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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSenior Advisory Board - Minutes - 11/18/19921- 0 The regular meeting of the Fort Collins Senior Advisory Board was held Wednesday, November 18, 1992 at the Senior Center. Attendance: [Council liaison = Bob Winokur, absent] MEMBERS Pat Long Peggy Santich Wayne Moellenberg Larry Chaussee Margaret Watts Marjorie McTaggart Larry Heglund Jill Taylor Yvonne Myers Kay Rios STAFF -- Barbara Schoenberger (assigned) GUESTS Sally Gilmore Lee Baccili Al Baccili Margaret Gorman EXCUSED ABSENCE Kathleen Jones I. CALL TO ORDER -- Chairman Pat Long called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. II. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION -- Guests and board members intro- duced themselves. Al Baccili announced that the local chapter of AARP would be voting the next day to approve a version of a health plan which they will then send to the national AARP. He urged everyone to attend the meeting. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES -- It was moved, seconded and passed unanimously to approve the October minutes as written. IV. OLD BUSINESS A. Volunteer credit exchange -- Kay handed out corrected draft of letters and proposal. After some discussion about the point system numbers, Larry Chaussee moved approval of the proposal. It was seconded and passed unanimously. Kay will make the corrections, and Marjorie will contact the City's Volunteer Coordinator about the possibility of housing the proposed project. B. Seniors Airborne -- Results of 79 returns of the ques- tionaire show weekday mornings are the best radio listening times. The committee will meet, put together a 3-month format and present the results and format to KCOL ASAP. C. Outreach meeting -- General discussion found that the format was good at the Good Samaritan meeting in October, but there needs to be a better way to let seniors know in advance (attendance was low, given the number of seniors who live there.) Pat called county and state offices about the street complaint, but learned nothing will be done about it. He will let Good Samaritan's activity director know. D. 1993 Work Plan -- Marjorie asked for any comments or corrections to the draft sent to each member. The plan was approved and will be forwarded to the city. E. Senior Network lunch -- Discussion resulted in a decision to re -present the proposal for funding to ARA, which now has new personnel. F. Process for review of City Council Agenda -- General agreement that the telephone alert system is working. G. December meeting -- December meeting will be a potluck lunch meeting at 12 noon December 9th at Senior Center in the Horsetooth room. Everyone is to bring a dish to share. H. Health Care Access -- Kay reported that the original task force group will continue to work on these issues. It was suggested that the media needs to point out that the problems continue to exist. I. Building Committee -- Pat furnished positive feedback from 3 groups about having Open House(s) about progress and input on the senior center. Barbara asked for suggestions about where to hold mid-December's Open House(s). Suggestions were: Raintree Plaza, EPIC, Opera Galleria, Square or Fashion Mall, and REA. V. NEW BUSINESS A. Service organzation reports: 1. Office on Aging -- Pat reported that the OOA bought the I&R system through Helpline. He furnished copies of money allocations that OOA made to agencies. 2. Senior Center Council -- Peggy reported that the volunteer handbook is about ready for printing. The council now has a vacancy due to a resignation. 3. PVH Aspen Club -- Jill summarized the activities of a very busy October, and stated that the PVH Auxiliary is helping with dollars for the Seniors pharmacy assistance program. 4. RSVP -- Sally Gilmore, new volunteer coordinator, asked for volunteers to help with the December 1st seniors Shopping spree at the Fashion Mall. Buying Christmas tree lights for trees set up in Fort Collins, Loveland and Estes Park is a fundraiser. 5. Friends of the Senior Center -- Barbara reported that the organization is getting a more solid base. They are having a party December 17th. B. 1993 Officer Nominations -- The following board members were nominated and elected, to take office in January: Chair: Kay Rios Vice chair: Yvonne Myers Secretary: Marjorie McTaggart C. Card for Cathy Fromme -- Kay will send a card expressing the board's sympathy to Cathy's family. VI. OTHER BUSINESS A. Pat reported that he received a letter from the city asking all boards and commissions to figure out how to save energy in 1993. B. Barbara showed everyone the 3-fold prototype of the seniors brochure, and asked Kay to edit it. She also pointed out that, as a result of City Council action 11/17 re 1993 city budget, senior discounts will go into effect January 1st. Mr. Baccili asked if fees on Transfort have changed. (Nobody knew.) C. Marjorie suggested a letter from the board be sent to Public Service and Pipefitters Local #208 to thank them for their "Heat's On" program which makes sure that seniors' furnaces are ready for the winter season. The board agreed. D. Yvonne informed the group that Columbine Company has purchased 8 acres near the Care Center, and plans are under way to build assisted living quarters. VII. ADJOURNMENT -- The meeting was adjourned at 3:35 p.m. Marjorie McTaggart, Secretary Pat Long, Chairman Approved: How Did Senior Issues Fare as the 102nd congress Closed') EARNINGS LIMIT REPEAL MUST WAIT FOR THE 103RD Working seniors will see no relief from the Social Security earnings limitation, even though both the House and Senate took up the issue this year. Like hopes of correcting the Social Security Notch, the drive to ease or eliminate the earnings limit foundered when it came up against Senate rules. It was a disappointing end to what working seniors once saw as a year of hope. Hopes were especially high earlier this year when the House voted to increase the annual earnings limit to $20,000 per year by 1997. Currently, Social Security benefits are reduced for working se- niors age 65-69 by $1 for every $3 earned over the current $10,200 per year limit. Earlier, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., had amended the Older Americans Act reauthorization bill to eliminate the penalty entirely. However, due to the controversial nature of the legislation, which op- ponents contend would cost billions to the Social Security Trust Funds, Congress delayed consideration of the bill. As the delay grew, many feared that vital Older Americans Act programs, such as Meals on Wheels, would run out of money if the issue was not resolved quickly. "Although both the Older Ameri- cans Act and the earnings limit re- peal provision enjoy broad bi- partisan support in the Senate, op- ponents of the earnings limit provi- sion have succeeded in delaying ac- tion on the Older Americans Act for nearly a year," said National Com- mittee President Martha McSteen in a letter to senators urging them to act before adjournment. "The con- tinuing stalemate jeopardizes fund- ing for important new programs, and enactment of an important provision repealing an archaic and unfair law." Finally, not wishing to hold up the reauthorization any longer, Mr. McCain withdrew his amendment, and, during the last weeks of the session, added a similar one to the Treasury Appropriations bill then under consideration by the Senate. This new amendment would have raised the limit to $50,000 by 1997. Because Mr. McCain's bill made no financing provision to offset the cost to the Social Security Trust Funds, his amendment—lik: 'he Notch amendment which ha en considered before it —was s.. ;: _;ad to a 'point of order.' In other words, restrictions placed by the 1990 Bud- get Act forced the Senate to seek a super -majority to waive the formal rules and consider the bill. Unfortunately, proponents could not muster the 60 votes needed. The final vote was 51-42. "This was clearly an unwise and unfair vote. A minority in the Senate successfully blocked the will of the majority," Mrs. McSteen said. "Many seniors need or want to stay in the work force. It makes no sense to shut people out who want to work and contribute to the economy." The National Committee has vowed to continue its fight for repeal of the earnings limit in the 103rd Congress, she said. FAMILY LEAVE BILL BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, AGAIN American workers once again saw hopes for government -guaranteed, 1a November/December 1992 SH I Re 111[ 1 RDIENT You Asked unpaid leave to care for sick and older family members fall victim to a presidential veto. Before adjourning, the House failed to override a presidential veto of the Family and Medical Leave Act, which would have required em- ployers to allow certain workers up to 12 weeks unpaid leave to care for newborn or newly adopted children, or a seriously ill or older family member. The House fell 27 votes short of the needed two-thirds majority needed to override the veto. The outcome was particularly disap- pointing for the bill's supporters who managed to garner enough support in the Senate to get the veto overridden there; in fact, it was the first Senate override of any of Presi- dent Bush's vetoes. The House vote was the second veto defeat for supporters of family and medical leave. President Bush vetoed similar legislation in 1990 and Congress failed to override the decision. The recently defeated bill was a compromise measure which exempt- ed businesses with fewer than 50 employees, meaning 95 percent of employers in the United States —and about half of all workers —would not be affected by the bill. Additionally, key employees —the top 10 percent of wage earners —would have been exempted. just before vetoing the bill in Sep- tember, President Bush tendered his own proposal, offering tax credits to businesses which voluntarily grant family and medical leave. Weeks be- fore Congress adjourned, Sen. Larry Craig, A -Idaho, introduced Bush's bill, S. 3265, the Family Leave Tax Credit Act of 1992. No action was taken. The National Committee has long supported enactment of a family and medical leave act, and Mrs. McSteen praised those senators and represen- tatives who voted to override the veto. "Family members should not be put in a position where they must choose between their job and their caregiving responsibilities, and this measure would help ensure that does not happen," she said. "All family caregivers —whether caring for an ill child or elderly parent — need and deserve a safety net of protection so their livelihood isn't threatened when a family crisis occurs." Lawmakers pledged to reintroduce the measure in the 103rd Congress. At presstime, Democratic supporters of family and medical leave were hoping for a win from presidential candidate Bill Clinton who had promised to sign, such a bill. SENIOR SERVICES CONTINUE AS OLDER AMERICANS ACT IS REAUTHORIZED, AT LAST After months of delays, Congress fi- nally reauthorized the older Ameri- cans Act, which funds nutritional and other service programs for senior citizens. SMJ RF. RFTIRBIEVI' November/December 1992 For A Better Anti -Gas Tablet We Heard You. 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The actual aid weighs less than an eighth of an ounce, and it fits completely into the ear canal. These models are free, so we suggest you write for yours now. Again, we repeat, there is no cost, and certainly no obliga- tion. All hearing problems are not alike and some cannot be helped by a hearing aid but many can. So, send for your free model now. Thousands have already been mailed, so be sure to send your name, ad- dress and phone number today to Dept. 24341, Beltone Electronics, 4201 West Vic- toria Street, Chicago, Illinois 60646. In California, your local authorized Beltone dispenser may call. ®I99:, Belmnc Elaaronics Carparmion 11 r President Bush quickly gave the measure final approval. The reauthorization bill had been held up in the Senate for nearly a year while lawmakers disputed an amendment to repeal the Social Se- curity earnings test (see above). Just weeks before final adjournment, the Senate managed to pass a new ver- sion of the reauthorization bill which did not contain the controver- sial amendment. That measure quickly sailed through the House. Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act assures continuation of the many senior service programs it funds, including the popular Meals on Wheels nutritional program, senior legal and job assistance pro- grams and others. Advocates praised the passage of the bill, which this year calls for ad- ditional services, such as translation services for seniors with limited English speaking ability and mea- sures aimed at protecting the rights of nursing home residents. "Our seniors who have given so much of themselves... have turned to the programs in the Older Ameri- cans Act for help when they need it," said Rep. William Ford, D-Mich., chairman of House Committee on Education and Labor. "They deserve our support —it is as simple as that. Everything in this bill has been earned and paid for by our seniors." Although lawmakers approved the Older Americans Act's reauthoriza- tion, Congress also cut next year's funding for the Administration on Aging by $7 million. The Adminis- tration on Aging is responsible for most of the programs guaranteed under the Older Americans Act. An- other Older Americans Act program, the Labor Department's senior job assistance program, saw a $5.1 mil- lion cut in funding for 1993. WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE STILL IN HOLDING PATTERN OVER FUNDS Planning for the next White House Conference on Aging is on hold again. No sooner did Congress reauthor- ize the Older Americans Act —which also gave approval for the White House Conference on Aging —then it passed an appropriations bill sans money for the conference. As a re- sult, the group likely will not con- vene until at least 1994. Preparations for the White House Conference ground to a halt earlier this year as Congress failed to reau- thorize the Older Americans Act, which traditionally funds the group. Once that law was reauthorized, however, Congress failed to give the conference any funding. For that reason, preparations for the confer- ence must wait at least until the next Congress convenes in January, when more funds could be allocated. The White House Conference, al- ready two years overdue, first con- vened during the Kennedy presiden- cy as a forum to address the con- cerns of seniors. APPROPRIATIONS BILL INCREASES SPENDING ON MOST SENIOR PROGRAMS In early October, Congress approved $245 billion for the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Ser- vices, which are responsible for vital federal senior programs. The appro- priation reflects a $27 billion in- crease over the current fiscal year. Specifically, Congress approved $83 million extra in operating funds for Medicare contractors, the private insurance companies which process claims for the federal health insur- ance program. Appropriate funding levels for carriers are needed to as- sure that Medicare beneficiaries have their claims processed in a timely manner. The appropriations bill also in- cludes $4.8 billion to administer the Social Security program—$309 mil- lion more than this year. The proposed increase couldn't have come at a more opportune time, say National Committee officials. In the wake of severe budget cuts at Social Security during the past decade, service to beneficiaries has deteriorated and staff morale is at an all-time low. The waiting list for dis- ability determinations is months long in some areas —so long, in fact, individuals have died waiting for their cases to be reviewed. "These additional funds, which are more than either the Senate or the House previously approved, are a good first step," says Mrs. McSteen. "However, much more money will be needed to restore the quality of service which beneficiaries have come to expect from the Social Security Administration." The approved appropriations bill also gave a $17.6 million increase in funding to the National Institute on Aging, which finances the majority of aging research in the United States. With the increase, the institute's total federal funding will grow to $401 million in 1993. V —by 7htdi /o Davis and /eArcher 1F1.1 ial H1 1'1141'AEN1' November/December 1992 21