Heckuva a Good Job, Nan

 By Michael Kaufman

Rep. Nan Hayworth has been making the rounds lately, touring local areas ravaged by the recent storms and proclaiming her commitment to fight for the funding needed to repair the damage. This is a shameless exhibition of damage control on her part. Hayworth is still feeling the heat from remarks she made in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irene, wherein she cast her lot with Eric Cantor and other leading Republicans in Congress, who said aid would only be forthcoming if funds were cut elsewhere in the federal budget to make up for it. 

When her comments caused the uproar they merited among her constituents, Hayworth quickly backtracked. Rather than apologize or admit she was wrong, however, she claimed her remarks had been “misinterpreted.” Since then her few remaining local admirers, including Warwick Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton, have rallied to her defense, blaming the media for distorting her position. 

The reality is that Hayworth, like most of her fellow members of Congress, are out of touch with the problems faced by growing numbers of their constituents. Rising health care costs do not affect them. They have good-paying jobs and benefits that any trade union in the private or public sector would give their eye teeth to get for its members.  They have enough money to pay the rent (often for multiple cushy dwellings), buy food, pay for medicine, dine in expensive restaurants, take nice vacations, etc. 

Alas, Hayworth and other Congress members are not the only ones who are out of touch. The October issue of the AARP Bulletin shows just how far that organization has lost touch with the seniors it supposedly represents, many of whom are now living in dire straits. A full-page editorial titled, “Small Steps, Big Dividends,” urges seniors to do their part to help “trim the deficit” by taking these five steps:

  1. Cut 150 calories a day from your diet. “Start by eating less,” writes editor Jim Toedtman. “The national eating binge has consequences, starting with diabetes.” Evidently, Toedtman is unaware that many seniors are already eating less because they don’t have enough money to buy food.
  2. Pay your debts. Can’t argue with him there. But it sort of goes without saying that if you don’t have enough money to buy food you might not be in such a great position to pay your debts right now, either.
  3. Walk a mile a day. “Or walk, or swim, or try any aerobic exercise that burns calories and strengthens the heart.” This will reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and save a lot of money in health care costs. Of course, this is a wonderful idea for anyone healthy enough to do it. Toedtman forgot to add that before you start on any exercise program you should consult with your doctor. This is especially true for seniors, who are at higher risk of dropping dead from the exercise if they aren’t in tip-top shape. And someone has to pay for that doctor visit.
  4. Plan to work an extra year or two. Words almost fail me on this one.  It is hard enough for young people to find jobs nowadays. Ask any of the recent college graduates you know. Where are the jobs for seniors? And by the way, this is something that needs to be taken into account when people start talking about increasing the age of eligibility to collect Social Security benefits. Yes, people are living longer—but employers aren’t hiring older workers. Unless that changes, raising the age limit will simply create more poor old folks.
  5. Give Uncle Sam a gift. “Others do,” says Toedtman.  “Here’s the point. Everyone has a stake in this fiscal challenge, and the longer we ignore it, the greater the cataclysm awaiting us.  This is not just a Washington problem. It requires a combination of common sense and forceful action. Citizens can lead the way.” 

But for many seniors and other Americans the cataclysm has already arrived. And citizens are, in fact, leading the way at Occupy Wall Street and similar activities across the country. I wouldn’t expect Nan Hayworth to be there. But AARP should be.  

Michael can be reached at Michael@zestoforange.com.

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6 Responses to “Heckuva a Good Job, Nan”

  1. LeeAgain Says:

    Saying that Nan Hayworth, like most of her fellow members of Congress, are out of touch with problems faced by their constituents may be the understatement of the year, Michael. I’d like to see members of Congress earn a salary no higher than the average of the salaries of the people they represent. Let them remember what it is like to mow their own lawns, wash their own cars, and clean their own houses. Take away the fancy benefits and let them join the rest of us in paying and eventually drawing Social Security. And let their benefits, including health insurance coverage, end when their term of office is over. And one last thing: Why are we letting our politicians draw retirement benefits while still holding jobs? Nancy Calhoun and Bill Larkin, are you listening? If we were to implement the above suggestions, our problem with career politicians would just quietly fade away.

  2. Roseanne Sullivan Says:

    Nan Hayworth is not only out of touch but she is a bully. And bullies usually get caught with their foot in their mouth!

  3. Anita Says:

    We dropped out of AARP when they backed the drug plan that created the infamous and ill-conceived donut hole. AARP is, in fact, a big, fat insurance company posing as an advocate for seniors.

  4. Michael Kaufman Says:

    Thanks Lee, Roseanne and Anita. Maybe Roseanne can elaborate on why she says Hayworth is a bully. What has amazed me most about her is the slickness of her demagogy, as demonstrated in her mailings. If recipients didn’t know better they would think she is a champion of Medicare, Social Security and other social programs she seeks to destroy….As for AARP, local chapters may still be able to play a positive role and, perhaps, even to exert some pressure for change at the top. If not, plenty more people, including me, will be dropping out too.

  5. Maggie Says:

    I think you are over-reacting to the AARP suggestions. We are all in this mess together, young and old alike, and it will take all of us doing whatever we can to get out of it. I found your stereo-typing of seniors (and I am one) as helpless and hungry rather condescending. As in any group some are but many are not and we are perfectly capable of sharing in the sacrifices we should all be making to fix our problems! One thing we can do is vote Nan Hayworth and her say-no-to-everything-idea-bankrupt cronies out of office at the first opportunity. They should be ashamed of themselves.

  6. Michael Kaufman Says:

    Thanks, Maggie. I am guessing you haven’t had to apply for a job lately or that you are one of the lucky exceptions hired despite your age. It goes without saying that not all seniors are helpless and hungry. But the ranks are growing of those in need and an organization like AARP should at least recognize this when calling on those better off to share in the sacrifices “we should all be making.” I mean no disrespect now as I recommend you read David Cay Johnston’s book, “Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense and Stick You With The Bill,” before suggesting that anyone, young or old, not among the wealthiest one percent in this country share in the sacrifices “we should all be making.”

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