward, except for the tremendous satisfaction I get from working
with members to create positive social
change. —W. Lee Hammond
PRESIDEN T W. Lee Hammond
PRESIDEN T-ELECT Robert Romasco
BOARD CHAIR Phil Zarlengo
BOARD VICE-CHAIR Gail E. Aldrich
SECRE TARY/ TREASURER A. James Forbes Jr.
CLASS OF 2012 Leobardo Estrada, William
J. Hall, Mara Mayor, Maeona Mendelson,
Robert Romasco, George Ro wan,
Phil Zarlengo
CLASS OF 2014 Gail E. Aldrich, Allen Douma,
A. James Forbes Jr., Hubert H. Humphrey
III, Jacob Lozada, J. David Nelson,
Charles E. Reed
CLASS OF 2016 Jeannine English, Catherine
Georges, Barbara O’Connor, John Penn,
Diane Pratt, Carol Raphael, Fernando
Torres-Gil
AARP Board
HAVE A QUESTION
ABOUT AARP?
Write to Ask Lee, AARP, 601 E St. NW, Washington,
DC 20049, or e-mail AskLee@aarp.org.
