As Minnesota boomers age, mobility options inadequate, says report
June 19, 2011 at 4:54 am in Alexandria Echo Press
By 2015, more than 15 million Americans ages 65 and older will live in communities where public transportation service is poor or non-existent, a new study shows. That number is expected to continue to grow rapidly as the baby boom generation “ages in place” in suburbs or rural areas with few mobility options for those who do not drive. Continue Reading
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If “such a small percentage of older Americans actually relocate,” why are we worried about this? That fact alone tells me that this is another case of government bureaucrats searching for a reason to create more government and spend more money.
And, if in fact a high percentage of older Americans actually relocated because they no longer can drive, why would that be something the government needs to involve themselves with?
“Provide more funding!” “Increase funding!” Where does it stop? And where do we look for more funding–the federal governement, of course. The same federal government that is already hemorrhaging red ink.
When are politicians like Franken, and the rest, going to start taking seriously their responsibility to make a fundamental shift in how government spends?
I’m 53. I’m concerned that I won’t be able to enjoy my house in retirement, because it has a long staircase that I might not be able to negotiate 15 years from now. I worked hard all my life to enjoy that house in retirement. Shouldn’t the government have to buy me one of those lift chairs so that I won’t have to move away from my house? Well, of course not. But by Franken’s logic, why not?
Aging is a grim reality that not even the Democrats can solve. Left to their own devices, the vast majority of “seniors” can and do figure these things out for themselves without another government program heaped upon another government program. They adapt, as we all must, to changing circumstances.
Completely missing from this article is what role family plays in getting aging parents to the doctor or the store. Isn’t that how we as Americans have always handled these everyday challenges of aging? What have we become when we look to government to take over these reponsibilities?
Ah, but the money required for this is a mere drop in the bucket compared to all federal expenditures: the age-old reasoning for more and more spending. Well, the bucket is absolutely full now and every added drop drips down the side and before long you have a flood. It’s time to start draining the bucket, in gallons and drops.
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