Put Your Money Where Your Ideas Live

Did you know there is a conservative alternative for the AARP? Me either, but apparently there is one, or else one is forming. American Seniors Association, with a post office box number in Atlanta, Georgia, sent me some material, hoping of course that I'd send along my check for membership.

The American Seniors Association people tell me that AARP is ultra-Left in their politics. They lean left, most assuredly, but what else is new in this world? I've noticed the past two presidential elections, in particular, that they are going left in their lobbying efforts. Especially in their efforts to keep Social Security as a government entitlement and not allow new thoughts about part of it being privatized, if the retiree so chooses. When an organization brags on being 'non-partisan' I rarely find it to be a nugget of truth. Just sayin'.

American Seniors Association is surveying the views of 2,000,000 senior Americans, wow, how special do I feel now?, and hope to alert Congress and political leadership that the AARP is out of step with a majority of American seniors. Interesting.

The dues are the same as AARP, $15/year, and I know this as I have been eligible for 2 years now, having met the required age of 50. My consolation is that the husband here is still 7 years older than me. We aren't members, though, for the very reason I stated above. For two presidential elections now, they have appeared unworthy of my family's money. And, if you read my blog somewhat regularly, you know that I vote with my wallet as the primary money distributor in this house. I pay the bills and I decide who is worthy of donations.

The organization says that AARP has 36 million members and receives $900 million a year. They have also received more than 1 billion in taxpayer money from the government over the last decade. The clincher for this organization was when AARP named Harry Belafonte their Person of the Year. Yeah, I agree with the outrage there, I admit. He's another ignorant America bashing celebrity.

AARP offers member discounts, mutual funds, life insurance, prescription drug discounts, and the like. I'm sure some will overlook any political differences in order to use the discounts. I understand that, as I am a very frugal person myself. Living on one income all these years will do that to a person. The majority of American people aren't politically involved and don't much pay attention to the greater scheme of things.

Organizations like AARP depend on that.