Aarp

Of course the former president and CEO of McDonald's USA wants to pit young Americans against their elders ("New nonprofit lets youth fight back against AARP," April 24). That way we will fight each other instead of the corporate interests that are ruining our economy and way of life. AARP is "nothing but a giant lobbying organization" with "a weight far beyond what they ought to have"? Sounds more like corporate America to me. Patricia Vido, Owings Mills

The National Society of Accountants says tax preparers on average charge $246 nationwide to fill out an itemized form 1040 with a Schedule A and a state tax return. Fees differed around the country, though. In Maryland, the average fee for that work is $253. The most expensive region to get an itemized return prepared - at an average of $288 - is the Pacific, which includes California, Alaska and Hawaii. Cheapest, at $196, is West North Central that includes Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., recently announced it is making its AARP-branded auto insurance program available through Campion Insurance, Inc., in Bel Air. Campion Insurance was chosen after satisfying eligibility requirements, included demonstrating a commitment to the community service, meeting a high level of business and ethics standards and completing a training program designed to highlight the needs of 50 and older population....

The new year of 2013 has begun! The festive holidays are a memory and new events are planned for January and the Senior Center in Aberdeen began its winter session on Wednesday. On Thursday, Jan. 3, there was blood pressure screening from 10 a.m. until noon. This screening is sponsored by Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. Today (Friday, Jan. 4) the men will have a discussion group from 9:30 a.m. until 10:15 a.m., when current events and various topics will be discussed in a friendly and informative setting.

AARP, the highly profitable "nonprofit" that purports to represent retirees, is at it again, plotting against youth. It hates the Republican plan to control insane Medicare costs for seniors, urging its millions of members to "tell Congress to vote NO" on the GOP budget. But it also hates the Democratic plan, saying it would depend on "arbitrary spending targets. " The only possible conclusion is that AARP wants Medicare to maintain its ruinous course until, oh, about 2040, at which time the government will present everybody left alive with a multitrillion-dollar invoice.

The American Association of Retired Persons announced yesterday that it was entering discussions with Chesapeake Health Plan and NYLCare to offer HMO coverage in the Baltimore-Washington area.This will be the first time AARP has offered managed-care insurance and the first time it has offered policies to people under 65, who make up 47 percent of its 32 million members.NYLCare and Chesapeake are among nine HMOs in 18 markets selected to offer plans. AARP said it winnowed proposals from 51 HMOs in 23 markets to arrive at that group.

WASHINGTON -- To its 33 million members, the American Association of Retired Persons presents itself as a watchdog for older Americans, promoting their goals on Capitol Hill and defending such popular programs as Medicare and Medicaid.That is only part of the picture.Perhaps the most powerful nonprofit group lobbying Congress today, the AARP also runs a 6 million-person, for-profit insurance plan, sponsors a thriving mail-order prescription-drug business and is awash in cash -- much of it tax-exempt and some of which comes from the government.

Rafael Alvarez, author of The Fountain of Highlandtown, Storyteller and Hometown Boy will speak at AARP Patapsco Valley Chapter's monthly meeting Wednesday at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, 116 Marydell Road. Refreshments will be served at noon, and the program will begin at 12:45 p.m. The chapter's business meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. Alvarez, a former reporter for The Sun, grew up in Lansdowne and Linthicum. Members can bring food contributions for a charitable pantry. Blood pressure checks will be available from Mary Ellen Weidenhoft, health chairwomen of the club.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Alan K. Simpson's campaign against the American Association of Retired Persons drew support from two Democratic colleagues yesterday, but not a single fellow Republican appeared at an overflow, televised hearing that he called to flay the nation's most powerful seniors' organization.Both Democrats -- John B. Breaux of Louisiana and David Pryor of Arkansas -- couched their support in general terms, praising Mr. Simpson's decision to look into whether nonprofit organizations should be paying more taxes.

QUICK: AT A four-way stop, which car has the right of way? Is it the car that got to the corner first or the one with the biggest tires? If this driving situation confuses you, you're not alone. If you are age 50 or older, you can get an answer to this and other driving questions at AARP's "55-Alive" driving course at Brooklyn Park Senior Center on Hammonds Lane. The two-day class will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. It is designed to refine existing driving skills while learning new defensive-driving techniques.

Maryland, like the rest of the country, is aging. The state's 65-and-over population increased by more than 18 percent in the past 10 years to 707,642, according to the U.S. census. This group will only grow as baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1965 — turn grayer. One of the most vocal advocates for older Americans is the AARP, which represents members who are 50 and older. While Social Security and Medicare have remained priorities for the organization, in Maryland it also focuses on more local issues such as lower electricity rates and reliability standards for utilities.

To President Obama and members of Congress: When will you as leaders and representatives of a very large group of seniors start to wake up and realize, that the United States government cannot continue to pay for everything. At the age of 81, I do look forward to my Social Security monthly check and my Medicare insurance when needed. However, taking a cut would not put me in my grave any quicker. I learned at an early age if we could not afford to pay our bills, we did without!

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., recently announced it is making its AARP-branded auto insurance program available through Campion Insurance, Inc., in Bel Air. Campion Insurance was chosen after satisfying eligibility requirements, included demonstrating a commitment to the community service, meeting a high level of business and ethics standards and completing a training program designed to highlight the needs of 50 and older population....

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE:HIG) recently announced it is making its award-winning AARP-branded auto insurance program available through Dean Insurance Agency in Bel Air. Dean Insurance Agency was chosen after satisfying a number of eligibility requirements, which included: demonstrating a commitment to community service; meeting a high-level of business and ethics standards; and completing a training program designed to...

Of course the former president and CEO of McDonald's USA wants to pit young Americans against their elders ("New nonprofit lets youth fight back against AARP," April 24). That way we will fight each other instead of the corporate interests that are ruining our economy and way of life. AARP is "nothing but a giant lobbying organization" with "a weight far beyond what they ought to have"? Sounds more like corporate America to me. Patricia Vido, Owings Mills

AARP, the highly profitable "nonprofit" that purports to represent retirees, is at it again, plotting against youth. It hates the Republican plan to control insane Medicare costs for seniors, urging its millions of members to "tell Congress to vote NO" on the GOP budget. But it also hates the Democratic plan, saying it would depend on "arbitrary spending targets. " The only possible conclusion is that AARP wants Medicare to maintain its ruinous course until, oh, about 2040, at which time the government will present everybody left alive with a multitrillion-dollar invoice.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Alan Simpson plans to conduct hearings on the finances of the American Association of Retired Persons, with which he often disagrees.The Wyoming Republican said the probe by his Finance subcommittee on Social Security and Family Matters will focus on the income the 33-million-member seniors' group receives from two sources: federal grants, and the royalties and fees paid by businesses that use the AARP to sell products and services ranging from Medigap policies and mobile-home insurance to credit cards, mutual funds and prescription drugs.

Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell was awarded the highest honor from the AARP last night as the organization held its national leadership forum at Baltimore's Marriott Waterfront Hotel. Powell urged an audience of about 800 to find activities that will give back to society, using his involvement with youth since his retirement as an example. "Look for new and exciting things to do," Powell said. Powell, 69, who recently said he had urged President Bush before the invasion of Iraq to send more troops to the region, avoided any talk of politics or the war other than to say Americans "owe the people of Iraq the democracy we promised them."

Maryland has long been a leader among the states in acting to make health care more affordable and accessible, and state leaders should be commended for continuing that tradition through the work of the Health Reform Coordinating Council ("State releases plan to implement health care reform," Jan. 10). AARP supported the new health care law because it includes vital benefits for older Americans, and the state's 16-point plan takes a proactive approach to maximizing those benefits.

It's hard to believe, but the fresh-faced kid who burst into the Orioles lineup in 1982, caught the final out of the World Series in 1983 and broke Lou Gehrig's supposedly unbreakable consecutive games record in 1995 has reached the half-century mark. Cal Ripken Jr. turns 50 on Tuesday, so we thought it was a perfect time to sit down with him and talk about his great career, his reaction to the Big 5-0 and his plans for the future. This is the first in an occasional series of one-on-one interviews conducted by Peter Schmuck with some of Maryland's most talked-about sports figures.