"Seniors Coalition"
Aug. 2nd, 2003 08:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
plutherusI was made aware of the existence of this group this afternoon due to a letter a friend of mine received. She had no idea where they got her name and address, but she's likely on enough seniors-oriented lists that it would be easy for them to purchase it from somewhere.
The letter read like any ultra-right-wing hate literature I've seen, including very nebulous accusations, complete lack of details and FREQUENT use of ALL CAPS to decry the evil that MUST BE STOPPED NOW!!!
The "evil" in this case, is a supposedly secret attempt (though, since it is being kept secret, they never mentioned how it is they were aware of it) to give tens of millions of tax dollars to ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS! This money, they warn, is coming "directly out of YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY FUND!!"
As proof of this, they mentioned that senior state department officials have had closed-door meetings, and that some of these meetings took place IN MEXICO CITY!
Rather suspicious, and just a little pissed off of their apparent dishonesty and scare tactics, especially while they claimed to be a group fighting against scam artists targeting seniors, I decided to do a bit of research into what this group was really all about. I needed look no further than their own website
The very first link on the page was a showcase of their hypocrisy, where, calling themselves the "nations only free-market seniors group” they decry the recent page of HR 2427 which will relax trade restrictions and allow people to legally purchase pharmaceuticals from overseas. (The web site also implies that this would lead to wide-spread use of untested or dangerous drugs, even though the bill specifically applies only to FDA-approved non-narcotic pharmaceuticals. The other big opponents to HR2427, in case you're wondering are American pharmaceutical companies and the "Traditional Values Coalition")
Another article urges fighting for the passage of HR2, the "Jobs and Growth Act of 2003", which is another large tax cut for the rich, by eliminating taxes on stock dividends (but only after a certain point which unfortunately for me turns out to be much higher than the money I make from my own meager investments.) and others claiming that the high cost of medical care in the United States is due to personal injury lawyers filing "frivolous lawsuits", so we need to place more limits on who can have access to personal injury lawyers.
There are also various other groups of articles pushing again for the privatization of Social Security, and applauding Bush for various acts, and blasting Gore for various other acts. (But, strangely, not a single one indicating Bush could be doing a better job at anything...)
One thing, however, that I did not find anywhere on their web site was any mention of the "issue" raised in the letter. So, I don't know what proposed legislation, or what deal, or any details of what they're spinning into saying it will give money "directly out of YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY FUND!!" to ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, since I highly doubt that that's how the official spin puts it. I went looking for what seemed like yet another right-wing racist group, and instead found what seemed like yet another front group for the people who own the Bush administration (though I suppose some would say that isn't necessarily a distinction). Either way, they are definitely not what they claim they are: a group working for the best interests of the nation's senior citizens.
The letter read like any ultra-right-wing hate literature I've seen, including very nebulous accusations, complete lack of details and FREQUENT use of ALL CAPS to decry the evil that MUST BE STOPPED NOW!!!
The "evil" in this case, is a supposedly secret attempt (though, since it is being kept secret, they never mentioned how it is they were aware of it) to give tens of millions of tax dollars to ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS! This money, they warn, is coming "directly out of YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY FUND!!"
As proof of this, they mentioned that senior state department officials have had closed-door meetings, and that some of these meetings took place IN MEXICO CITY!
Rather suspicious, and just a little pissed off of their apparent dishonesty and scare tactics, especially while they claimed to be a group fighting against scam artists targeting seniors, I decided to do a bit of research into what this group was really all about. I needed look no further than their own website
The very first link on the page was a showcase of their hypocrisy, where, calling themselves the "nations only free-market seniors group” they decry the recent page of HR 2427 which will relax trade restrictions and allow people to legally purchase pharmaceuticals from overseas. (The web site also implies that this would lead to wide-spread use of untested or dangerous drugs, even though the bill specifically applies only to FDA-approved non-narcotic pharmaceuticals. The other big opponents to HR2427, in case you're wondering are American pharmaceutical companies and the "Traditional Values Coalition")
Another article urges fighting for the passage of HR2, the "Jobs and Growth Act of 2003", which is another large tax cut for the rich, by eliminating taxes on stock dividends (but only after a certain point which unfortunately for me turns out to be much higher than the money I make from my own meager investments.) and others claiming that the high cost of medical care in the United States is due to personal injury lawyers filing "frivolous lawsuits", so we need to place more limits on who can have access to personal injury lawyers.
There are also various other groups of articles pushing again for the privatization of Social Security, and applauding Bush for various acts, and blasting Gore for various other acts. (But, strangely, not a single one indicating Bush could be doing a better job at anything...)
One thing, however, that I did not find anywhere on their web site was any mention of the "issue" raised in the letter. So, I don't know what proposed legislation, or what deal, or any details of what they're spinning into saying it will give money "directly out of YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY FUND!!" to ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, since I highly doubt that that's how the official spin puts it. I went looking for what seemed like yet another right-wing racist group, and instead found what seemed like yet another front group for the people who own the Bush administration (though I suppose some would say that isn't necessarily a distinction). Either way, they are definitely not what they claim they are: a group working for the best interests of the nation's senior citizens.
