Supporting Our Seniors

Seniors are some of the most important members of our communities. Their experiences working and living in Minnesota are invaluable resources as we move into the future. In Worthington I was fortunate enough to be supported by an entire community— a community held together in large part by its older Minnesotans.

I’ve never forgotten this. It’s been with me throughout my entire career in public service and is why I tracked down telemarketing scam-artists who were ripping off seniors and shut down their operations. It’s why as a white-collar crime prosecutor I threw perpetrators stealing pensions in jail.  And it is why as a legislator I worked with AARP to create Minnesota’s “Do Not Call List.”

During my career I’ve also stood up to drug companies who have taken advantage of seniors. I worked to keep drug manufacturers from giving gifts to doctors, work that resulted in the first such ban in the nation (and laid the groundwork for current legislation) and co-authored a bill for more transparency in pharmaceutical advertising. As DFL leader in the house I also spearheaded a plan to reduce drug prices by leveraging the state’s buying power to provide seniors with relief.

I have also consistently fought to keep housing costs down. Property taxes are among our most regressive and unfair taxes and hit many of seniors the hardest. When Tim Pawlenty cuts local government aid (LGA) it usually means your property taxes go up, and I’ve worked to make sure that doesn’t happen. In 2006, I toured the state advocating for permanent property tax relief and against the Republicans' gimmick proposals.  I have also consistently opposed cuts to renter’s credits and have worked to make housing more affordable

Right now times are tough for many of our seniors. Skyrocketing health insurance premiums, disappearing pensions and rising housing costs are squeezing our seniors and depriving them of their hard-earned retirement. Property taxes are going up, the cost of long-term care is spiraling out of control and drug costs are eating up more and more of monthly incomes. This is no way to treat the generation that helped build Minnesota into a national standard for education and innovation. My commitment to the right of our seniors to a secure and healthy retirement is unwavering.

As we move Minnesota forward we need to think about the implications and possibilities of our policies on older Minnesotans, not just in the traditional areas of health care, drug costs and transportation, but also how they factor into education, clean energy and economic justice issues. This means not just how seniors’ lives are impacted, but also how we work together to address other challenges we face. For instance, retired teachers who are interested in mentoring or tutoring opportunities should be engaged in sharing their vast knowledge, skills and experience.

Of all the resources with which Minnesota is blessed, our human resources are the greatest. We simply must ensure our senior citizens are as involved in shaping our future as they have been in shaping our past.