Access to Democracy
Since 1999, Access to Democracy has been a staple of Minnesota television. The program has featured more than 2,000 half-hour interviews with politicians, legislators, judges, academics, athletes, public figures, and everyday residents. Guests often share their expertise and debate with the host.
Access to Democracy
Erin Parrish, AARP
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Hosted by Bill Raker. AARP, the largest non-profit, non-political, non-partisan organization in the U.S., advocates at the state and national levels for policies that enhance the well-being of all.
Guest Erin Parrish, AARP's Sr. Associate State Director for Advocacy and Outreach, shares the history and mission of AARP with host Bill Raker.
The timely discussion focuses on the status of the Social Security fund, the importance and impact of the benefits received by millions of Americans, and what Congress needs to do to preserve and protect those benefits for current and future generations. Erin also speaks to why Congress must address the need for programs that support caregivers. AARP is working to educate voters on these issues and is urging voters to make their voices heard by legislators. Voter engagement is a cornerstone of our democracy.
Hello, and welcome to another edition of Access to Democracy. Whether you're tuning us in on TV or you're listening to us on our new podcast, we're delighted to have you with us. I'm your host, Bill Raker. Before we meet today's guest, I'd like to acknowledge our sponsors, Recalibra Health, 45th Parallel Distillery, Sheridan and Dulas Law Firm, Truestone Financial Credit Union. We'll hear more from those later in the program. Today, our guest is Aaron Perrish, who's the Senior Associate Director for Advocacy and Outreach with AERP Minnesota. Aaron, welcome back to the program. I know you've been a guest uh here with us a few times in the past, but it's always a delight to have you come in and share with us what you know about what's going on in our communities.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, thank you. I'm excited to be back.
SPEAKER_00Great. We're going to be talking with uh Aaron about Social Security and voter engagement, two issues that AARP advocates for very strongly at the state level as well as at the national level. But before we get into those topics, uh Aaron, share with our viewers a little bit of the history, the background of AERP, the mission of the organization, because I think that provides a really strong backdrop for the discussion we're going to have.
SPEAKER_02Sure. And for people who aren't familiar, uh, you know, AERP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that's dedicated to empowering people to choose to live, uh, choose how they want to live as they age. Uh, with a nationwide presence, we strengthen communities and advocate for policies that are most important to older adults, including health and financial security as well as personal fulfillment. Uh, the organization was founded in 1958 by Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, who was a retired educator and a retired uh principal. And she kept in touch with some of the teachers that she taught with and went in to check on one of the teachers and visit with her and found that she was living in a chicken coop. And it was at that point that Dr. Anders realized retired teachers need health security. They need financial security and retirement. So she worked to organize to ensure that retired teachers could have things like health and financial security. Um, and eventually that uh turned into advocating for that for all retirees.
SPEAKER_00And in today's world, I think is it anyone 18 or older is eligible for membership?
SPEAKER_02Anyone can be a member. Anyone can we you know we focus on adults old 50 years and older, but what we do, uh Dr. Andres said, what we do for one, we do for all. Uh and the things that we advocate on uh and the work that we do in community impacts everyone. It impacts people 50 years and older, but it also impacts their families.
SPEAKER_00So that's a good understanding of why AERP is, among other organizations, interested in working for the benefits of Social Security to continue for those who have merited or earned it. So, Aaron, we'll get to that topic, but what's your role with AARP Minnesota?
SPEAKER_02Uh so my primary role, I work directly with our members and our wonderful team of volunteers to ensure that they have the tools and the skills and education that they need to be effective advocates on these policies. So I get to work with a great team who goes up to the state capitol to talk to their legislators. Uh, and I also go out and talk with community groups about the issues that are impacting older adults and help them connect with ways to get involved and make a difference. Uh, and then I also work with uh federal elected officials here in the state to ensure that they know about the policies that are important to older adults.
SPEAKER_00That's a great opportunity that you have to impact policy decisions and to advocate for policies that all people can benefit from, not just those who are retired or over 50. Speaking of that, what's the membership roles, excuse me, nationally and here in Minnesota that are members of AERP?
SPEAKER_02The membership roles in terms of people who are paid members of AERP. Yeah, so uh you know, AERP members, I I think a lot of people join AERP because they're aware of the membership benefits. Uh we have a number of benefits uh around travel, restaurant discounts, things like that. Uh, but AERP members are also, you know, are activists who are contacting their members of Congress. Uh so they get a lot of information from AERP, either via email or publications that AERP publishes that help them understand what is impacting their community, uh not just at the national level, but also the state and local level, and they're able to then again take that appropriate action and be informed on those issues.
SPEAKER_00So you mentioned that AERP is the largest nonprofit organization in the country. Let's put some numbers on that. Sure. In the state of Minnesota, how many members?
SPEAKER_02602,000 members.
SPEAKER_00602,000 and nationally?
SPEAKER_0238 million.
SPEAKER_0038 million. Well, congratulations on the size, growth, and and activities that AERP is engaged in.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Let's get to the focus of what we wanted to talk to you about today, Erin. Social Security. Tell us what's at stake with the status of Social Security today and what does the future look like, and then we can talk about maybe what we can do about it with voter engagement.
SPEAKER_02Sure. Well, Social Security, you know, first of all, is the bedrock of retirement security for our country. Uh around 70 million Americans rely on it, including one in five in Minnesota. Uh, they rely on the payments that they earned while they were working. And many of them, it it's the you know, sole source of their retirement security. They don't have other uh things from you know private 401k plans, things like that coming through. So it really does cover basic needs like food, housing, healthcare. It's it's critical. Uh the challenge is that in the next few years, uh the program will have 80% of the funding to make full benefit payments. Uh and that's if Congress doesn't take action. So Congress needs to take action to close that gap and ensure that Social Security is strong for current and future generations.
SPEAKER_00So that's the issue. That Social Security, as it's structured and funded today, is projected to 2033, is it?
SPEAKER_02So uh folks will probably see two years out there. Uh a lot of uh 2032 is talked about as well as 2034. Both numbers are correct. Okay. Uh the difference is that 20 third the uh 2034 uh sorry, the 2032 number refers to the old age and survivors insurance trust fund. That is primarily for retirees and survivor benefits. The 2034 number includes that as well as the disability insurance trust fund. So that's the combined uh total uh for both of those programs. So uh AERP uh looks at the 2034 number because that is the the total of the Social Security Trust Fund. Uh but yes, uh 2034 is when uh the Social Security Trustees have identified that the program will only be able, it only has the funding to pay out 80%.
SPEAKER_00So you mentioned something that maybe we need to emphasize just a little bit more. Social Security is not that benefit is not just as a retirement fund for people. There are other beneficiaries. Yes. Dependents or uh disability or disabled.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00So there's a wide variety of constituents, citizens, who benefit in different ways of the program, right?
SPEAKER_02Exactly. And I I always tell people you know, Social Security is important in retirement, but none of us ever plan for a disability or to be a survivor. And so that program is there for us when that if that does happen.
SPEAKER_00We're going to take a short pause at this point in the program for a message from our sponsors, and we'll be right back with Access to Democracy.
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SPEAKER_00We're back with Access to Democracy, talking with our guest, Aaron Parrish from AARP Minnesota. And we're talking about Social Security, how important it is, and why we need to be concerned about protecting it, preserving it, and making it available for future generations. And we're going to be talking about what voters can do, a voice they can have in helping do that. Aaron, tell us about some of the efforts that can be taken by Congress that might help protect Social Security. You know, a misconception is that Social Security is going away, but that's not the case. So you can explain why it's not going away, but what we need to do about it.
SPEAKER_02So, yes, uh a sort of misperception that we hear often as Social Security is going broke is not true. Social Security has never missed a payment in its entire history. And as long as workers are paying in, Social Security will be there. We already talked about the challenge that there's, you know, today fewer workers paying in is one of the, you know, one of the reasons why. But Social Security is not going broke. The program will be there. The good news is that Congress has several tools in their toolbox to use to ensure that Social Security is protected and strengthened for current retirees, but also future generations. Americans earn their social security with every paycheck. And we oppose any cuts to that program, like privatization of the program, eliminating the not not eliminating, um reducing the cost of living adjustments or raising the retirement age. There are several other options on the table, but the conversation shouldn't start with cuts. Because again, people have earned that money. This is a promise that Congress has made to, it's a promise to the American people. Americans have kept up their end of the bargain by paying into the system, and now it's time for Congress to keep up their end of the bargain by ensuring the program is there for future generations as well as current retirees.
SPEAKER_00So it is in the purview of Congress to take care of this. And because Congress, our representatives, and our senators are elected uh by the voting citizens, uh, who we elect to sit in the House and who we elect to sit in the seat, at some point in the future, we hope it's sooner, not later, will take up this issue and try to make decisions to resolve it. What's AERP doing uh, first of all, about getting the message to the current Congress about how important this issue is and what they should be working on? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, I want to reiterate your point of this is why elections matter, because the people we elect now are the people who are going to be making decisions about this in the future. Uh, AERP is actively advocating at the federal level to protect and strengthen Social Security and ensure that there's no cuts to benefits. At the same time, we're mobilizing voters to make sure that the candidates understand how important this issue is to older Americans, but to also current workers who are paying into Social Security and expect it to be there for them. Uh so there's you know several things that that we really focus on when we're advocating uh but also mobilizing voters. Um we are nonpartisan, so we don't endorse candidates, we don't donate to candidates or political campaigns, and we don't tell people who to vote for. Instead, we're very much focused on direct interactions with candidates to help them understand what's at stake and what the voices of older adults are saying about that issue.
SPEAKER_00So I've heard the expression AARP is about policy, not parties, right? Yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00So when when people are thinking about what could I do, you know, one thing they could do is contact AARP. I remind our viewers that we have during the program scrolling across the bottom of the screen, uh contact information and websites where you can go to get information from AARP about the issues on Social Security and voter engagement. Uh, what are some of the messages that someone would see if they go to one of these websites?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh so there's a few things. They'll see a couple of asks that we would have of them. Uh stay informed, you know, know what's happening with the issue, uh, ask the candidates where they stand. We have a couple of questions on the website that they can ask uh candidates about Social Security as well as some of our other priority issues, and then vote. That is that is so critical. Uh the other thing that I'll mention is uh you know, people can sign a pledge uh to show that they are a social security voter and that that is one of the key issues that they will be looking at when they're listening and talking to candidates. But when they go to the polls, that is one thing they will have in mind. Uh and signing that pledge helps us demonstrate to candidates just how critical that program is for so many people in this country.
SPEAKER_00So those are some of the things they could access and participate in. Uh, are you sending out messages to the existing membership about the issues and you know providing them an opportunity to send a message to their representative, their senator?
SPEAKER_02Yes. And if uh if viewers go to aarp.org slash minvotes, there's opportunities to sign up to ensure that they're getting more information so that they're up to date on uh what's happening with Social Security as well as other things that AERP is working on. Uh, and we'll also help them kind of see how they can take action, but also if there's local events happening in their community where they can come and get involved and be a little bit more informed and potentially interact with the candidates.
SPEAKER_00And it really is about being informed and being engaged, not just about the issue of Social Security, but about governance in general, right? Um Are there any other points that you would like to mention about uh the Social Security issue that AERP is focusing on or that viewers should be aware of and be encouraged to uh be activated and engaged?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I would just I would just stress that you know there are conversations around cuts happening in Washington. And when families are already feeling the pressure of rising costs, whether it's groceries, housing, healthcare, um social security is often what helps them make those ends meet. So it's so important that as these conversations are happening, that people lift up their voice and make sure that they're being heard on that issue.
SPEAKER_00Well, maybe it's worth mentioning that there's there's a fallacious viewpoint out there that Social Security benefits are contributing to the national debt. Can you clear that up for us?
SPEAKER_02Yes, that is not true. That is not true at all. Social Security is not tied to the national debt, it is a standalone program outside of the budget.
SPEAKER_00So there are no tax dollars either at the state level or at the federal level that goes into funding the Social Security benefits for retired people, survivors, and disability benefits.
SPEAKER_02So there are taxes tied to income taxes tied to Social Security at the state level as well as the federal level. Uh the taxes that are tied at the federal level, those go back to the Social Security Trust Fund. So they're not going into the national budget. Um and they make up a very small sliver of the where social security revenue comes from. Uh at the state level, Social Security income taxes here go into the state budget. Uh there have been efforts uh over the years to eliminate the state's social security income tax. Um AERP has worked diligently over the years to raise the uh income thresholds for exemptions so that fewer Minnesota retirees are paying taxes on those social security on their social security income. Um that tax still, you know, is in place in Minnesota. Uh, but my understanding is that at this time, a large majority of people are not being taxed because it really is those higher income earners who are being taxed.
SPEAKER_00So uh let's move to another issue that AERP is advocating for. Uh caregivers.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00Tell us about what's going on in that area because I've heard someone say that you're either a caregiver or you're going to be a caregiver or you're going to be a receiver from a caregiver. Yeah. So tell us about it.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely true. Um support for family caregivers is uh an issue that AERP's working, been working on for several years. Um, you know, so many people don't identify as a caregiver. They often don't even recognize when they're when they're doing it. Um there's uh, I believe about 63 million family caregivers in the country, including nearly one million in Minnesota. And caregiving looks different for everyone. It could be driving a loved one to medical appointments or helping with daily chores or grocery shopping, but it can also be more complex care like wound care, medication management. But The common thread for most family caregivers is there's a lot of red tape to navigate, there's a lot of things to juggle, many of them are working full-time or part-time, some of them have had to drop out of the workforce entirely. There's a financial strain that a lot of people aren't aware of. On average, family caregivers spend $7,200 a year out of their own pocket. So one of the things that AERP is really focused on is how we can alleviate some of that financial burden for family caregivers. So we've been advocating at the federal level for the Credit for Caring Act, which is a tax offset for family caregivers so they can get some money back in their pockets at tax time around those around those expenses.
SPEAKER_00What else can citizens do to get the message out to our legislators about the urgency of taking some action on these issues because they impact the lives and well-being of everyone?
SPEAKER_02Definitely. And this isn't just, you know, federal, state, local government, we have those, you know, elected officials at all levels. Get to know them. These people are your neighbors. They live in your community, they're there to represent you. Um, some are more accessible than others, just simply, you know, uh, we federal officials are in Washington, D.C. working. So they're often, they don't spend as much time here in the state. But it's uh we think of elected officials as people who we just can't email or call. And a lot of people will say, well, they're not gonna read my email, they're not gonna hear my call. But that's that's absolutely not true. They have staff who are relaying the information to all of them. You can find them at community events, and they are very open to hearing from constituents about the things that matter. And that relationship is so key in being able to make a difference. Uh, and there's, you know, folks don't know where to start. Whether they're an AERP member or not, I'm happy to talk to them and get their foot in the door of how they can find out who their per their representative is and how they can reach out to them and be effective.
SPEAKER_00So AERP and and you are together are a resource where people can go to say, what do I need to know about this issue? You know, give me the the real story here so that I I understand it. What kind of message I should carry to my representative or to my senator, whether I call them on the phone or send them a letter, text message, ever how it's going to work. That resource is there, it's available for anyone. AERP members are not, right? Yes. Yeah, okay. Uh I hope our viewers are paying attention to the contact information that we have uh going on the screen. Um I know there was a discussion that uh I was a party to a few days ago where we were talking about voter engagement and where some people said, Well, uh, I don't vote. I'm not gonna go out to vote uh in the primaries or in the general election. My one vote doesn't count, doesn't matter. Uh can you put a different perspective on that viewpoint for us, Aaron?
SPEAKER_02There was an election in Minnesota recently that went to recount because it uh there was a candidate who had won just by a sliver of votes. Um, your vote does matter. Uh that doesn't happen in every election, uh, but it can. And you know, if you don't think that you know voting matters and you don't think your vote counts, I often think about just the commitment to being a good citizen and participating and raising your voice. And again, AARP, we don't tell anyone who to vote for. We just want to ensure that you vote and that you're informed when you go into the polls. But your vote absolutely does matter because there are races across the country where that election is won just by a handful of votes.
SPEAKER_00We we see that in the news often.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00And um so it does make a difference. One vote can make a difference, you know. Um I would surmise that for the general populace to not vote is one of the very easy ways to lose a democracy or a representative form of government. So it is an obligation, it's a responsibility, and we need to take it seriously. We have about a minute and a half left, Aaron, in the program today. It's been a fascinating discussion. Thank you for all of the information you've shared with us. Any final thoughts that uh our viewers or listeners on our podcast should know?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I would just say if you care about protecting Social Security or supporting family caregivers, I encourage you to get involved. You can volunteer with AERP to help us educate voters and candidates. But even small actions, just like having a conversation with a neighbor or sharing information, can make a real difference. Because, you know, at the end of the day, this is making sure that the promises people have earned, like social security, are kept and that voters have a strong voice in helping shape those decisions.
SPEAKER_00And that's an important message that you've just uh given us. An important ask for our viewers, our listeners to be informed, be engaged, and do we all need to be doing what we can to make our government fair and responsive to what our needs are as the citizens, right?
SPEAKER_02Yes, exactly.
SPEAKER_00Aaron, thank you so much for being our guest on Access to Democracy Today. And thank you, our viewers, for tuning us in, and for you, our listeners on the podcast. There's more Access to Democracy on YouTube and AccessTodemocracy.com. Go visit those websites and listen and hear the messages, the interesting stories from the guests we have on the program. Thank you again for being with us.