Post by jimherbst on Jan 30, 2015 0:05:08 GMT -5
Having listened to the online audiotape of the January 25th informational meeting on MRTA and the lawsuits, I’d like to make a few observations concerning “over 55” communities. First, what is the real motivation behind our wanting to live in an over 55 community? I believe it stems from a fear of being victimized by young criminals. I share such a fear now that I am in my late 60’s and would certainly lose in any violent confrontation. But then, I thought, am I stereotyping all young people as thugs? Moreover, how safe am I living exclusively among seniors? Don't we sometimes hear of a mentally unstable elderly person gunning down relatives, neighbors, etc in a paranoid rage?
The other thing that came into my thoughts is that the more we seniors separate ourselves from the rest of the community, the more easily we can be stereotyped as those “greedy geezers” who are mortgaging their grandchildren’s future. How often do we hear politicians and pundits talk about the need for "entitlement reform”. By now we should realize that phrase is just a euphemism for cutting Social Security and – more calamitous – Medicaid. We need to realize that things have radically changed for the worse among working families. Gone are the health insurance plans fully funded by one’s employer. Pension plans have also all but disappeared. The result is one of working families having far less disposable income after factoring in what they must shell out for contributions to 401K retirement plans and employee-paid health insurance. It is now a popular complaint among younger people that we seniors are enjoying “Cadillac” healthcare paid by their FICA taxes while they themselves have deal with the “assembly line medicine” of HMO’s, with high co-pays and lifetime benefit limits. And, the more we separate ourselves from the rest of the community, the less opportunity we have to rebut these perceptions in the public forum.
Another thing is that, while we gripe about the federal Fair Housing Law, the law also protects us as well. How would we like it if the shoe were on the other foot and we seniors were told by local governments that we are no longer welcome. As implausible as that may seem, I have personally witnessed that type of sentiment during my years in municipal government. Imaging yourself having reached a point where it is increasingly more difficult for you to manage on your own. But you also want to continue to live in the same community, and - if possible - the same neighborhood where you raised your family. But, when a local developer proposes to build an assisted living facility, there is pushback from younger residents. They complain that residential neighborhoods should not include group homes for seniors. They would rather have us warehoused in large congregate care institutions somewhere out in the boonies. Fortunately, the federal Fair Housing law prevents that crowd from carrying out their preferences.
Anyway, those are some of my thoughts.
The other thing that came into my thoughts is that the more we seniors separate ourselves from the rest of the community, the more easily we can be stereotyped as those “greedy geezers” who are mortgaging their grandchildren’s future. How often do we hear politicians and pundits talk about the need for "entitlement reform”. By now we should realize that phrase is just a euphemism for cutting Social Security and – more calamitous – Medicaid. We need to realize that things have radically changed for the worse among working families. Gone are the health insurance plans fully funded by one’s employer. Pension plans have also all but disappeared. The result is one of working families having far less disposable income after factoring in what they must shell out for contributions to 401K retirement plans and employee-paid health insurance. It is now a popular complaint among younger people that we seniors are enjoying “Cadillac” healthcare paid by their FICA taxes while they themselves have deal with the “assembly line medicine” of HMO’s, with high co-pays and lifetime benefit limits. And, the more we separate ourselves from the rest of the community, the less opportunity we have to rebut these perceptions in the public forum.
Another thing is that, while we gripe about the federal Fair Housing Law, the law also protects us as well. How would we like it if the shoe were on the other foot and we seniors were told by local governments that we are no longer welcome. As implausible as that may seem, I have personally witnessed that type of sentiment during my years in municipal government. Imaging yourself having reached a point where it is increasingly more difficult for you to manage on your own. But you also want to continue to live in the same community, and - if possible - the same neighborhood where you raised your family. But, when a local developer proposes to build an assisted living facility, there is pushback from younger residents. They complain that residential neighborhoods should not include group homes for seniors. They would rather have us warehoused in large congregate care institutions somewhere out in the boonies. Fortunately, the federal Fair Housing law prevents that crowd from carrying out their preferences.
Anyway, those are some of my thoughts.
