AARP-Must read-Old money - finances of the American Association of Retired Persons-6 page story

[fed-up]

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_n6_v24/ai_12300153

Old money - finances of the American Association of Retired Persons
Why the mighty AARP spends as much furnishing its offices as it does on
programs to help the elderly
Christopher Georges

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) receives
approximately $75 million annually from the federal government to run a
pair of job training and placement programs for older Americans--two of
the largest of their kind. A recent phone call to AARP's Washington,
D.C., headquarters to inquire about enrollment in the programs led to
the following:

The caller, after unsuccessfully attempting to explain the programs to
two befuddled receptionists, was bounced to Jack Everett, an official
in the organization's Senior Employment Office, who cheerfully
explained that AARP offers no federally funded job placement or
training programs. Everett suggested calling the Department of Labor
(the agency that pays AARP $52 million to run one of the programs) for
help. He also offered other ideas, like, "Try the phone book under the
senior citizens section," and suggested contacting the National Council
on Senior Citizens, another, smaller advocacy group for older
Americans. He even threw in some job-training advice: "You'll need a
resume. That's always a good first step...."

Everett's not alone. Similar inquiries at AARP offices in major cities
in 16 states turned up like responses: Only six of the offices were
aware that these programs even exist, although AARP literature boasts
that they're offered at 108 sites across the nation. One office
suggested calling Elder Temps, a privately run job-placement firm.
Another advised calling the Jewish Council for the Aging. Several
others suggested enrolling in an AARP job search workshop and
seminar--for a fee of $35.

...snip-article is 6 pages long-a must read for a true picture of AARP


COPYRIGHT 1992 Washington Monthly Company
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

[rfranklin]

1. The AARP is a scam and always has been...

They were the ones who put their weight behind Bush's big pharma rip-off of Medicare. Now they say they were mislead! Ha-ha-ha!

[Stinky The Clown]

2. That's really not fair ..... the article is from 1992

That's 15 years ago.

[Faygo Kid]

3. It's crap - June 1992. And it wasn't worth much then.

Any organization should be subject to scrutiny and criticism, but this is not only hopelessly outdated, it's assertions are more empty than absurd. What is there to get worked up about here? Fees for driver safety classes? They have a headquarters building? "Must read" indeed.

If AARP didn't exist, we would all likely be enjoying the Bush Administration's destruction of Social Security at a time of record low savings and disappearing pensions. And it's not even the "American Association of Retired Persons," and hasn't been for years, it's just AARP. Now they're trying to use their clout to get the candidates to talk about health care and financial security, and to be specific about plans. How awful.

Maybe you ought to check in on what they are doing now rather than post 15 year old articles. Sorry you're "fed-up," but your ire is misplaced.

They screw up, but they get it right more often than not. And yes, I am one of those elderly members. At 55. Rock on.