AARP Teams With Michigan Business, Labor and Legislative Leaders to Spur Action on Health Care & Long-Term Financial Security
Diverse Groups Join National Debate on Critical Domestic Issues
America’s largest advocacy organization with 38 million members – including 1.6 million Michiganders – announced on Monday, February 11, 2008 their national, grassroots effort is beginning in Michigan as part of the November 2008 presidential election.
AARP and leaders of the state’s business and labor communities joined together at the Michigan State capitol to launch “Divided We Fail.” The diverse “Divided We Fail” alliance will work together in Michigan over the next nine months leading up to the presidential election on November 4, 2008, to urge action from elected leaders on the issues of health and long-term financial security.
“Together, we represent more than 50 million Americans and their families,” Eric Schneidewind, AARP Michigan State President, said. “We are standing united – here in Michigan and across the country – to demand action, answers and an end to gridlock.”
In Michigan, Divided We Fail supporters include AARP, Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan, Detroit Wayne County Health Authority, General Motors, Michigan Association of United Ways, Michigan Citizen Action, Michigan Disability Rights Coalition, Michigan Nurses Association, Michigan League of Human Services, Michigan State Medical Society, Michigan Universal Health Care Access Network (MichUHCAN), PHI, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), United Way for Southeast Michigan and United Way of Monroe County, and several Southeast Michigan churches, faith and grassroots organizations. Additional organizations are expected to join the effort in the coming weeks. These organizations will collaborate to use their combined institutional reach to amplify the message that attaining health and long-term financial security is vital for all Americans, and that these issues must be included in the national election debate.
“The number of people without health insurance grows every year and more than half of all workers do not have any retirement income other than Social Security,” Phil Thompson, president of the SEIU Michigan State Council, said. “The time is long overdue for America to address these problems. It doesn’t matter if you are a senior citizen, a business owner or a worker, all Americans need financial security and quality health care they can afford. The SEIU is proud to join Divided We Fail in Michigan because we too believe it is critical that we demand action and answers from elected officials to ensure affordable health care and financial security for all.”
In addition to banding together with diverse organizations, the Michigan Divided We Fail effort will encompass additional coalition building to expand the network of organizations involved. This coalition building includes: a series of local town hall meetings across the state; member engagement and volunteer mobilization; newspaper, television and radio advertising; plus online activities to engage the public, business and elected officials in the debate, and encourage leaders to offer solutions.
“Speaking for all Michigan physicians who care for seniors, and who are concerned about future generations, we need our elected leaders to call together all stakeholders in health care, business, industry, labor, hospitals, insurers, health professions, academia, consumer groups, and law and make a serious commitment to action,” AppaRao Mukkamala, MD, a Flint radiologist and president of the 16,000 member Michigan State Medical Society, said. “No more hand-wringing, no more inertia.”
“While we may not all agree on the solutions, we all agree that the problems must be addressed now if we are able to continue the American dream and way of life,” Charlie Owens, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business in Michigan, said.
“General Motors supports the Divided We Fail effort to find bipartisan solutions to ensure affordable, quality health care and long-term financial security,” Bruce E. Bradley, Director of Health Care Strategy and Public Policy for General Motors, said. “DWF affords an opportunity to encourage our nation’s leaders and policy makers to address the root causes of our health care cost, quality and safety problems. There is a strong need to address the many issues facing our health care system, including providing appropriate, safe, coordinated care and fixing an ineffective financial structure.”
Divided We Fail, the most ambitious effort in AARP’s 50-year history, is designed to engage the American people, elected officials and the business community to find broad-based, bi-partisan solutions to the most compelling domestic issues facing the nation – health care and the long-term financial security of Americans.