Image by wallyg via Flickr

The presidential election of just over a year ago was about change.  Americans were tired of the ways of Washington, and many believed in the candidate’s message of change.  He won impressively, but not with a mandate.  In fact, there was nothing specific laid out on the campaign trail.  Change in attitude, openness and fairness were the recurring themes fed to people hungry for something different.

Change came so quickly.  The vault was open, and money was being shoveled out the door faster than it could be printed.  The Stimulus package, including the takeover of GM and Chrysler. Cash for Clunkers, which sold more foreign cars than US brands.  Cap and Trade, taxes and fees that will put our industries at a competitive disadvantage and cost consumers more for energy.  Plus the now infamous Health Care Reform bill, the legislative disaster that demonstrated how poorly politicians listen to their constituents.  These are not solutions; they are part of the problem 

While those elected by us are following their own agendas, the people of this country are crying for jobs, so we can get the workforce back on its feet and get the economy going, then growing, again.  The simple truth is the people have lost confidence in the government’s willingness and ability to do the right thing.   

Spending is out of control and the debt is dangerously high.  The question is when will the politicians get a handle on financial issues?  Many of us want the government to slow down, examine their priorities and then go about the peoples’ business.  Yet the pleas from concerned citizens continue to be  ignored.  No wonder trust in our elected representatives has dropped so low.  No wonder protests, town hall meetings and grass root movements are so popular with the people but not the politicians.  No wonder incumbents of both parties facing November elections are worried about being booted out of office.

Politicians must start using common sense, forget about pet projects and, for God’s sake, when the time comes to bring up legislation, work together with those across the aisle to bring the people something we can believe in.  In the meantime, Washington needs to create an atmosphere were businesses, large and small, are willing to re-invest in the future of America by putting people back to work.  That’s real change. 

Isn’t this what New Seniors like us want and expect?  We need to let our elected representatives know how we feel on the issues that matter to each of us.  While we may account for less than 15 percent of the population, those 65+ deliver nearly 30 percent of the vote in primaries and off-year elections.  We are the people who can change things.

Image by via Flickr

Loving the foods from my hometown, I fondly remembered my favorites: Philly Cheese Steaks, soft pretzels, scrapple, tomato pie (the early local name for pizza) as well as a host of others.  It was great fun recalling these gastronomical memories and my mouth watered as I yearned for just one taste, which would hardly be enough.

This got me thinking about food and drink from coast to coast.  So I contacted a few friends who grew up in different parts of the country and did a bit of online research to come up with some of the snacks and drinks New Seniors enjoyed when we didn’t have to worry about our waste lines or our cholesterol.

New Englanders’ had a drink called Moxie which was popular until Coke (first formulated in Atlanta) and Pepsi (the alternative to Coke that moved from its North Carolina roots to New York City) began to make inroads against the stronger tasting Moxie.  Even the endorsement of Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams’ could not stop the slide of this once famous drink.  That section of the country, as with other regions, had lots of flavored drinks produced by local bottlers.

In New York, besides Pepsi, there were lots of bottlers.  Among them was Dr. Brown’s a soda which appealed to the areas large Jewish population and spread nationwide because of it.  In the Midwest, where carbonated soft drinks (“sodas”) are called “pop,” Vernor’s Ginger Ale was popular as was Faygo, with all its flavors.  Dr. Pepper was a big in the Southwest and there was Shasta on the West Coast.  There were no diet drinks back then.

Any of these drinks was perfect for washing down our favorite sub sandwiches.  But that’s not what they were called everywhere.  Grinder was the name for this Italian specialty in the Northeast.  A Hero is what New Yorkers ordered.  In Philly it was a Hoagie.  New Orleans spawned the name Po’ Boy, which was Poor Boy in St. Louis.  Chicago had the Italian Beef sandwich.  Blimpie, Torpedo, Rocket, Bomber and Zeppelin are all names used for this hearty sandwich that may change its ingredients, but not its shape, depending on the part of the country where it is made.

The differences by geographic areas are sometimes striking.  By the same token you may surprised by the similarities of some items, except for the name the locals call it.  Whatever the case, our memories tell us how much we enjoyed the tastes of our favorite foods and drinks from long ago.

Image via

The winner, a good looking and personable candidate scored a convincing victory over a party insider in a state where her party outnumbers his by a 3 to 1 margin.  However, the dominate share of registered voters are Independents.  They seemed to be swayed by the health care issue; because the victor promised to fight to get reform out in the open, have an honest debate about the subject and bring common sense to the bargaining table.  Other issues also played a role: unemployment, run-a-way spending higher taxes, immigration and national security.  In the end, it was not a party that won; it was the people’s victory, because they believed their votes could make a difference.  And they did.
 
One new Senator is not going to single-handedly change the old ways of doing business in Washington.  However, a message has been sent by the people from a state with universal health care that the politicians work for them, not the other way around.  This should embolden folks throughout the country to let their voices be heard and let their representatives know that if they don’t listen they won’t be a member of Congress after the next election.

Health care, of course, is an issue of prime concern to pre-boomers (those born between 1930 and 1945).  We have been told $500 billion will be cut from Medicare, so it’s likely the quality of care will decrease in yet undetermined ways.  Folks with Medicare Advantage plans will be taxed, except for union members and government employees.  Higher taxes, additional fees or increased premiums can be expected in order way to pay for the millions of new names to be added to the health insurance rolls.

Pre-boomers can’t sit back and expect others to do the work on our behalf.  We stand to suffer if the proper health care reform is not enacted.  So, it’s the job of each of us to learn about what’s being proposed, understand what it means and tell our representatives what we think.  If they don’t seem to want to listen, get together with other New Seniors, contact the politician as a group and keep doing it until they acknowledge you – even if the answer is not one with which you agree.

After taking these actions, you’ll have a better idea as to what the issues are and whether or not you have someone in office that represents your beliefs.  Then, go out and vote for the person you believe in, just like they did in Massachusetts.   

Image via

Pre-boomers, particularly those of us living in high-cost areas like Southern California, are concerned about the cost of insurance.  So, I did some research and crunched the numbers to see how bad things really were.  Before going back in time, let’s look at how rates for supplemental coverage from my insurance provider continue to climb for those born between 1930 and 1945 as we age.  After moving from the attained age of 65 to 69 into the 70 to 74 group, there is a 35.3% hike in premiums.  Another bump of 19.9% occurs for individuals between the ages of 75-79; but the actual dollar increase is about the same, since the base is higher.  This means there is a difference of 74.5% between what older pre-boomers pay versus the younger ones.     

My four-year rate analysis includes the period from 2007 through the announced premiums for 2010.  The numbers behind the numbers tell a rather sad story.  Take my prescription plan.  The increase from 2007 to 2008 was 25.2%, 2008 to 2009 another 14.2% and 2009 to 2010 up 13.3%.  This results in my prescription drug insurance coverage costing 68.4% more than it did in 2007.  That’s more difficult to swallow than some of the pills I take.

Dropping the drug coverage doesn’t make sense, since I’m at the age where more, rather than fewer, prescriptions may be needed to keep me up and running.  A study released by the General Accountability Office (GAO), the research arm of Congress, states that during a recent eight-year period 416 brand-name drug products experienced price increases ranging from 100 to nearly 500%, and in some instances as much as 1,000%.  So I’m going to hold on to the coverage.

The medical insurance doesn’t appear as bad as my drug coverage, because there were only two increases since 2007.  However, the 13.2% increase was nearly twice as much in actual dollars as the additional prescription premiums.  Little solace can be found in the apparent good news coming from the medical portion of my insurance package.

Since the House and Senate have health care plans waiting to be reconciled, there’s no way to predict what affects the final bill will have on my individual coverage.  It’s up to each pre-boomer to find out what this will mean in terms of personal costs as well as the quality of health care received.  Then, we must let our voices be heard, because it’s never too late to get it right.  Even if politicians seem to turn a deaf ear to public opinion, they cannot ignore the power of the ballot box.

Image via

As I understand it, the plan is to offer tax credits of $2.3 billion to US companies involved in the manufacture of green products, things like wind turbines and solar panels.  The initial estimate is that the $2.3 billion investment by the government will produce some 17,000 jobs.  If my math is correct, each of these new jobs will cost tax payers $135,294.  Since the average income of American workers is less than $50,000 and government employees get around $75,000, why is the cost for these green jobs twice that of the combined average of the private and public sectors?

We were told this move was just the beginning and that another $5 billion will be piled on top of the $2.3 billion to ensure more Americans are put back to work.  This sounds very similar to the “Cash for Clunkers” promotion last summer when the $1 billion budget was boosted to $3 billion.   The clunkers program, as you may know, cost us about $24,000 per car because showroom sales tanked for several months after the program ended.  If the $3 billion had not been spent, it is likely that the same overall results would have been realized.  However, some gas guzzlers were retired from the road and fuel efficient ones were added, so the green plan received some benefit.  But was it worth it?

The stated goal of the green energy program is to double the use of renewable energy over the next 3 years.  This sounds good; however, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) renewable energy accounted for just 7 percent of the nation’s fuel supply and wind and solar combined were only 8 percent of this.  So doubling the supply won’t do much in terms of reduced US reliance on foreign fuel or contribute significantly to reducing our carbon footprint.

We need to encourage development of alternative fuels; but the government, which does not invent products or create jobs, needs to get out of the way and let the private sector do its part.  Although the spending level is questionable, at least this green energy project is not being operated by the government. 

Pre-boomers participated in past breakthroughs that helped our country when it was needed.  And, while we won’t be involved this time around, we should encourage our political leaders to get out of the way and let the American people do what we do best.  It’s these kinds of challenges that the trailing generations must stand up and meet, because we need their contributions.

Image via

The much heralded Cash for Clunkers program was originally a $1 billion dollar program that quickly became a $3 billion expenditure.  The idea was to spur the sale of fuel efficient car while taking gas-guzzlers off the road.  This sounds good in theory, but it appears as if  little thought was given to what affect this would have on sales in the ensuing months when new cars were being rolled on to showroom floors.  So sales in late July and the full month of August were above expectations but actually cannibalized sales in September, October and beyond. 

Industry sources estimate the cost for each car moved as a result of this incentive was in access of $24,000.  Was the remove of the clunkers from the nation’s highways really worth spending that kind of money?  How many buyers would have bought cars without the incentive?  Shouldn’t advertising and promotion be the responsibility of the auto makers and the dealers rather than the government?

And, as if this isn’t bad enough, the mortgage bailout numbers are more disturbing because the dollars are bigger.  The cost of the mortgage modification program is estimated to be $75 billion and designed to protect those who are facing foreclosure.   Critics predict these houses will be lost anyway, since many of these troubled homeowners can’t afford to sustain their payments.  And, even with reduced monthly outlays, they will still be upside down in terms of equity.  Such a shakeout will further suppress home prices and delay economic recovery.  This hurts pre-boomers (those born between 1930 and 1945) more than the general public, because lower home values could adversely affect our retirement plans.
 
While all this is going on, we are seeing the government sector grow in terms of number of employees and the salary and benefit packages of these so-called “public servants” is also on the rise.  At the same time, Congress voted to up their salaries because of cost of living increases while Social Security benefits are frozen for the next two years or more.

If these situations don’t bother pre-boomers, consider the fact that Medicare is under attack to the tune of a $500 billion reduction in spending – dwarfing all the other ridiculous spending many times over. 

For anyone who thinks the health care bills ready to be merged by the House and Senate will come in on budget and insure more people without affecting access to and the quality of care, I have a bridge I’d like to sell you.  If you buy it from me instead of letting the government get involved, you’ll get a better price and it won’t cost the tax payers a dime.  Just check out the numbers, you’ll see.

Image via

This is not a reflection of an over-inflated group ego, rather it is simply a fact that people 65+ have the life experience and the understanding that comes from growing up in more traditional and civil times.  Therefore, our generation can bring some much needed common-sense to the problems all Americans face today.  We know that fighting amongst ourselves is fruitless and tearing down our institutions or ignoring the things that made our country great will weaken us more than any external enemy possibly could.

But many New Seniors are worried more about themselves than ever before.  They wonder why the government is willing to bypass Social Security increases for the next couple of years, even though Congress has voted to give themselves cost of living raises.  And, they find it hard to believe that the Medicare budget is going to be slashed by more than $500 billion with these dollars being spent on other, more important, programs.  There is a growing impression that the legislators have forgotten their promises to us.  They forgot who produced goods and supplied services for the past 50 years or more and paid taxes for all that time.  Is the government ready to turn away from us just when we are at the age of needing more help and more care?

I recently talked with two gentlemen about these issues; the results support my previous observations.  One of them thought nothing could be done.  He believed the “system” is working against us, because we are not earning income and no longer contribute to the tax base.  We are, in his mind, a burden on society.  His somber attitude suggested he had given up. The other fellow became increasingly upset as the conversation continued.  He argued that those over 65 have become complacent, a herd of sheep if you will.  His reaction was to get mad.  Mad as hell, like the old newscaster in the movie, Network.  He didn’t offer a plan, but he sure displayed a lot of emotion.

These fellows represent the extremes of the issue.  The solution lies in the great gray area between these two black and white opinions.  We are not helpless and hapless individuals at the mercy of the government or anyone else.  And, it’s not our nature to sit around and complain while waiting for others to take action on our behalf.

We New Seniors have power.  The power of our convictions; we know what’s right and what’s wrong.  The power of our voices; we must write, make calls and stand up for the things we are passionate about.  And the power of our votes; the products we buy, the places where we shop and the politicians we elect need to be made aware of what we believe, what we want and what we will do if they don’t take us seriously.

Image via

The events that took place over the next several decades didn’t disillusion the generation born between 1930 and 1945.  We were too busy with our careers and raising a family to get involved in many social issues; but our younger brothers and sisters, the baby boomers, jumped in with both feet.  While many believe the pre-boomers set the table for change, it was the boomers who participated in the feast.  Civil rights, women’s rights and the anti-war movement were too appetizing for them not to partake. 

Along the way to standing up for the rights of others and fighting everyone and everything for the causes they believed in, boomers came to expect the same entitlements for them as well.  This is understandable, since they have been known for years as “the me generation.”  This attitude does not necessarily translate to working to make their dreams come true.  Often it meant wishing for things rather than working for them, since buying happiness is a big part of living in the dream world of instant gratification.

This criticism of the most vocal generation in our nation’s history is not meant to diminish any contributions made by individual boomers.  However, it does suggest if it weren’t for their sheer numbers, which translates to big spending power and big voting power, the boomers might not be deemed as remarkable as their own self-promotion heralds.  How they work through the current circumstances the country faces, deal with the changes Washington is mandating, and then transition into retirement will be telling. 

What was once a nation of savers has became one of spenders.  The United States turned into the divided states with personal interests coming ahead of what was best for us all.  Where once people pitched in to help others, we moved to the sidelines to watch rather than participate or, worse, show no interest in the events affecting ones life.  Such attitudes caused us to ignore, over the past decade, the warning signs of the dangers that lay ahead both outside and inside the country.  This attitude also resulted in a willingness to let the government – federal, state and local – enact laws, reduce services and increase taxes so long as individuals could do pretty much as they pleased.

The day of reckoning has arrived.  Our world is not the same as it was.  We can’t trust our elected representatives to act in our best interest.  There is no where to turn accept to each other and start talking about the future and what it means to us collectively.  Pre-boomers are starting to do this, and maybe their commitment will serve as an example to others.  Because the combination of community, civility and connectivity could help the country come together and brings us back to living in the real world, again. 

Image via

Having spent my business career in the advertising business, I know the younger consumer is king.  This is predicated on the fact that these folks follow fads, want peer group acceptance and will be in the marketplace for years to come.  Therefore, over the years they will buy more of a particular brand, especially those age 18 to 34, assuming they remain loyal to it.  From an advertising standpoint – this applies to programming, too because audience composition ultimately determines what type of products will be purchasing the TV time – once you reach 50 you’re dead.

So the advertisers interested in those 65+ treat us as if we’re all “over-the-hill.”  The OTC products (over-the-counter: non-prescription medicines, skin creams and denture items) sold on the evening news is an indicator as to what marketers think we need.  The ads for prescription drugs range from erectile dysfunction (E.D.), to bladder and prostate problems, to cholesterol and diabetes control.  Services advertised include reverse mortgages, long-term care insurance and funeral arrangements.  What a deadly line up of advertisers this is.

For pre-boomers (those born between 1930 and 1945), the actors in these commercials are either too young and hip for us to relate to, like the guy who spirits his wife away on a motorcycle to try out his new virility now that he no longer is impotent thanks to an E.D. pill.  Or too old and inactive for our age group, such as the woman of 85 who decides to go with a reverse mortgage in order to make ends meet.  These are examples of the extremes that surround our generation of 30 million vibrant consumers ages 65 to 79. 

We have saved for our retirement.  We spend money on the goods and services we want and need.  And we will continue to be viable consumers for years to come.  Not only have advertisers overlooked the “forgotten generation,” the politicians have too.  Pre-boomers account for 30 percent of the votes cast in off-year elections.  And we’re concerned about the records of our representative when it comes to issues affecting us: taxes, health care, national security and more.  Many of those we trusted have let us down; that’s why incumbents have plenty to worry about in the 2010 elections.

It doesn’t matter what’s being sold, advertisers need to realize that pre-boomers are not old and we represent an important audience to them.  These marketers, including politicians, would do well to accept this and start talking to us in our language about our needs and deliver on the promises they make.  That’s easy enough to understand.   

Image by via

You’d have to be in a coma to not be aware of what’s going on inside the DC beltway.  Stimulus spending, “green” programs and energy taxes, health care reform, plus budget deficits projected for years to come are but a few of  the issues that will affect pre-boomers and the lives of our children and grandchildren.

Then, there are gaps in the state budgets.  Here in California, we posted a 26.3 billion dollar shortfall and the legislators compromised on a spending bill that leaves us 1.1 billion in the hole.  To accomplish what is a temporary fix at best, state workers will get less money, teachers will laid off, welfare programs will be cut, prisoners will be released onto the streets, college tuitions will be raised, and as many as 50 state parks will face closure.  All this is on top of putting into law the highest sales tax in the country, which has caused many residents to flee for less expensive locations.  Businesses are leaving California too, because of taxes and a variety of restrictions.  Therefore state revenues continue to decline while unemployment has increased to 11.6 percent, topping the national average by 22 percent.  Unless something is done to attract employers back to the state bring in new companies, the budget woes for California are far from over.

Of course, problems have a way of trickling down to the local level, so Los Angeles is faced with its own deficit debacle.  City services are under the threat of being cut way back – police, fire and other essential needs.  The city council depends on federal and state funds to replenish its coffers rather than doing proper budget planning to run this town.  Our schools are a mess, yet we continue to pour good money after bad to fix a problem that, in reality, can’t be fixed until we dismantle the LAUSD and try to build the once proud system back to its former glory, but special interest groups along with cowardly politicians will not let this happen.  Instead, local residents get hit with a variety of taxes, outrageous water charges and special fees to keep the city afloat.  And now, the council wants to override the will of the people by trying to raise property taxes.  This will destroy the already depressed real estate market and result in many pre-boomers and others on fixed incomes to lose their homes, because they can’t afford the taxes.

We can’t afford to sit back and do nothing.  It’s time to let politicians know the free ride is over and they will be held accountable for campaign promises and for fiscal matters.  The days of being elected for “bringing home the pork” are over.  We need proper planning, less patronage and balanced budgets as a start.  If your elected representative isn’t willing to do these things, then why is that person your elected representative?  Together, let’s take the actions to make these interesting times a blessing, not a curse.