America is aging, in fact we have added more years to the average life expectancy in this century than in all of history combined. Life is nothing more than a series of adjustments.
You are born, attend school, develop a career, get married, raise a family and then Bang! You are 50 years old and you receive in the mail an application for member to the AARP.
AARP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the needs and interests of persons age 50 and over. We seek through education, advocacy and service to enhance the quality of life for all by promoting independence, dignity and purpose.
AARP today represents more than 35 million members, making it the nation’s largest organization devoted to meeting the needs of the rapidly growing 50-plus population.
We have 53 offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
In New Jersey, I am one of the 14 million AARP members in 116 chapters that are strategically located in a vital role for advocacy and community service strategies.
AARP members are exercising their power and letting their views be known at the federal and state levels. The source of AARP’S power is its 35 million members that vote in proportionately greater numbers than any other age group. Our legislators know that AARP’s strength is aimed at helping Americans of all generations to be heard, age with dignity, achieve purpose and to participate actively in society.
AARP has a commitment and a record of accomplishment in advocacy. In keeping with that policy, I have arranged to hold district meetings with our Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski, Assemblyman Joseph Vas and state Sen. Joseph F. Vitale of the 19th district.
We have three main objectives for these meetings — to familiarize the legislators with our legislative agendas; we want to hear where they stand on our issues; we want to build our relationship with them in hopes of being able to work together on a number of important issues in the future. In New Jersey, we are particularly concerned with improving long-term care choices, reducing the cost of prescription drugs and reforming property tax. The power to tax is not the power to destroy!
George Vassilaides
coordinator.
AARP Middlesex County
Colonia