PEORIA -- Around 20 people gathered in front of Cong. Aaron Schock's office on June 3 to admonish him for his horrible record on senior citizen issues.
The Alliance for Retired Americans organized the protest. Schock, R-Peoria, scored a zero on the group's analysis of his voting record.
According to the analysis, Schock has voted against every initiative to help seniors, the same as Illinois Tea Party guy Joe Walsh, who lost in November to a Democrat.
Among the votes was one to privatize Medicare, and to repeal the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.
His votes also would harm veterans, said Don Bencher, who spoke at the rally.
Nancy Gardner said the group wants to persuade Schock not to support the chained CPI, Obama's plan to cut Social Security cost of living increases.
(If Obama is for it, will Schock be against it?)
A petition on the chained CPI with hundreds of names was presented to Schock, who was not in the office. It was left with his staff.
My take: Why are state and federal elected officials of both parties attacking retiree benefits? Because retirees are not well organized, or too old or sick to take to the streets to fight back? That must change.
A candidate with enough money to publicize Schock's awful voting record to his constituents, many of whom are elderly, might have a change to beat him. Most don't know about his real voting record.
-- Elaine Hopkins
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