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Candidates Speak Out On Senior Issues
Dennis Kucinich first came to national prominence in 1977 when he was elected mayor of Cleveland at age 31; the youngest person ever elected to lead a major American city. Kucinich was born in Cleveland, Ohio on October 8, 1946. He is the eldest of 7 children of Frank and Virginia Kucinich. He and his family lived in twenty-one places, including a couple of cars, by the time Kucinich was 17 years old. "I live each day with a grateful heart and a desire to be of service to humanity," he says. US Representative Dennis J. Kucinich, a Democrat of Ohio, is a dynamic, visionary leader of the Progressive Caucus of the congressional Democrats who combines a powerful activism with a spiritual sense of the essential interconnectedness of all living things. His holistic worldview carries with it a passionate commitment to public service, peace, the environment, workers’ rights and human rights.
Kucinich Responses to Survey HEALTH / Medicaid What do you think should be done to ensure the sustainability of the Medicaid program and to improve it? Under the Kucinich plan for a single payer healthcare system, band-aid approaches, such as FMAP and waiver streamlining for Medicaid and other healthcare programs, would not be necessary. Until a better healthcare system is initiated, however, Dennis Kucinich has supported Medicaid, as shown by his co-sponsorship of the Medicaid Community-Based Attendant Services and Supports Act (MiCASSA). This bill provides funds for personal care attendants and community-based services for people with disabilities. For many such individuals, young or old, the choice boils down to a personal care attendant or a nursing home. MiCASSA will allow large numbers of people with disabilities to control their own lives. Kucinich believes the rules, however, must not be as restrictive as current Medicaid rules, which basically require a person to be homebound to qualify. Dennis is as concerned with spiritual as well as physical health - and being able to hire an attendant or to pay a family member for care can prevent people from feeling that they are an overwhelming burden on their families. Another example of his commitment to these principles is Kucinich's stand against George Bush's proposal to block grant Medicaid. This proposal would have reduced support for the community-based services on which many Americans with disabilities depend. HEALTH / Medicare Prescription Drugs Do you support a prescription drug benefit, and if so, will you commit financial resources in your fiscal year 2006 budget submission to address the serious deficiencies in the reported conference agreement and work to fix serious structural deficiencies? The new Medicare bill passed just before Thanksgiving is not reforming Medicare, it is dismantling it. It is a windfall for HMOs and big insurance companies and obscenely profitable drug companies - but a debacle for Americans senior citizens. This bill does nothing to restrain the skyrocketing escalation of drug prices. The Republican refusal to confront the pricing power of the drug companies is the #1 cause of the bill's exorbitant price tag -- $400 billion - for American taxpayers. Several studies indicate that the Kucinich healthcare plan would save at least $200 billion annually - more than enough to provide health care and prescription drugs to all those currently left out. Dennis Kucinich has addressed issues related to Medicare and prescription drugs in the U.S. Congress. He recently co-sponsored legislation for a voluntary prescription benefit to provide greater access to affordable pharmaceuticals, to negotiate fair prices with pharmaceutical manufacturers, to provide for accelerated generic drug competition, and to allow for the importation of prescription drugs from Canada after meeting strict guidelines for safety and effectiveness. During the Kucinich Administration, our government will be empowered to lower prices and impose windfall profits taxes on the exorbitant pricing of an out-of-control drug industry. We need a "Prescription for America," a regulatory structure which puts a ceiling on drug company profits the same way credit laws establish what constitutes usury. We're already paying for national health insurance that could include prescription drug benefits. The only problem is we're not getting it. HEALTH / Medicare What are your specific plans to help ensure the financial future of the Medicare program? Dennis Kucinich was one of the leading voices in the U.S. Congress trying to prevent the disgraceful new Medicare bill from becoming law. Medicare privatization is bad for seniors, bad for retirees, bad for employers, and bad for the economy. The only ones who benefit from this plan are the pharmaceutical companies and insurance giants who seek to continue health care for profit in this country. As president, Dennis Kucinich will fight to reverse this shameful bill, and to make Medicare a solemn contract with America's seniors again. The Kucinich plan for Universal Health Care is enhanced "Medicare for All": non-profit, universal, single-payer national health insurance. It will be publicly funded health care, privately delivered--similar to that used in most of the other developed countries of the world. It will decrease total healthcare spending while providing more treatment and services. It will remove private insurance companies from the system, along with their bloated bureaucracies, excessive paperwork, executive salaries, advertising budgets, and profits. Since Medicare was enacted in 1965, seniors have gone from being the group least likely to have health insurance to the group most likely--because of Medicare. Medicare has achieved goals that Congress has not been able to accomplish for the rest of our population. But American seniors are concerned not only with their own health care, but with the health care of their children, grandchildren, and all Americans. No candidate offers a more comprehensive solution to the nightmare that is American health care today than Dennis Kucinich. Eventually, the essentials of the Medicare social contract will be extended, not just to seniors, but to all. Dennis Kucinich believes that health care should be a public good rather than a private commodity. INCOME SECURITY / Social Security We would appreciate your views on Social Security’s future. Do you favor or oppose the following changes to Social Security?
No plank of the Kucinich platform is more important than his non-negotiable commitment to preserve Social Security against all assaults. Dennis has pledged that as President, he will return full Social Security benefits to our senior citizens at age 65 - rolling back from the present age of 67. There is no question that America can afford to uphold its social compact with its senior citizens. The finances of the Social Security system are more secure now than ever and will remain solid through 2042 with no changes whatsoever. And America is wealthier than at any previous point in Social Security's history. Dennis will resist all efforts to privatize Social Security, and he is against diverting payroll tax dollars into individual accounts, against raising the retirement age, against raising the cap on taxable wages, against means-testing for benefits, and against efforts to "modernize" the SSI program. However, he continues to work within the system to improve Social Security and SSI and has co-sponsored the "Social Security Financial Solvency Act" toward this end (a bill to guarantee full benefits with no tax increases for 75 years by transferring general revenue to the Social Security fund). Dennis has also submitted a plan to establish a "Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers," that would compute cost-of-living increases for Social Security and Medicare benefits. Congressman Kucinich believes that the interest rate on the Social Security trust fund is too low. It is much less than the average interest rate for US Treasury- backed securities. If Congress changed the law to credit the trust fund with the average interest rate, we could reduce long term financing problems by 30%. INCOME SECURITY / Pensions Do you favor establishing a system of federally-sponsored universal retirement savings accounts in addition to Social Security, financed with new dollars, rather than with funds diverted from Social Security? What are some of your recommendations for helping to protect workers currently covered by defined benefit pensions and workplace savings plans? The American dream-- to work hard, develop a career, be successful, get ahead, and save for retirement with a decent and secure pension-- is being diminished and destroyed every day in this country by corporate executives who are cheating ordinary Americans out of their hard earned retirement benefits. As the nation watched corporate bankruptcies unfold at Enron and Global Crossing -- and the people of Dennis Kucinich's 10th District of Ohio watched Chapter 11 proceedings at LTV Steel -- we all learned that there are two sets of rules in this arena. Corporate executives play by one set of rules and employees play by another. The most egregious disparity is that during a bankruptcy, executive pension plans are totally protected from creditors. Employees, on the other hand, stand at the end of the line and must wait behind other creditors - to claim what rightfully belongs to them for compensation that they have already earned! All of this will change under the Kucinich presidency. The concept of a system of federally-sponsored universal retirement savings accounts in addition to Social Security (if it were financed with new dollars, and not diverted from Social Security) might be worthy of consideration, depending on the details of such a proposal. Kucinich is against individual accounts if proposed as a replacement for a federally funded retirement system. Kucinich has served as cosponsor of a great many bills in this arena, including the "Comprehensive Retirement Security and Pension Reform Act" (a bill to increase the IRA contribution limit, increase portability of plans, strengthen pension security, and reduce regulatory burdens to encourage small businesses to offer retirement plans); the "Increase in Phase-in Limitation" (a bill to increase the guarantee on benefit improvements for workers whose companies go bankrupt); the "Public Pension Parity Act"(a bill to equalize tax treatment of public pensions to Social Security); the "Retirement Security Act" (a bill to improve pensions by improving pension access and coverage, strengthening pension security, and increasing pension equity for women); the "Comprehensive Retirement Security and Pension Reform Act" (a bill to allow employees the opportunity to manage and preserve their retirement savings when they switch jobs); and the "Pension Benefits Protection and Preservation Act"(a bill to protect pension benefits of employees in defined benefit plans and to enforce the age discrimination requirements). LONG-TERM CARE Do you agree that federal and state policies should allow people who need long-term care to receive the services and supports in the least restrictive setting possible, including the home and community? Dennis Kucinich supports policies which allow people who need long-term care to receive services and support in the least restrictive settings possible. Kucinich supports and encourages community-based senior services, home-care, and adequate resources for families struggling with a variety of day-to-day challenges. One of the best models in the nation for these kinds of programs can be found in Congressman Kucinich's own 10th District of Ohio, in the city of Cleveland and the county of Cuyahoga. Cuyahoga County has developed an innovative program for seniors called the "Benefits Checkup." At a senior center or senior living facility, a senior citizen can speak to a social worker or senior coordinator and by use of a computerized screening program, find which federal, state, and local community assistance programs may benefit them. Another program supported by Dennis Kucinich is the Ohio Department of Aging's PASSPORT program, which provides in-home alternatives to nursing home care for low-income seniors. Any older person considering nursing-home placement is screened by a PASSPORT assessor, and if eligible for the program, the older person then meets with a case manager to arrange an appropriate mix of in-home services to supplement care provided by family members and friends; services include adult day care, chore service, home medical equipment and supplies, emergency response systems, home delivered meals, homemaker services, independent living assistance, minor home modifications, nutrition consultation, occupational therapy, personal care services, social work/counseling, and medical transportation. COMMUNITY SERVICES What initiatives would you advance to support and augment the Older Americans Act and the vital services it provides to millions of older adults? Would you support the restoration of the Social Services Block Grant authorization level to at least its pre-welfare reform level of $2.8 billion and restore the ability of states to transfer 10% of TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to SSBG? Would you support a ten percent increase in SCSEP funding, with would provide over 6,000 additional jobs for low-income Americans age 55 and older? What plans do you have to support and, further, what other plans would you implement to make the best use of seniors as a resource in service to their communities, would you support a goal of doubling the number of senior volunteers sponsored through the National Senior Service Corps over the next five years? Kucinich is supportive of nearly all programs that improve services to seniors including those that would restore the Social Services Block Grant to its pre-welfare reform level of $2.8 billion and restore the ability to transfer 10% of TANF to the SSBG, and increased funding for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), Title V of the Older Americans Act (OAA) to provide jobs for low income Americans age 55 and older. He was a cosponsor of the reauthorization of the OAA, which also includes funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program and other significant programs for seniors. Kucinich strongly supports programs that offer opportunities for all people to participate in public service, from Peace Corps to AmeriCorps to Senior Corps. He is committed to raising awareness of and breaking down barriers to service opportunities within federal government agencies, and encourages not only volunteerism but also detailing, stipends, and grants for such opportunities. The Kucinich Administration will divert extra resources to volunteer programs that support community building and peaceful reconciliation, and will work to incorporate these programs into schools across the country. Kucinich has recently introduced a bill to create a cabinet-level U.S. Department of Peace which also seeks to develop a Peace Academy for instruction in peace education and non-violent conflict resolution. Graduates of this four-year course would be required to serve five years in public service in domestic or international nonviolent conflict resolution programs. This plan will serve as a powerful asset to both public services and the establishment of peace. COMMUNITY SERVICES / Housing How important will it be to your administration to maintain and increase the supply of low-income senior housing we have in this country and what would you do to make sure health and housing services fit together for these people? Decent housing, free of discrimination and available to all, regardless of age, race, gender, or religion, is a fundamental human right and a basic right of citizenship. In recent years, the cost of housing has risen while the economy has stagnated. The result has been a crisis in affordable housing that must be addressed by federal, state, and local governments. Seniors on fixed incomes often have financial problems meeting rising property taxes and maintenance costs and must have supportive community service and funding policies to help them live in dignity. Congressman Kucinich supports programs such as one in Cleveland, in his congressional district, which offers a Senior Homeowner Assistance Program. This program provides grants to low-income seniors who reside in homes needing critical health, safety, and maintenance repairs. Chore volunteers help seniors with home maintenance tasks such as lawn mowing, simple repairs, and installation of smoke detectors. Transportation to medical appointments and grocery shopping is also available. As President, Dennis Kucinich would work to establish these kinds of effective programs in every city and county in the country, and would support family caregivers who provide long-term care to elders or those with disabilities. The first step towards housing security is passage of the National Housing Trust Fund Act, which Congressman Dennis Kucinich has cosponsored. The goal of this plan is the creation of 1.5 million new housing units over the next decade, especially for low-income renters and owners, using the profits generated by the Federal Housing Administration and other federal housing agencies. These funds would be used for the production of new housing, preservation of existing federally assisted housing, and rehabilitation of existing private-market affordable housing. New housing units would be primarily rental units, and the focus would be on low-income households in mixed-income neighborhoods. The success of state and local housing trust funds shows this to be a proven method of addressing the affordable housing crisis while stimulating the economy. COMMUNITY SERVICES / Transportation Please describe your plan to promote senior transportation as a priority within your Administration, and specifically do you support substantial increases in funding for the Federal Transportation Administration’s Section 5310 Program, the major transportation program for the elderly which is currently funded at $90 million? [No Response] FEDERAL RIGHTS What will your administration do to ensure full protection for the rights and welfare of our nation’s seniors? [No Response] What steps will your administration take to address staffing problems in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities? When it is necessary for an older person to move into a nursing home, Congressman Kucinich supports mandatory staffing regulations which require sufficient staff to prohibit warehousing conditions that dehumanize our elderly. TAXES A series of tax cuts have been passed over the past three years, which have been criticized as contributing to these large deficit projections. Would you support modifications of any of these tax cuts, and if so, which ones in particular? Congressman Kucinich will repeal President Bush's tax cuts to the wealthy. He will restore the top two and one-half income brackets and restore taxes on income from investments. He favors retaining the child tax credit expansion and extending it to those low-income families who were left out of it. And he opposes reinstating the marriage penalty. Kucinich would bring back the estate tax, though with some modifications. Kucinich believes that the President's tax cuts have not helped the economy but have taken funds away from schools, health care, and housing, primarily to benefit those least in need. In response, Kucinich has introduced a bill that creates a fair, simple, and adequate tax system. The Progressive Tax Act of 2003 gives $87 billion per year to people with modest income and families in the middle class. The bill collects an additional $107 billion per year from the Bush tax cuts, corporate tax loopholes, and other tax giveaways. The bill therefore raises a sum total of $20 billion per year that remains available for deficit reduction or new spending, with a tax credit that will provide greater transparency, provide extra work incentives, and a stimulus effect.
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Leadership Council of Aging Organizations. All Rights Reserved. |
