[PAA-Discuss] Design your own reality

Fri Jun 24 17:45:17 EDT 2011

Dear Susan,
Thanks for getting back to me. I love your mission, vision and values. 
You are so right that healthcare is a major issue for the AARP members.
Given some good numbers, I believe that we can do so much better for people than Medicare alphabet. 
How would it work, if with the membership papers, your organization would include a healthcare questionnaire?
Maybe an explanatory paragraph about designing one's own healthcare; a few questions about healthcare providing (including specialty, credentials, fee (including lowest acceptable); and healthcare receiving (Western meds only, alternative only, either where appropriate, monthly fee able to pay), etc. 
What would you need as minimum membership number? Do you have a fee structure for couples and families?  
Would prospective members make out a check to "Gray Panthers" and would it be sent to the address on K St.?  
Again, thanks. I think we can do this,
Anne

Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:54:16 -0400
From: info at graypanthers.org
To: freespirit_41 at hotmail.com
Subject: Re: FW: AARP betraying its members

Dear Anne,

I love your idea and the sentiment. We are also angry about AARP's position on Social Security. 

AARP has 35.7 million members. Gray Panthers currently charges $30 per member currently and even with a charge of $1.00 per member per year at those numbers, we'd have the resources to make significant change. The issue with AARP and it's members is that it is a health care program than many rely on and because of that, AARP makes decisions that benefit that program and their bottom line. That's also where they make their money. We can remain truly free of outside influence because we are beholden only to our membership.     

Also and no less important, Gray Panthers is open to people of ALL ages and we don't believe that there are senior-only issues. Every issue felt by seniors is felt by younger people as well. 

Let's keep talking and thank you!

Susan

Susan Murany 
Executive Director 
Gray Panthers 
1612 K Street NW, Ste. 300 
Washington, DC  20006 
T: 202-737-6637, ext 28 
Toll Free: 800-280-5362, ext. 28 
W:  www.graypanthers.org

On 6/24/2011 4:10 PM, Anne del Prado wrote: 

Dear Gray Panthers, 
Do you think your organization can do this? How many members would you need to replace the AARP?
What would your membership fee have to be? Thanks for your answer. I will forward your information 
to the people I originally contacted.
Anne del Prado, Freeport, TX

From: freespirit_41 at hotmail.com
To: act at firedoglake.com and others 
Subject: FW: AARP betraying its members
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:46:06 -0500

Can we do this? If not, why not?
Anne

From: freespirit_41 at hotmail.com
To: discuss and others
Subject: AARP betraying its members
Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:42:07 -0500

>From Firedoglake:
It's time to burn your AARP card.
According to news reports, AARP will drop its opposition to cutting Social Security benefits. The huge organization wants a "seat at the table" to will decide how to void our country's social contract.
What's worse is that AARP will now use its considerable wealth and stature to advance this devastating idea in Congress. The group plans to hold town hall meetings across the country to evangelize this new stance to their millions of members.

Maybe this is the time to send our membership cards back to the AARP, explaining that this second huge betrayal will not be tolerated. If we all join the Gray Panthers and give them enough of a membership to do some of the things the AARP has been doing and something the AARP would never do (explanation below), we could stop being exploited. 
AARP uses the big insurance companies for life insurance, health insurance, Medicare, etc. 
With at least a million people membership, the Gray Panthers could provide single payer health insurance, ignoring the insurance companies and big pharma. 
Let me know what you think, Thanks,
Anne

WHO WE ARE 

We are the risk-takers; we are the innovators; we are the developers of new models. We are trying the future on for size. That is our role."
-Maggie Kuhn, Founder

MISSION 

Work for social and economic justice and peace for all people. 

VISION

Create a humane society that puts the needs of people over profits, responsibility over power, and democracy over institutions.

VALUES

Honoring Maturity: The concept of aging takes into account an individuals growth during their entire life span, from birth to death in personal development, social involvement, and self fulfillment. 

Unifying the Generations: Recognition that generations are formed by different histories and cultures, but a common respect holds them together. 

Active Engagement: Civic participation and responsibility are fundamental to achieving goals of social and economic justice. 

Participatory Democracy: The Gray Panthers belongs to its members. The members define the organization's values, purpose, and the issues in which we place collective energy.   

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Washington, DC 20006
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