California seniors empowered: Medicare and Social Security on the ballot in November

SANTA CLARITA, Calif.—What role will California’s seniors play in the 2024 election cycle? If the California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA), the statewide unit of ARA, has any impact, it will be substantial.

Beginning on Sept. 4 and extending through Sept. 26, CARA is holding a series of regional conventions for members to become educated on the shape of the forthcoming elections on the national, statewide, and local levels. As a non-profit organization that emerged out of the labor movement, ARA does not endorse candidates but works hard to educate its members about the issues facing them.

People’s World attended the Sept. 16 session at the spacious Canyon Country Community Center in Santa Clarita in northern Los Angeles County. Yvonne Wheeler, President of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, was announced to speak but could not attend. Neither was Kathryn Barger, an L.A. County Supervisor. Still, it was a full day. Calling the session to order was Mary Rose Ortega, who observed that Sept. 16 was Mexican Independence Day and that since California was part of Mexico at the time, it also represented the state’s independence from European colonial rule. The appropriate land acknowledgments were made.

Early in the day, a slide show depicted CARA in action in August at various sites around the state, honoring the 89th birthday of Social Security as a reminder of the magnificence of this landmark New Deal legislation in 1935 that liberated millions of seniors and retirees from old-age poverty. The demands on posters shown in the photos were “Scrap the cap!,” “Fund it to fix it,” and “Medicare for All,” citing a second piece of legislation from 30 years later, 1965, that also freed seniors, in most cases, from crushing debt owing to healthcare costs.

Several candidates for office appeared on video to appeal for the senior vote. Pilar Schiavo from AD 40 was a longtime advocate for Medicare and Medicaid as a member of the California Nurses Association. She ran for office two years ago to fight “from the inside,” becoming the only candidate in the state that year to unseat a Republican. Her dictum is to see to it that “the budget not be balanced on the backs of the people who need it most.” Her opponent, Patrick Gipson, did not appear.

The electricity heated up when both the incumbent U.S. Rep. from CD 27, Mike Garcia, appeared (again, on video) as well as his challenger, George Whitesides. The latter (who spoke first) pointed out that in the 2022 session, Garcia earned a 14% approval rating from ARA and a 0% rating in 2023. “The record is clear,” the challenger said, that Garcia is a politician from “the extreme right” who has voted to cut Affordable Care Act programs and pension restoration, as well as against Medicare drug negotiation, which is one of the Biden-Harris hallmark achievements despite the lack of MAGA Republican support. Questioned as to his future stances, if elected to Congress, on the military budget and foreign relations, Whitesides responded that the district he aims to represent is home to a large number of veterans, as well as to numerous military contractor businesses. As a former NASA leader, he will remain “committed to strong national defense and safety and American leadership in the world.”

In his response to a question from the audience about his low rating from ARA, Garcia answered that so many bills come laden with what he called “poison pills” that he felt compelled to vote against them, even though he expressed commitment to uphold Social Security and Medicare. He said, “Inflation is doing more harm than budget cuts,” and he assailed the Inflation Reduction Act, which he opposed, as a boondoggle “to squander your tax dollars.” In his opinion, the solution lies in the standard Republican mantra of “undoing state regulation” and “more competition,” and then prices will go down in the marketplace.

In the State Senate District 23 race, the former Assemblymember Suzette Martinez Valladares, the Republican who lost her seat to Pilar Schiavo by 520 votes, is now seeking office again. She did not appear at the CARA convention. Still, her opponent, Kipp Mueller, a labor rights and civil rights attorney, came in person, relating a moving personal family history—his father, a housepainter whom the son often accompanied on jobs in his youth, and a mom, a now-retired union member who was a disability counselor. Part of Mueller’s law practice involves consumer fraud and scams, as well as elder abuse. “The right to retire with dignity should not be a political issue,” he says. “I can’t wait to go fight for you,” he stated. “I’m on board.”

As keynote speaker, the attendees were charmed by Jon Bauman, president and spokesperson for  Social Security Works PAC, a national organization working to elect candidates who support protecting and expanding Social Security benefits. Bauman is also known by his professional stage name, “Bowzer,” as a member of the band Sha Na Na and game show host. As a Sha Na Na character, Bowzer was a greaser in a muscle shirt, reminding the audience, by his gestures and poses, of that phase of his fame.

Bauman grew up in New York City, where he studied classical piano. In fact, he brought a portable electric piano along and serenaded the audience with a decent rendition of Chopin’s Etude in E major. But he was there primarily to root for SS and Medicare. Before Medicare, a third of older Americans lived below the poverty line, and in the old days, before SS, “If your kids didn’t take you in, you are going to the poor house!” The need now is to strengthen and expand both programs. If you are undecided about a candidate, he recommends going to the ARA website, where a Congressional scorecard will show you how every member of Congress voted on all the key issues. (That good advice also applies to other concerns voters may have, not just on senior issues, but the environment, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ issues, economy, etc.)

As if in direct response to what he had heard from Rep. Garcia about the IRA, “Bowzer” pointed out that it was precisely that legislation that included the Medicare drug price negotiation, the $35 a month cap for seniors on insulin, and the annual cap of $2000 on all drugs, starting in January 2025. “Let’s hear it for the IRA!”

On the upcoming State ballot measures, CARA has prioritized the following five Propositions:

• Yes on Prop 3. The Right to Marry and Repeal Prop 8 would affirm same-gender marriage in California’s constitution by enshrining a “fundamental right to marry” and removing language that defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. “We must update California’s Constitution to reflect California’s values,” says CARA. This measure is timely in the face of threats by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn this legal right in a future case.
• Yes on Prop 5. This would lower the supermajority requirement to 55% for local special taxes to fund housing and public infrastructure projects. “We must give our communities the tools needed to address the growing challenges they face.” Changing the voting threshold to 55% will allow voters and the local legislative bodies to meet local challenges.
• Yes on Prop 6. This measure would end prison slavery in California’s prisons by banning the involuntary servitude and mandatory work requirements currently in effect in our state prisons. “We must pay prisoners a decent wage for their work and allow them to choose whether to work while in prison or focus on education, treatment, or other rehabilitation.”
• Yes on Prop 32. This measure would increase the minimum wage in California from $16/hour to $18/hour and annually adjust it for inflation. In order to meet the challenges of the high cost of living, we must continue to adjust wages so that people can remain in the state.
• Yes on Prop 33. This would prohibit State limitations on local rent control ordinances by repealing the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act. This would allow local communities to determine if they want to enact some form of rent control or renter protections based on the needs of their community.

CARA weighs in on several other state ballot measures as well:

• Yes on Prop 2. The Education Bond would authorize the state to borrow $10 billion to modernize K-12 schools and community colleges. Our future healthcare providers, repair people, and service workers deserve the best education in safe and updated public school facilities. “These are our grandkids, nieces and nephews, and neighbors.”
• Yes on Prop 4. The Climate Bond would authorize the state to borrow $10 billion to help fund California’s response to climate-related disasters such as drought, flooding, fires, and extreme heat. It will be the largest investment in combating climate change in California History. “California’s future depends on us.”
• No recommendation on Prop 34. This would require healthcare providers to spend 98% of revenues from the federal discount prescription drug programs on direct patient care. This is a ballot measure targeted at only one organization as a means of retribution, says CARA.
• No on Prop 35. This healthcare industry-sponsored proposition would extend but also cap a tax on health insurance companies that, under current law, will expire at the end of 2026. In allocating funds to sponsors, it takes away funds for vital healthcare programs, including some supporting long-term care for seniors. Further, its cap and allocation would be permanent unless amended by 3/4 votes of each legislative chamber.
• No on Prop 36. This would increase drug crime and theft penalties and create a new class of crimes called a treatment-mandated felony. It would give the offender the “option” to participate in drug and mental health treatment programs; however, these options are mostly nonexistent and would force more people into jails.

CARA takes positions on dozens of bills each legislative session, writes letters, and attends hearings when possible. The Alliance identifies those bills that meet the goals and priority issues its members vote on at its annual convention and educates and engages its full membership on them. At the time CARA was preparing for its movable pre-election convention, the following three priority bills were awaiting a hearing in Assembly Appropriations and then the full Assembly by the end of August. Gov. Newsom will have until the end of September to sign or veto the bills that make it to his desk:

• The 2024 SMILE Act, SB 980 (Wahab), which CARA sponsors. This bill expands the existing Medi-Cal Dental Plan to include crowns and implants as a covered benefit
• Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities Housing Stability Act of 2023, SB 37 (Caballero), which CARA supports. This bill would provide housing subsidies to older adults and adults with disabilities who are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing homelessness. Grants will prioritize communities where many of the renters face cost burdens.
• Holding Banks Accountable for Assisting Financial Scams Against Eder Californians, SB 278 (Dodd), which CARA supports. This bill will clarify existing law to ensure that seniors and older adult victims of financial scams can hold negligent banks accountable for assisting in the financial exploitation of older Californians.

Forthcoming regional conventions (at presstime) include Weds., Sept. 18 in Orange County, Mon., Sept. 23 in the Central Valley, Tuesday., Sept. 24 in the Fresno/Bakersfield area, and Thurs., Sept. 26 in Santa Clara County. More information can be obtained on the CARA website. The national organization’s website can be accessed here.