John R. Houk
© August 30, 2013
This is a paid ad from Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) using the Dustin Stockman – Don’t Tread on Me website as the vehicle for the email (I have seen similar vehicles for AMAC). I am not an AARP member however I do use the AARP sponsored health insurance written by United Healthcare as a Supplemental Medical Insurance to the Medicare that I use.
AARP is the largest senior citizen advocacy group in America. My problem with AARP is that it has become a Leftist rubber stamp for the Democratic Party. Below is an excerpt from Discover the Networks on AARP:
While AARP describes itself as politically “non-partisan,” it consistently supports leftist initiatives that reflect Democratic Party agendas and AARP's own stated commitment to “collective purpose” geared toward “social change” advocacy. For example, the organization backs entitlements for migrant workers; favors a progressive tax structure that places a disproportionate burden on high earners; endorses the estate tax; opposes the privatization of Social Security; opposes the reformation of Medicare and Social Security entitlements; and favors strict gun control. In 2003, AARP lauded the passage of a massive Medicare prescription drug plan which added, by some measures, $15.6 trillion to America's long-term entitlement deficit.
In 2009 AARP lobbied heavily in favor of health-care reform, supporting in particular the “public option” which was favored by Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives but was dropped from the final legislation because it imperiled the bill’s passage in the Senate. AARP’s motives for backing the so-called “Obamacare” plan were as much financial as they were ideological. Because the legislation eliminated hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies from the Medicare Advantage program which allowed 11 million Medicare beneficiaries to buy additional benefits from private insurance companies, AARP foresaw that many of those people would now be in the market for products like its own “Medigap.”
A large number of AARP members felt betrayed by the organization's support for Obamacare. On July 28, 2009, for example, some 4,174 members called the organization to register their opposition to the proposed healthcare plan, while only 36 members called in support. The following day, the numbers were 2,656 opposed, 23 in support.
Seventy-one pages of emails released in September 2012 by the House Energy and Commerce Committee showed that throughout the Obamacare debates of 2009-10, AARP leaders—particularly policy chief John Rother, health policy director Nora Super (who later went to work for President Obama's Health and Human Services Department), executive vice president Nancy LeaMond, and senior vice president David Sloane—had been in constant contact with President Obama's top aides, most notably Nancy-Ann DeParle and Jim Messina. As the Wall Street Journal reports (READ ENTIRETY)
In 2009 AARP lobbied heavily in favor of health-care reform, supporting in particular the “public option” which was favored by Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives but was dropped from the final legislation because it imperiled the bill’s passage in the Senate. AARP’s motives for backing the so-called “Obamacare” plan were as much financial as they were ideological. Because the legislation eliminated hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies from the Medicare Advantage program which allowed 11 million Medicare beneficiaries to buy additional benefits from private insurance companies, AARP foresaw that many of those people would now be in the market for products like its own “Medigap.”
A large number of AARP members felt betrayed by the organization's support for Obamacare. On July 28, 2009, for example, some 4,174 members called the organization to register their opposition to the proposed healthcare plan, while only 36 members called in support. The following day, the numbers were 2,656 opposed, 23 in support.
Seventy-one pages of emails released in September 2012 by the House Energy and Commerce Committee showed that throughout the Obamacare debates of 2009-10, AARP leaders—particularly policy chief John Rother, health policy director Nora Super (who later went to work for President Obama's Health and Human Services Department), executive vice president Nancy LeaMond, and senior vice president David Sloane—had been in constant contact with President Obama's top aides, most notably Nancy-Ann DeParle and Jim Messina. As the Wall Street Journal reports (READ ENTIRETY)
In my opinion this places the AARP as a Leftist minion of the Obama agenda and the Dems. This is where AMAC (Not to be confused with a similar acronym which is American Muslim Advisory Council which is a Radical Muslim connected organization) enters the picture. Here is an AMAC excerpt from their website:
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We are the new senior organization. And we need your help to grow.
AMAC was developed for anyone age 50 or above, and to provide discounts not available anywhere else.
Discounts for AMAC members include hotel and motel discounts at over 7,000 locations across the country, discounts to help you save on auto and homeowners insurance, and we’re working very hard to provide exclusive discounts in your local area.
Stores, restaurants, and business in your town and neighborhood are joining the AMAC merchant network to provide you with substantial discounts of 10% or more on products and services. New merchants are joining every day (see our Frequently Asked Questions for more information on our local discounts efforts). Our local discount offerings have been a home run on Long Island and Westchester, New York, as well as central Florida. It is our goal to expand our local discounts program to every town in America. Help us spread the word by asking your favorite local merchants to contact us about being included in the program!
…
We at AMAC feel it is time for the people to speak out for the traditional American values of faith, family, and freedom. We promise to be your advocate to fight the good fight. Please explore our website to learn how you can benefit by becoming a member. Stand together with us. (AMAC about page)
Check out the subtitles on AMAC’s key issues page:
Our Stance on Key Issues
Taxes
AMAC strongly feels that American citizens are excessively taxed. There should be a reduction in income tax rates for all wage earners. Likewise, corporations are over taxed. When a corporation is …
Growth in Government
AMAC favors a reduction in the number of Federal departments and employees. Our government has grown at the Federal, State and local levels. In Washington we now have twice as many Departments as we had 100 years ago. As government grows …
Balanced Budget & the National Debt
The annual budget has gone out of control. The President and the congress have lost sight …
Medical Care
AMAC believes it is a serious mistake to have the Federal government interfere and dictate how medical care is provided in this country. The present system of State regulations and free enterprise has proven satisfactory for over 85% of our citizens. A simple change in …
Abortion
AMAC is pro-life. We are against abortion in principle …
Immigration
Amac believes in sensible Immigration Reform. We don’t believe in racial profiling or the harassment of legal immigrants. Amac is for legal immigration. There is …
Second Amendment- the right to bear arms
We believe that the Second Amendment, which states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”, is an integral part of our freedom.
AMAC supports the Constitution of the United States of America and our Bill of Rights, including the Second Amendment. Exercising the …
Fair Tax and Flat Tax
While AMAC has not taken an official stance on HR25/S13 or HR1040, we feel the American public should be aware of both options. AMAC believes … (READ ENTIRETY)
The point is AARP is Left Wing and is in love with big government which means too much power over the lives of Senior Citizens. The same organization and government that promises universal entitlement will be the same that toss unhealthy Seniors under the bus in deciding the poorer elderly serve no purpose as active members of society.
AMAC is for less government and showing ways to use the Free Market to make the costs of living longer an affordable situation even if the government begins to ignore you while unhealthy.
When AMAC becomes bigger with more members then it will also health insurance on a free market basis that will be competitive with AARP’s sponsored insurance (which Obamacare may eliminate because AARP sponsored insurance is a Free Market Supplemental Insurance).
Currently the best AMAC can do in Medical Care is to offer discount programs. For me that is not sufficient; however AMAC offers all the other perks and discounts that AARP members receive. Take note you don’t have to be an AARP member to participate in the Supplemental Insurance program they offer. You just have to be on Medicare to get the Free Market better coverage. So join AMAC. Help grow AMAC. Make AMAC membership an attractive competitor to AARP. Then AMAC will also be looked at by private insurance companies to offer a competitive plan for AMAC members.
Here is the ad I received in my email which is really an AMAC membership recruiting advertisement.
JRH 8/30/13
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AMAC vs AARP –Battling for the Hearts and Minds of Seniors
Sent via Stockton Breakdown
Sent: August 29, 2013 6:19 AM
If you haven't chosen AMAC over AARP yet, you may want to reconsider.
During the first Presidential debate, President Obama touted the support of AARP for ObamaCare several times. While AARP immediately responded by saying, "AARP is a nonpartisan organization and we do not endorse political candidates nor coordinate with any candidate or political party", recently released emails between the White House and AARP operatives seem to indicate that AARP threw their tremendous lobbying power behind the legislation despite the fact they were getting calls overwhelmingly against it.
In fact, on September 20, 2012, Kimberley A. Strassel of the Wall Street Journal wrote:
"Thanks to just-released emails from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, we now know that AARP worked through 2009-2010 as an extension of a Democratic White House, toiling daily to pass a health bill that slashes $716 billion from Medicare, strips seniors of choice, and sets the stage for rationing. We know that despite AARP's awareness that its seniors overwhelmingly opposed the bill, the 'nonpartisan organization' chose to serve the president's agenda.
The 71 pages of emails show an AARP management taking orders from the White House, scripting the president's talking points, working to keep its board 'in line' and pledging a fealty to 'the cause.' Seniors deserve to know all this, as AARP seeks to present itself as neutral in this presidential election."
AARP refuses to take a formal position on the Independent Payment Advisory Board ("rationing board") portion of ObamaCare and even defends some aspects of the board. Given the negative impact that the IPAB will have on seniors, this is unbelievable (but sadly, not unexpected).
AMAC is against the harsh provisions in ObamaCare that gives the Federal government complete control of our healthcare. It destroys the best healthcare system in the world, takes 716 billion dollars out of Medicare, and has the power to restrict and ration our medical treatment.
AMAC is fighting to keep our right to receive treatment from our doctors without the interference of Federal bureaucrats.
Big government experiments like the "stimulus" and ObamaCare have only increased the uncertainty and instability, and are core reasons for the persistently high unemployment rate and why the household incomes of Mature Americans have declined so much.
AMAC, The Association of Mature American Citizens, believes we can do much better. As a steadily growing alternative to groups like AARP, and with an expanding influence in the Nation's capital, we aim to champion the interests of Mature Americans, seniors, and prospective retirees. We believe in religious freedom, free enterprise, and support common sense solutions to our Nation's largest challenges.
Bottom line - Our livelihoods, our families' future prosperity and our standards of living should not be threatened by bad policies emanating from Washington, DC.
AMAC Fights for You!
AMAC, the leading Conservative Alternative to AARP
Dan Weber, President and Founder of AMAC, delivers remarks with the House GOP Doctors Caucus the day the Supreme Court decided to uphold ObamaCare. Standing with Dan are (from left to right) Representatives, Paul Broun (GA-10th), John Fleming (LA-4th), Phil Gingrey GA-11th), Joe Heck (NV-3rd), Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-25th), and Tim Murphy (PA-18th).
As AMAC continues to grow and build a presence in DC, we're able to stand up to the tremendous lobbying power of AARP on behalf of concerned conservative Americans like you.
A senator told us, "You have got to grow AMAC!" When we asked him why, he said, "You don't understand, when AARP comes to our committees they say they represent older Americans. We know at times they really don't, but because of their numbers we have got to listen to them. When AMAC has one million members we can tell them they are not the only one we will listen to."
AMAC can do something AARP will not do - we'll fight against the horror of big government "solutions" like Obamacare with common sense solutions. But now, more than ever, AMAC needs your help!
If you want to belong to an organization that takes its marching orders from its members and speaks out for conservative values, JOIN AMAC!
For a limited time, a 5-year membership is available for less than $1 a month, and you'll have access to exclusive AMAC benefits - such as the members-only auto and home insurance program, access to licensed Medicare counselors, the AMAC Roadside Assistance Program, travel, and much more!
Better FOR YOU,
Better for America!
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AARP Leftist – AMAC Conservative
John R. Houk
© August 30, 2013
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AMAC vs AARP –Battling for the Hearts and Minds of Seniors
