Aarp

In an early push to get health care at the top of the legislative agenda in Annapolis, a broad coalition that includes AARP and labor officials announced yesterday an advertising and direct-mail campaign for a plan that would double Maryland's cigarette tax and use the proceeds to expand coverage for the uninsured. AARP, the lobby for older Americans, launched a 60-second commercial that will air for 10 days on three area radio stations, while the 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is mailing 350,000 leaflets urging recipients to return an enclosed card to their state representatives.

AARP shares names only with selected service providers The Sun's article "AARP, other groups raise funds by renting donor lists" (July 26) misrepresents AARP's policies. AARP condemns the deceptive practices of organizations that raise funds from older Americans with mailings exaggerating the legislative threats to their retirement security. AARP does not send any fund-raising solicitations or ask for any money beyond dues for advocacy campaigns. Moreover, AARP does not sell or rent member information to telemarketers, list brokers or other companies not offering AARP-endorsed services or benefits.

A reverse mortgage can be a financial lifeline, but consumer advocates are worried that some people are taking them out with too many strings attached. Some lenders inappropriately push older homeowners to the products or sell them additional high-cost annuities, a new AARP survey claims. Some experts say there may be potential conflicts of interest between lenders and counselors providing required consumer education on the mortgages. Proposed legislation would provide more protections, but experts say it is important to study fees and terms.

Not enough saved for retirement and running short on time? Many Americans are knocking on retirement's door with scant savings, according to a mounting pile of research. More than a third of people over 55 aren't saving for retirement, fewer than half have tried to calculate how much they'll need, and just over half have saved less than $100,000, excluding home equity and defined-benefit pensions, according to this year's Retirement Confidence Survey by the Employee Benefits Research Institute.

Havre de Grace. -- Recently I discovered that I'm almost eligible for the senior discount at McDonald's, and in preparation for that major milestone I sent away for a baseball cap with a gray ponytail attached.It makes me look very distinguished, in a sort of '60s way, rather like a tenured professor of some useless discipline -- Semiotic deconstructionism? Gender studies? -- at an important university. I'm looking for a McGovern button to attach to it.No sooner did the cap arrive than, by a strange coincidence, I started getting torrents of mail from the old folks' lobby.

HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES ARE already hitting their pace in Glen Burnie. But if crowded malls and maxed-out credit cards are taking their toll, take a trip back to a post-World War II America in "Four Tickets to Christmas." The theatrical presentation by Faith Baptist Church tells the story of the Richmond Family Singers. After an unexpected reprieve from a busy travel and performance schedule, the "big city" family spends time with "small town" relatives they haven't seen for years. The old-fashioned musical comedy will encourage the audience to sing along with familiar Christmas carols.

AT AN AGE when many of his contemporaries are so afraid of falling and getting hurt they're reluctant to move, former President George H. W. Bush is celebrating his 80th birthday this weekend by jumping out of an airplane. "It's not scary," he insisted in a telephone interview last week. "The only scary part is when you're standing in the door of the plane just before you jump, looking down 13,000 feet. You get a funny little feeling in your legs. After you jump, you don't think about it because there are so many things you have to do. And once the chute opens, it's pure heaven."

When the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) gears up its lobbying operation, Congress listens. With 30 million members -- most of whom vote -- AARP has become a major presence in Washington as a watchdog for the interests of the elderly.Contrast that with the plight of young parents. They have countless woeful stories of losing their jobs after staying home with sick children, being forced into bankruptcy when health benefits run out or simply despairing in the search for decent and affordable day care.

You've celebrated your 50th, 60th, 70th or 80th birthday and you're feeling good about yourself, your health and your future. Then wham! People start calling you names like senior citizen, golden ager, silver surfer, geezer. Suddenly you don't feel so spry. Most of the time, people don't mean to be disrespectful. It's just that there's great confusion in society about what to call the 50-and-over set, particularly as people live longer, age more slowly and redefine how the second half of life is played out. There isn't a word that won't be offensive to somebody.

Limited housing adds to ranks of the homeless We were glad to hear that the Housing Authority of Baltimore City is changing its policy about admitting people with histories of felony and misdemeanor crimes to public housing ("City seeks to change housing policy," Nov. 17). This can only be a positive step in a city with thousands of ex-offenders. Unfortunately, criminal history is only one factor in keeping single adults with disabilities out of public housing. A second obstacle is the scarcity of efficiency and one-bedroom units.