AARP faces huge credibility gap

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/8245392.htm

''No good deed goes unpunished.'' That ironic aphorism has become the opening line for Bill Novelli, the embattled chief executive of AARP, the 35 million-member behemoth of Washington interest groups.

Many Democrats would bitterly dispute whether it was ''a good deed'' when Novelli swung the giant senior-citizens organization behind the Bush administration's Medicare reform/ prescription-drug bill, just before the critical House vote on the measure last autumn.

What is not in dispute is that the decision to back the bill providing the first drug benefit to Medicare patients and expanding the role of private insurers in the government's popular healthcare system for seniors has provoked the greatest crisis in the recent history of AARP.

While overall membership has continued to grow, Novelli says that 60,000 members canceled or refused to renew in protest of the organization's backing. Is most of the controversy behind him? ''No way,'' Novelli said.

''It's a mess,'' he said. ''You've got people investigating a congressman's complaint that his arm was broken'' during the unprece- dented three-hour, predawn roll call, when a Cabinet official and GOP House leaders were pressuring members for the votes to reverse an apparent defeat of the measure. He was referring to the complaint from retiring Rep. Nick Smith of Michigan that he was told his vote would influence whether his son, now running for Smith's seat, would get financial help in his race.

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[mbperrin]

1. It isn't a gap - it's the Grand Canyon!

Proud to say we quit them immediately and demanded our dues back!

They stalled, so put it up as a credit card dispute!

[swag]

2. This is great

I started on staff at the Legislative division of AARP in 1988, just when the group was facing a Seniors shitstorm about the Catastrophic Coverage act of 1988. AARP members laid into us and Congress so much that the Act was quickly repealed.

Older voters are the most informed and the most active. They will not let Bush or AARP off the hook on this one.

GO SENIORS!

[Imalittleteapot]

3. Many that have quit AARP have

signed on with Alliance for Retired Americans.
www.retiredamericans.org
The site has a wealth of information - my favorite being a section that scores how your Congressional reps have voted on senior issues. It turns out that mine consistently vote negatively.

[BiggJawn]

4. The name is a misnomer.

"American Association of Retired Persons". OK, so how many of their members (you can join when you're 50) have either had to delay retirement or come out of retirement because of "The Bush Economic Miracle"? I know of 3, a friend had to go back to work, and my GF and I realize we'll probably DIE on our jobs, never having enjoyed our "twilight years"....

If we don't have to flee the American Taliban first....

[Paradise]

5. beware aarp!

:thumbsdown: aarp :thumbsdown: = wolves in sheep's clothing.

[reprobate]

6. AARP is now not much more than an insurance agency.

And marketing division. Half of their income now comes from insurance sales. An industry that preys on seniors.

[SharonAnn]

10. They were originally started to sell insurance, so it's nothing new

that they continue to work at selling insurance.

And, Novelli was a partner in the marketing company that developed the "Harry and Louise" ads against the Clinton Health Care plan.

[0007]

12. AARP is worse than an insurance company

They're shills for the biggest liar in the United State government. AARP are rip off artist of the old and trusting people of this country.
They cater only to the wealthy. The rich who can afford to go on three month vacations and stay in fancy hotels and rent expensive cars while eating like kings to feed their fat ugly asses. AARP will give discount to the rich and dick shit to the poor.
AARP doesn't care about those who have no health insurance or drug discounts. Watch AARP membership fall like a rock after 2005 when everyone in the country realizes they've been had by the sleaziest of the sleazy. I hope AARP goes belly up.

AARP didn't even have the common courtesy to answer my letter.

AARP cares only about making money.

[heidler]

13. Twice I applied for AARP sponsored auto insurance. The first time it was

more than my carrier. The second time the coverage was incomplete, but cheaper. They sent me two clocks that didn't keep time for my trouble. I requested that they drop my membership in AARP after the Medicare thing, but they ignored the request same for my wife. We will not renew our membership, but this delays the drop out rate for now.

[Skittles]

7. they got what they deserved

they sold out

[Don_G]

8. How Can An Insurance Company Sell Out?

They just recognized a new market.

Unfortunately, they have the veneer of a politically active group working for the Senior's benefit.

[Skittles]

9. they sold out to the republicans

they put repug interests above the interests of seniors

[gulfcoastliberal]

11. Porter Novelli

The fuckwads who invented those awful "Harry & Louise" anti-single-payer national health plan issue ads. This Novelli asshole is the one who came up with that campaign for the health insurance industry. He also admires Newt Gingrich. 'Nuff said.

Link:
http://www.porternovelli.com/pnwebsite/pnwebsite.nsf/AllDocs/600AFE0D8A05BDF785256C0C006F11E7?OpenDocument

Edited to add "Harry & Louise" :puke: