RetireSafe "Listens"

April 5, 2010

We Have a Plan

As I stated in my previous message, RetireSafe is committed to continue the fight to protect older Americans from Medicare cuts, massive debt and government interference. Our efforts will not cease just because the health care reform bill has been signed into law. We have always been in this battle for the long run, and we realize that it will take perseverance and endurance to correct this injustice.

It's important to note that we've successfully repealed bad laws before. Remember the Catastrophic Care legislation of the 1980s? When the older citizens of this country found out what was in that law; found out that they were paying for a health care program that they didn't like or want; they revolted. It took 18 months to get that law repealed, and many in Congress lost their jobs. It may take even longer this time, but we know that we can do it again.

Our campaign to stop this attack on our pocket book, our freedoms and the quality of our care will be focused in four main areas:

• Supporting efforts to repeal and replace the health care reform law.

• Join in legal challenges to all or parts of the law.

• Influence regulations that are written to execute the new law.

• Train and educate our supporters on how to best navigate the law.

By focusing in these four areas we hope to attack the law from both a short and long term perspective. Below I will elaborate on the details, prioritization and timing of each of these areas.

Supporting efforts to repeal and replace the law.

While there are parts of this law that take positive steps toward real health care reform, the good parts of this law are stunted and offset by the many harmful aspects of the enacted legislation. The magnitude of the negative impacts of this law is so great that the best path available is to work to repeal and replace this law. RetireSafe has always recognized the need for health care reform. Early in the discussion we identified many of the positive steps that could be taken in a phased approach that would systematically institute changes while allowing for midcourse corrections. We've always said that the path to real health care reform was a long, winding and complicated one. It is certainly one that will take time to correctly implement. For the Administration and their fellow Democrats in Congress to think that they could overhaul a huge, complicated and interrelated health care system (one that makes up roughly 1/6 of our economy) in one bill was arrogant and self serving. When the country rejected Hillary care in the 90s we recognized that it was the wrong solution. The mistake we made then was we didn't work to fill the vacuum with the right solution. We can't make the same mistake here. We need to repeal the bill and then replace it with the right solutions to reform health care. It could take some time and more than a few visits to the voting booth to accomplish this goal. As long as we have a President who will veto any efforts to repeal this law, it will be a difficult goal to accomplish. We have to be sure that we never take our eyes off of this goal. We must generate a ground swell of indignation toward this law that is so strong that it would make continued support for this flawed approach to reform so politically uncomfortable that both the Democrats and the President capitulate. If enough people get involved in this effort, we might not need the ¾ majority to override a Presidential veto. We're committed to working tirelessly to repeal and replace this law, and we will do just that.

Join in legal challenges to all or parts of the law.

Along with many others, I feel that many parts of this bill are against the law and counter to the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution says that the Federal government only has those powers specifically delineated in the Constitution, and that the states inherit all other powers. The Constitution does not say that the Federal government can force us to purchase anything. That goes against every sense of freedom that has been a basic part of our country for over two hundred years. We are poised to become part of legal actions to attack all or parts of this law. While this will be a complicated, costly and time consuming process, it is certainly worth it. Our legal effort supports what I feel is an even bigger issue than health care reform, the attack on our freedoms and the steady march toward making Americans dependent on the government. We pledge to join and support efforts to reverse this frightening trend through the courts.

Influence regulations that are written to execute and administrate the law.

It was again revealed just how little was actually known about this bill when Speaker Pelosi declared that Congress should pass the bill so we all could find out what is in it. There is so much that must be put into place and so many regulations that must be written, it may be possible that the most damaging and egregious parts of the new law might be neutralized through the final regulations that pertain to it. Likewise, the appropriation of funds to finance each part of the law provides another opportunity to thwart its impact. Our goal at RetireSafe is to protect the benefits that you have earned, and to protect your rights and freedoms. One of those avenues is to insert ourselves into the regulation and funding process to use those occasions to try to protect your benefits and your rights.

Train and educate our supporters on how to best navigate the legislation.

While we will work hard to repeal or remove as many of the bad parts of this law as possible, we also realize that, at least for the short term, some of these harmful parts will be implemented. RetireSafe is committed to helping older Americans and we feel it is important that you have all the information you need to guide you through all of the complicated aspects of this law. It will affect many aspects of your life and we will be here to help you deal with it. We will help you to understand what the complicated language actually means, what options you have, how to obtain any benefits, and how to prepare for the future.

There are many parts of our government's operation where the people's voice can be heard. I pledge that RetireSafe will be an active conduit to make sure your voice is heard loud and clear in every part of government that has any relationship to this new, deeply flawed law. We will be asking for your input as we focus on these four main areas. We will be asking you to join us in our effort to influence each and every part of the government that impacts your life. We are in this battle for the long haul and we can't be discouraged about how long it takes and how hard and complicated the fight becomes. This is your government and they are supposed to be here to serve you. It's up to us to make sure that they understand that fact, and that they never, ever forget it.