Free Republic

WASHINGTON—Montgomery County police have arrested three suspects in connection with a fire that killed an elderly woman Wednesday in Wheaton. Jose Antonio Alvarado, 37, Ana L. Rodas, 33, and Ramon Alberto Alvarado, 32, are all charged with arson, homicide and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The trio lived together in the 12300 block of Downer Drive in Wheaton. They are being held without bond in the Montgomery County Detention Center.

The most important voters in close races are the ones that candidates can count on to show up on Election Day – and seniors may just become the new "soccer moms" in this presidential election. Older Americans have the highest turnout rate of any age group – 69 percent in 2004. And they'll wield clout in this tight presidential contest because a number of the swing states, like Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, have a lot of older residents. "Despite the media's focus on the youth vote, the most influential voters in the McCain-Obama matchup are likely to have some gray...

There's very little that I despise... ...more than a liar. I don't like it when they lie to pump themselves up and I like it even less when they lie to deride another. I would wager that the former liar would take offense at the miscreant antics of the latter. To lie about oneself is bad enough. But invective lies are pretty much unforgivable. I really have no dog in the presidential race this year. Neither candidate has really impressed me too much one way or the other. Way back in the very beginning of the campaign, I was pretty...

BOSTON- State Sen. Brian A. Joyce has talked to his 88-year-old father about giving up the car keys. But it’s been a losing battle, much like the Milton Democrat’s fight to force elderly drivers to pass road and vision tests to keep their licenses. However, in the wake of the accident at Randolph’s Lyons Elementary School, Joyce said he will take up the cause again. An 86-year-old man who drove to the school Tuesday morning to vote in the presidential primary lost control of his SUV, which went across a grass area, a driveway and a sidewalk before knocking an...

GREENBURGH, N.Y. | Audrey Davison lives alone, gets a $620 Social Security check each month and worries about the sharply rising taxes on her four-bedroom house. Davison, 76, raised her family there and after 43 years, she really doesn't want to leave Greenburgh. Greenburgh doesn't want her to leave, either. The town is pushing a program that would let seniors work part-time, for $7 per hour, to help pay off some of their property taxes. "People shouldn't have to sell their house, move away to a place with less taxes, leave behind their family and friends," said Town Supervisor Paul...

AIDS knows no age limit; more seniors getting busyBy LA PARKER TRENTON — If grandpa’s gettin’ some, he better use a condom. With seniors having sex, it’s important they understand that old sex doesn’t mean safe sex, and HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases know no age limit. “We know that people are not dead sexually once they reach the ages of 50, 60 or 70. They can get sexually transmitted diseases just like anybody else,” said Henry J. Austin HIV Program Coordinator Mary Lou Freund. Freund said a report released last week about more sex among the elderly...

I was going to post MY OWN "after-action report" from the AMAZING rally for Fred Thompson [with Tom McClintck, John Zeigler -- and JERI !] this morning in Southern California......but since Curt from Flopping Aces did such a GREAT JOB, I'll just post a link to HIS report, and add my comments to THIS thread. :o) Plus, Flopping Aces now has the FULL VIDEO of Fred's speech posted online here:www.floppingaces.net/2007/12/01/a-visit-from-fred-thompson ..so you can watch the whole thing online FOR YOURSELF!It's almost like being there LIVE!

In an Associated Press interview, Rudy Giuliani refused to rule out raising taxes to save Social Security. As the AP quotes Giuliani: I am opposed to tax increases, but I would look at whatever proposal [a bipartisan panel] came up with and try to figure out how we can come up with a bipartisan way to do it. ... The reality is, I'm more concerned about Medicare and Medicaid than I am with Social Security, because I'm pretty sure we can solve Social Security. Putting aside for the moment the fact that either raising taxes or cutting benefits makes Social...

THE VILLAGES - Villager Dave Herrick and a thousand like him gathered at Lake Sumter Landing Thursday to see what presidential candidate Fred Thompson was all about. On the Republican ticket alone, there are so many choices in Florida's fast-approaching January primary that seeing a candidate in person could help make that important decision. "As a loyal Republican, this is a hard election," Herrick said. Once Thompson started speaking, the crowd of supporters seemed a bit more sold on the former Tennessee senator and star actor with a southern drawl. Enthusiastic backers from The Villages and surrounding communities endured summertime...

SHREWSBURY, MA - The full weight of state and local bureaucracy is coming down on Helen Jarzobski and her buddies at Francis Gardens in Shrewsbury. “Why should I be expected to change now?” asked Ms. Jarzobski, a rather precise senior who cited her age at 92 and a half. “I’m going to be gone soon. If they keep pushing this, I’ll be gone even sooner.” Ms. Jarzobski sat with me Tuesday afternoon on her small backyard deck, which contains two comfy wicker chairs and a glass table. The grandmother of eight likes to relax there every morning with her coffee....

WINOOSKI, Vt. (AP) -- Ninety-three-year-old Florence "Tubby" Parsons has a lot going for her. She has her cat, Buddy, the plants in her one-bedroom apartment to tend to, and a weekly 25-cent poker game with neighbors. Best of all, she doesn't have to live in a nursing home. Instead, she gets daily visits from a longtime friend who draws a $10-an-hour paycheck from the state to care for her.

Rep. Marion Berry: Good morning. I'm Congressman Marion Berry of Arkansas, a senior citizen, a pharmacist, and someone who has spent the past five years trying to give the American people an acceptable Medicare prescription drug benefit. I have fought alongside my Democratic colleagues to put seniors first and I have watched with complete amazement as the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress forced a disastrous prescription drug scheme on America's greatest generation.

It is official. On the 15th of next I become OLD.Were I a car instead I would become a 'classic'. Maybe a '41' Buick, DeSoto, Kaiser-Frazier or Studebaker.But I'm not so I'll just be an old man with clogged pipes, sludge in the oil, a stiff differential and worn out joints. A man with less income and no medical insurance approachingdecision time inundated by mountains of conflicting information.(Like trying to process a program that would stretch a super-computer with only an 8 bit processor, 32k of unreliable RAM and a cranky CPU.)Freeperstan being the repository of the greatest minds still...

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. - President Bush campaigned Tuesday to boost the troubled new Medicare drug program that is the subject of a fierce election-year debate between Democrats and Republicans. Bush pleaded with older Americans — a key voting block, particularly in midterm congressional elections — to look positively on the new benefit. Under the program, the government subsidizes medication costs for the elderly and disabled through plans created by private insurers. In effect since January, it has been under fire from Democrats as too confusing for seniors with its numerous plans and coverage gaps — and from some conservative Republicans as...

In Case You Missed It: Survey Refutes Criticism Of Medicare Drug Plan From The Washington Post By Bill Brubaker March 13, 2006 A majority of senior citizens in a recent poll say they had no trouble using -- or signing up for -- the controversial 10-week-old Medicare prescription drug plan, health insurance officials said today. The survey of more than 800 seniors differs from assertions by politicians and health and senior citizen advocacy groups that many Medicare enrollees have had difficulty choosing a drug plan from among the dozens that are being offered. "The data are very encouraging," Karen Ignagni,...

WASHINGTON, April 26 — The Bush administration issued a new policy on Wednesday that protects Medicare beneficiaries against the sudden loss of coverage for drugs they are taking under the prescription drug program. Under the policy, insurers can still change their lists of covered drugs, known as formularies. But if they drop any drugs or impose new restrictions, they must exempt beneficiaries who are now taking those drugs. Dr. Mark B. McClellan, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, summarized the policy this way: "In general, a plan cannot change your coverage for the drugs you are using...

(AP) ELLETTSVILLE, Ind. With time running out to enroll in the federal government's new prescription drug benefit, advocates for the elderly say they are being inundated with phone calls and last-minute visits from seniors. "The last two weeks have been crazy," said Jason Carnes, the center developer for the Area 10 Agency on Aging, where calls and visits have been running about twice the normal number. Last week, President Bush and other administration officials urged an estimated 6 million to 7 million Medicare beneficiaries still without prescription drug coverage to enroll by May 15. Under the program, 43 million elderly...

NASCON was founded on the principle that American Seniors deserve to live with both dignity and security. We believe that Seniors in the United States are best served by less Government and policies that promote individual responsibility and autonomy...... again here is the website: http://www.nascon.org/community/index.php

NEW YORK - The majority of American workers think they'll be able to retire comfortably, but most aren't saving nearly enough to meet that goal, according to a new study. The Employee Benefit Research Institute's annual retirement confidence survey, released Tuesday, found that about 68 percent of workers are confident about having adequate funds for a comfortable retirement, up slightly from 65 percent in 2005. At the same time, more than half of all workers say they've saved less than $25,000 toward retirement, according to the Washington, D.C., based research group. Even among workers 55 and older, more than four...

Petanque pack bowl their man Crusaders coach Robbie Deans has some perfect recruits lined up for next year’s rugby season – providing they agree to come out of retirement. The mainly elderly members of the Christchurch Petanque Club who tackled an alleged armed burglar to the ground on Sunday have been recognised for their prowess and will be presented with the “tackle of the year” award this weekend. The award has been signed by “coach” Robbie Deans and “assistant coach” Mayor Garry Moore for “their magnificent tackle on a nefarious burglar”. Around 25 club members were involved in catching Clinton...

'Incompetent burglar' humiliated - lawyer 20 January 2006 An "incompetent" burglar who was tackled by elderly members of a petanque club would never again be able to hold his head up among his criminal peers, his lawyer told Christchurch District Court today. Clinton Michael Dearman, 38, was in court for sentence after admitting charges of burglary and aggravated assault at Christchurch Petanque Club on December 11. Dearman broke into the club and stacked goods on both floors before being challenged by arriving club members who tackled and hog-tied him until police arrived. Attempting to escape, Dearman lashed out - punching...

This is a type of training material flagged by securities regulators in Massachusetts. (Courtesy of the Massachusetts Security Division) GENERATIONS Seniors Should Take Care in Seeking Specialized Investment Help BY MICHELE M. MELENDEZ   As the nation ages, the investments industry is clamoring for the senior market. But older adults face an alphabet soup in seeking financial advice. Most would recognize Jane Johnson, M.D., as a doctor and Joe Jones, Esq., as a lawyer. Decoding the letters after investment professionals' names, on the other hand, can be overwhelming.       Patricia D. Struck, Wisconsin securities administrator and president...

  For Immediate ReleaseNovember 12, 2005 President's Radio Address      Audio      THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This coming Tuesday, America's Medicare beneficiaries can begin to enroll for new prescription drug coverage. This new benefit is the greatest advance in health care for seniors and Americans with disabilities since the creation of Medicare 40 years ago. In the past, Medicare would pay tens of thousands of dollars for ulcer surgery, but not a few hundred dollars for prescription drugs that eliminate the cause of most ulcers. In the past, Medicare would pay more than $100,000 to treat the effects of a stroke,...

President Bush declared yesterday that the Social Security system has already reached a "crisis" stage as he made the case for an expansive second-term domestic agenda that would dramatically restructure the nation's retirement program, tax code and legal liability system. In wrapping up a two-day White House economic conference, Bush pressed Congress to accept his plans to solve what he sees as the most urgent problems threatening the nation's economic future. While he found only agreement among the carefully selected panelists around him, it was clear the debate shaping up in Congress is centering on how serious the problems really...

How much does it cost you to put seniors in make-work government jobs? Quite a bit, according to one watchdog group. The Capital Research Center studied the Labor Department's Senior Community Service Employment Program. In the last three years, nine major non-profit groups have spent over 600 million taxpayer dollars training seniors to work in mostly government-subsidized jobs. Groups such as the American Association of Retired Persons and the National Urban League must certify that only one of five seniors who participated in the program found work in the private sector. Over 60% land government-subsidized jobs. In 2000, more than...

Dear Selma, George Bush has just raised Medicare premiums to a record high, and he doesn't want you to notice. In fact, the Bush administration waited to reveal this alarming information until the Friday night of Labor Day weekend when Americans were occupied with family gatherings and media was focused on the hurricane in Florida. We need your help to make sure that George Bush does not get away with burying this information. Tell everyone you know that George Bush is wrong for America's seniors. In these times of economic hardship he hiked Medicare premiums by an enormous 17 percent...

As 82-year-old Rose Johnson struggles to stay alive, Akron police grapple with finding her attackers. Johnson, who was beaten and robbed in her Andrus Street home early Sunday, remains at Akron City Hospital with family members keeping vigil. ... her brain from bleeding. In the aftermath of the beating, Johnson also suffered a heart ...

Researchers at the Universities of Michigan and California looked at the ratio of older and younger adult teeth found at sites up to 100,000 years old. Finding more older teeth in the Upper Palaeolithic suggests the grandparent role - being on hand to help out more - became more common at that time. The research is in the Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences. Big advantage After studying more than 750 fossilised teeth anthropologists Rachel Caspari and Sang-Hee Lee noticed they were finding more specimens from older adults in more recent sites. Modern humans were older and wiser...

County adopts tax freeze for senior citizens Disabled also to get break on property levy BY JOHN REYNOLDS AVALANCHE-JOURNAL Elderly and disabled homeowners will soon be eligible for a break in their county taxes following the Lubbock County commissioners' decision Monday to freeze the groups' property taxes. The vote, which passed unanimously, follows voters' passage last fall of state Proposition 13, which authorized local governments to freeze taxes paid by the two groups. Until then, a tax freeze for homeowners 65 or over ap plied only to school taxes. The average household savings should amount to about $41 per year,...

LifeNews.com Note: Maggie Gallagher is a nationally syndicated columnist. Oregon is the only state in the union that facilitates suicide. The New York Times' Science section touts the virtues of the assisted suicide law, which since 1997 has facilitated at least 171 suicides. The number of people affected by the law is, of course, much larger, whether it is old people comforted by the idea that they can kill themselves, or families forced into intimate discussions of when might be a good time for Grandma to kill herself. If your father is old and sick in Oregon, the subject of...

<p>In a possible preview of the 2006 gubernatorial race, Republican U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth on Wednesday accused Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano of misleading Arizona seniors about federal and state prescription drug programs.</p> <p>Hayworth said Napolitano hyped the benefits of the state program she launched while creating misimpressions about the new federal version passed by the Republican-led Congress last year.</p>

The Arkansas Right to Life March will be January 18 at 2:00pm. The March will start at Capitol and Louisiana and end at the State Capitol. Last year, it looked like over 1,000 people participated. A lot of organizations have banners to promote themselves for this event. I made fliers by taking a section of the Right to Life newsletter. Heres the website in case you miss it: http://www.artl.org/ Some other Right to Lifes in other states are having marches around the same time. For those in other states, type your state and Right to life and you should get...

<p>The face of poverty in Louisiana is most often that of a child and his or her parents who work full time but are unable to make ends meet.</p> <p>It also is the face of a senior citizen, whose golden years have turned dark because of the rising cost of medication, lack of insurance and dwindling retirement funds. The face of poverty is the person standing next to you in the checkout line, the cashier behind the counter or the woman who does your hair.</p>

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryDecember 13, 2003 President's Radio Address      Audio THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week I was honored to sign the Medicare Act of 2003, the greatest advance in health coverage for America's seniors since Medicare was founded nearly four decades ago. This new law will give seniors better choices and more control over their health care, and provide a prescription drug benefit. Beginning in 2006, most seniors now without prescription coverage can expect to see their current drug bills cut roughly in half, in exchange for a monthly premium of about $35. And for the...

(AgapePress) - A Texas city is the target of a government investigation after senior citizens at a public center were forbidden to exercise their religious freedom. In August, officials of the city of Balch Springs near Dallas, Texas, told residents who gathered daily at the local senior citizens center that they could not pray over their meals, sing gospel music, or have inspirational messages there because the center is a public building. Liberty Legal Institute, a public-interest legal group that fights to protect religious freedoms and First Amendment rights for individuals, groups, and churches, sued the city of Balch Springs...

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryNovember 15, 2003 President Urges Congress to "Finish the Job" on Medicare in Radio Address      In Focus: Medicare     Audio THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week I traveled to Florida to visit with seniors about an important goal for my administration and this nation. After years of debate and deadlock, the Congress is finishing work on the biggest improvements in senior health care coverage in nearly 40 years. Some important details of the Medicare legislation have to be worked out, but leaders in both the House and the Senate have already agreed to four clear-cut improvements...

Deal on drug benefits for seniors no sure thing Monday, July 21, 2003By Sarah Kellogg Grand Rapids Press Bureau WASHINGTON -- Establishing a Medicare prescription drug benefit for senior citizens this year may prove more difficult for Congress than many thought. After clearing one hurdle -- approving a plan in both chambers on June 27 -- GOP and Democratic leaders immediately hit another. They have spent the weeks since passage fending off increasingly stinging criticism of the House and Senate bills from interest groups, fellow lawmakers and seniors. "It's a very difficult situation," said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat....

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. CLARKESVILLE, Ga. -- Residents of this rural northeast Georgia town have relied on a Depression-era cannery for decades to store homegrown crops. Now a proposed shutdown of the 69-year-old plant has older residents fighting to save it. I cannot remember the last time I did not use it, Habersham County native John Barrett said. He and his wife, Jan, have used the cannery to store extra crops since they were married 41 years ago. The Barretts and at least 50 other residents have pleaded with county officials not to close the...

"This does not discriminate against smokers,they will be allowed to smoke,just not in their apartments." says Councilwoman Claudia Bell-de la Pena.

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. After 86 years, the YWCA is closing its homey downtown Seattle swimming pool, and the decision has outraged a tight-knit circle of elderly women who say the pool's therapeutic, extra-warm waters have helped them stave off the ravages of old age. Despite their hip replacements and pronounced limps, these water-aerobics regulars have been picketing in front of the 1916 building at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Seneca Street and dashing off angry letters and faxes in an effort to get the Y to delay the planned Dec. 20 closure. "This...

Eckerd Drug has been advertising their Senior Expo which is being held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg today, October 17th and tomorrow the 18th. My mom and I were going today to see an old friend of the family, Dick Dale, remember him from the Lawrence Welk Show? I took an old sixties record album of him along for him to autograph for old time's sake and I made sure that the Eckerd event staff knew that we really need to be up close to see our friend. We were up close and Mary Lou Metzger was great, then...

<p>HARRISBURG -- The state lives off the $923 million that the state Lottery generates annually.</p> <p>Betting at race tracks is fine. Lawmakers are poised to OK slot machines at the tracks. Others want riverboat casinos, too.</p> <p>But Wal-Mart can no longer allow free bingo games for seniors to be held in its stores, the state House decided yesterday.</p>

Medco Study Finds Kids' Prescriptions Rising Thu Sep 19, 4:19 AM ET FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. (Reuters) - Kids have surpassed senior citizens as the hot ticket in the prescription drug market. While people over 50 are the largest drug market, Medco Health said in its annual survey released on Thursday that an increasing number of children are taking prescription drugs, making them the fastest growing prescription users in 2001. Dr. Robert Epstein, Medco's chief medical officer, said more aggressive treatment and diagnosis of allergies and asthma, as well as higher cost antibiotics, have led to higher drug spending for the...

Melanie Hunter, CNSNews.com Friday, May 24, 2002 "Talk about scaring seniors – this may be a little over the top," wrote a Democratic staffer regarding a planned editorial on (voluntary, partial) privatization of Social Security. "But it is sooo fun to bash Republicans," she added. The e-mail message from the senior legislative aide to Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, also acknowledges that the editorial, as drafted, was "not entirely, factually accurate." The e-mail exchange, which was apparently sent by mistake to a Republican Hill staffer, caused a stir at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). "We have said for months that...

NEW YORK (AP) — The Rolling Stones announced yet another world tour in grandiose fashion Tuesday, circling New York's sprawling Van Cortlandt Park in a yellow blimp emblazoned with their red tongue trademark. ``Either we stay at home and become pillars of the community, or we go out and tour. We couldn't really find any communities that still needed pillars,'' joked Mick Jagger after he emerged from the blimp. The Stones intend to celebrate their 40th anniversary with not only the tour but also a greatest hits disc that will feature new songs. The tour will kick off Sept. 5...

<p>Once known for their thrift, older Americans are piling on debt -- filing for bankruptcy in record numbers and jeopardizing retirement dreams.</p> <p>Many live on little more than Social Security. A sluggish stock market and painfully low interest rates pinch returns on their CDs, bank accounts and stock investments. Tapped out, many in this new generation of seniors turn to credit cards to finance medical bills, expensive prescription drugs and comfortable lifestyles.</p>

Second World Assembly on Ageing Madrid, Spain 8 -12 April 2002 Second World Assembly on Ageing "If history serves as a guide, the Plan of Action will shape the content of national, regional and international policies on ageing in the decades to come."—Ambassador Felipe Paolillo, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Second World Assembly on AgeingThe twentieth century witnessed a historical lengthening of the human life span. Over the last 50 years, life expectancy at birth has climbed globally by about 20 years to reach 66 years, thanks to advancements in medical knowledge and technology. Already about one...