If President Bush is feeling a little bit like Rodney "I get no respect" Dangerfield, he has the 50+ Alliance member-delegates to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging to thank. The Alliance delegates arrived in Washington, DC last weekend primed for confrontation and rebellion - and that's just what the conference and the president got. Angered that this decade's gathering purposely omitted the opportunity for delegates to discuss resolutions not on the pre-approved agenda, even if favored by at least 10% of the attendees, and frustrated that the conference's Medicare resolution lacked substance, the Alliance delegates devised and circulated a "10% Rule" and "Fix Medicare Rx" petitions. Spurred by the widely worn "10%" stickers, nearly a quarter of the 1,200 delegates signed the "10% Rule" petition, which was presented to conference organizers at the opening plenary session.
Things got a lot more contentious on Tuesday, however, when Alliance member-delegates at the "Principles to Strengthen Social Security" implementation strategy session argued to let delegates vote on whether or not they support or oppose private accounts. Alliance delegates worked the session, lobbied other conference delegates, and the anti-privatization proposal won by a wide margin.
Advocacy voices were also heard loud and clear at the Medicare workshop designed to explore ways to improve Medicare. Delegates voted to have all 12 points highlighted in the Alliance's "Fix Medicare Rx" petition as one of the top implementation strategies. Those at the Medicare session also gave top vote to the implementation strategy calling for the provision of comprehensive drug coverage under Medicare and the ability of the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices
"The two hallmarks of the Bush administrations: Social Security privatization and the confusing Medicare Part D were flatly rejected," said Alliance President George Kourpias. "Despite a highly scripted agenda designed to promote the president's goals, our delegates successfully forced attentions on the Alliance's top priorities: strengthening Social Security and providing affordable and accessible drug benefit under Medicare. Those Alliance delegates who so selflessly gave of their time to stand up and fight for those issues so important to the welfare and well-being of America's seniors deserve a huge thanks."
Language crafted by the Alliance also appeared in a number of other implementation strategies such as housing, transportation and Medicaid. The WHCoA Policy Committee is to submit in 100 days a report on the conference to the governors and then have six months to submit a final report to Congress.
