Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton
Subject: ==> Clinton/Gore On Older Americans' Issues
Supersedes: <92282.222152U56503@uicvm.uic.edu>
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Date: Friday, 9 Oct 1992 20:40:43 CDT
From: <U56503@uicvm.uic.edu>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Information in the public interest which does not imply that it
is the opinion of UIC.  Contact 75300.3115@compuserve.com for
further information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       CLINTON/GORE ON ISSUES OF CONCERN TO
                  OLDER AMERICANS



The generation that worked its way out of the
Depression, won World War II,  and endured the
worst of the Cold War has seen harder times than
these.  But older Americans know that we can  do
better -- by them and by future generations.

The Republicans in Washington have repeatedly tried
to cut programs that protect the rights and
prosperity of older Americans.  Bill Clinton and Al
Gore will protect the long-term solvency of
Social Security;  protect the integrity of the
Trust Fund, and lift the earnings test limitation.


A Clinton/Gore Administration will also work to
enact a national health care plan in its first
year; expand long-term care services; bring down
prescription drug costs, and enact family and
medical leave legislation to guarantee that working
Americans can keep their jobs while they care for
ailing parents.

It is time to honor the compact between
generations.  Here's how:

Protect social security

*    A Clinton/Gore Administration will protect the
     integrity of the Social Security system and
     ensure that it remains solvent in years to
     come.

*    Lift the Social Security earnings test
     limitation so that older Americans are able to
     help rebuild our economy and create a better
     future for all.

National Health Care

*    Guarantee affordable, quality health care by
     taking on the insurance industry and drug
     companies.  Bill Clinton and Al Gore will
     guarantee a core package of benefits for every
     American.

*    Preserve and protect Medicare benefits.

Long-term care

*    Expand choices in care. Bill Clinton and Al
     Gore will give older Americans more control of
     their health care.  Options will be expanded
     to include personal and home care, visiting
     nurse services, adult day care, and senior
     center services.  Those who need little
     assistance in daily living are not forced into
     nursing homes.

*    Bring down prescription drug prices.  In the
     last decade, the price of prescription drugs
     has risen at three times the rate of
     inflation. Some companies charge Americans
     more than people from other countries for the
     same product.  Bill Clinton has endorsed
     Senator David Pryor's proposal to take away
     tax breaks from drug companies that raise
     their prices faster than the rate of
     inflation.

Safe and strong communities

*    Fight crime by putting 100,000 new police
     officers on the streets.  We will create a
     National Police Corps and offer unemployed
     veterans and active military personnel a
     chance to become law enforcement officers here
     at home.

*    Provide federal assistance to areas hard hit
     by crime if they adopt a comprehensive crime
     control plan that includes proven anti-crime
     measures, such as community-based policing,
     which puts more police on the beat.

*    Put neighborhoods at the center of our efforts
     to revitalize America by coordinating existing
     housing, education, employment training,
     health care, drug treatment and crime
     prevention programs.  We will target resources
     community by community to make the most of
     federal housing funds.

*    Strengthen the HOME program to help community
     groups provide additional quality rental
     housing to low-income Americans.

Sign the Family and Medical Leave Act

*    As President, Bill Clinton will sign the
     Family and Medical Leave Act which Senator Al
     Gore introduced.  This Act will allow working
     parents to take 12 weeks of unpaid leave to
     care for a newborn child or sick family
     member, including an elderly parent.  George
     Bush vetoed this legislation  --leaving the
     United States as the only industrialized
     country in the world without a national family
     and medical leave policy.

The Record

*    As Arkansas' Attorney General, Bill Clinton
     created the Advocates for the Elderly Program
     to help older Arkansans with their legal
     problems.

*    Chaired the National Association of Attorney
     Generals' Special Subcommittee on the Rights
     and Legal Problems of the Elderly; and
     testified before the U.S. Civil Rights
     Commission against discrimination against
     older Americans in federal programs.

*    Created the 1991 ElderChoices Program to allow
     seniors to use money normally reserved for
     nursing home care for long-term services of
     their choice -- from personal care to home
     health care to adult day care.

*    Led the nation's governors in fighting the
     elimination of Social Security disability
     benefits, and imposed a moratorium on
     terminations in Arkansas.  The federal
     government subsequently changed its
     procedures.

*    Initiated a broad range of cost-effective
     in-home health care and supportive services
     for people recovering from serious illness,
     people with chronic or terminal illness, and
     people who need help with daily living but
     live outside their homes.

*    Removed the sales tax on prescription drugs.

*    During his first term, imposed strict
     regulations on nursing homes prior to similar
     federal regulations.  Nursing home residents
     were granted a 14-day period in which to
     rescind a contract for services and nursing
     homes must now provide annual disclosure
     statements to residents upon application.

*    Sought and implemented a law mandating the
     appointment of senior citizens to state boards
     and commissions.

*    Expanded coverage of adult protective services
     in Arkansas.

*    Found state funding to purchase 100 new vans
     for senior citizen transportation.  Additional
     funding for Meals on Wheels, and other
     transportation was made available through a
     1991 one-cent-per-pack tax increase on
     cigarettes.

*    Instituted a special literacy project to
     encourage older adults to participate in
     literacy programs as both students and
     teachers.

*    Senator Gore voted for the Older Americans Act
     which expanded federal programs for Older
     Americans including "Meals on Wheels." The Act
     also expanded assistance for special needs
     programs for the frail and home-bound elderly
     and outreach activities for many elderly
     people.

*    Voted for the Older Workers Benefits
     Protection Act which overturned a Supreme
     Court decision and made it unlawful to prevent
     older workers from receiving employee benefits
     because of their age.

*    Voted for and strongly supports enforcement of
     the Americans With Disabilities Act.

*    Consistently opposed cuts to Medicare and
     other entitlement programs for Older
     Americans.

*    Fought for the Medigap law to protect seniors
     from buying worthless insurance coverage.
Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton,alt.politics.bush,talk.politics.misc,alt.sex,sci.skeptic