Lynn seniors have Tierney’s ear

LYNN – The cost of medical coverage and prescription drugs, the future of Social Security and the temporary loss of cost-of-living adjustments dominated the discussion Wednesday at Greater Lynn Senior Services where U.S. Rep. John F. Tierney stopped on his Listening Tour 2010.Senior citizens arrived armed with questions that ranged from U.S. military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan to the General Electric Co.’s stake in building engines for the futuristic Joint Strike Fighter.”I want to know what I can do to help out President Obama,” said Stella Gelboin, among those of golden age assembled to hear the Democratic congressman representing most of the North Shore. “Some days, I just get so frustrated.”Gelboin said the Republican media barrage aimed at President Obama often seems unbridled and unbalanced. Tierney explained that some news media are owned by Republican-backed syndicates, which can shape the way information is delivered to the public. He cited Fox television as an example.Many senior citizens expressed concern about Medicare and confusion over how much supplemental private medical coverage might be necessary.Janet Dembowski, a regional healthcare worker, also raised the issue of bullying among elders. “Bullying doesn’t stop when you are a teenager. It goes all the way to death,” she said, asking Tierney what the government is doing to prosecute silver-haired bullies.The congressman said Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett has made efforts to vigorously prosecute those who perpetrate crimes against the aged.The event was highlighted by a birthday cake to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Social Security Act, enacted in 1935 amid the Great Depression.Tierney harshly criticized moves to privatize Social Security, as was proposed under former President George Bush.”Before Social Security, half the senior citizens in the United States lived below the poverty line,” he said, noting the average Social Security benefit today is $14,000 and the median income for a senior citizen $24,000.Six in 10 senior citizens rely on Social Security for at least part of their income, said Tierney, adding that for some elderly citizens the monthly check represents 95 percent of their income.According to the congressman, had the Bush administration succeeded in privatizing Social Security, which required the elderly to manage their own investments, many citizens might be in dire financial straights. “If they had invested in the market in 2005, by 2007 they would have lost an average 32 percent of their investment – whether a 401K or IRAs – due to the economy,” he said.Attempts to privatize Medicare are equally reckless, Tierney said.