Fair and sensible solutions

Letter to the editor:
    On August 31st, AARP co-hosted a Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid rally in Bangor. We were supported by a large crowd of Mainers who all came out to send a message to Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins: When you return to Washington, protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Going back to session is like back to school and our rally signs were created around a theme of the ABC’s such as Always protect Maine jobs and Defend Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. We even delivered almost ten thousand Social Security petitions to their offices, petitions signed by their constituents from across the state.
    Of the almost 300,000 Mainers who are on Social Security, over 22 percent depend on that monthly check for 90 percent or more of their income. Any cuts to those checks would be nothing short of devastating. We hope our Senators appreciate that cuts to these vital programs will hurt real people and that is why AARP is fighting to stop Congress from cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits as part of a deal to reduce the deficit. We have worked hard and paid into the system over a lifetime. For us, for our children and for our grandchildren, I am proud to augment the voices of Mainers and AARP looks forward to working with all our members of Congress on finding solutions that are fair and make sense.
Roberta Downey
AARP Maine Volunteer Executive Council
Bangor