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The following editorial appeared in the May 22 issue of the Fifty Plus Advocate http://fiftyplusadvocates.com/newspaper.php, the state’s mature market newspaper.

The Status Quo Prevails if Divided We Fail

By Deborah E. Banda

In communities across Massachusetts, fresh economic jitters—triggered by a collapsing housing market, rising energy costs, a reeling stock market, and a growing fear of recession—have reminded thousands of people that they may be living too close to the edge. They are, possibly, one major illness away from financial ruin, or could outlive their retirement savings.

For Divided We Fail (DWF)—which last month marked its first anniversary and now represents more than 53 million Americans–this is an unacceptable state of affairs, even under dire economic circumstances. And this is why Divided We Fail supporters, who hail from AARP, the Business Roundtable, the Service Employees International Union and the National Federation of Independent Business, continue to push a simple message:  every American should have access to affordable quality health care and lifetime financial security.

Let’s be clear: these two issues are not just the domain of the “neighbors down the block.” They are, rather, issues that affect every American family. They are issues that unite all of us since, someday, we may all require medical attention and we will all stop working. They are, in fact, issues that strike at the heart of the American Dream because they influence our freedom to make choices and create opportunities to improve our lives.

Surely, this should make sense to the stewards of the American Dream in Congress.  Yet, there is a perception that our policymakers are simply not hearing the chorus of citizens clamoring for quality, affordable health care and lifetime financial security. While a one-off tax rebate may ease the pinch—and perhaps temper, briefly, the partisan gridlock—it will not make a dent in soaring health care costs or provide the peace of mind that only a secure retirement can offer.

In a divided nation, the status quo prevails and nobody wins because we choose not to see common ground.  Put another way, divided we fail. The message is that medical care should never, ever depend on which way the political winds blow. And a secure retirement, after a lifetime of work, should never, ever be negotiable.

So, we are asking all elected officials and presidential candidates to get the job done.  Recently, Divided We Fail has been working overtime to connect with Sen. McCain, Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama, and keep them locked on to the facts:
• 47 million Americans are uninsured; many of them are unable to afford health care because rising costs have priced them out of the health insurance market;
• 29 percent of Americans say they have skipped medical treatment, tests or prescriptions because of skyrocketing costs;
• Only one out of five workers today has a traditional pension plan;
• Only half of American families have saved money in any kind of retirement account, and the typical family has saved less than $35,000.

For it is these facts that animate the stories of ordinary people, in Massachusetts and elsewhere, who lie awake at night wondering how they can afford to grow old, or trying to imagine a rosy future for their children. Leaders cannot comfortably dodge such stories, like the one in which a family goes bankrupt because their little girl got sick. They must listen and they must respond, not with platitudes but with solutions—for fixing a dysfunctional health care system and stabilizing retirement financing.

We are heartened by exit polls from early primary states showing that the Divided We Fail message is resonating. Health care and financial security are two of the top issues on voters’ minds. Congress has been paying attention as well. To date, 272 members (57 Senators and 215 Representatives) have indicated their support—including every member of the Massachusetts congressional delegation. In addition, more than 80 national organizations—as diverse as the Muslim Public Affairs Council, the Republican Main Street Partnership, and the Child Welfare League of America—have endorsed Divided We Fail.

Quality, affordable health care and lifelong financial security cannot be finessed away during an election cycle. On the contrary, they must become fixtures of American life. Otherwise, Divided We Fail.

Divided We Fail will come to Worcester May 27-29 for a number of activities including a pledge drive at the Greendale Mall, Worcester Public Library and Worcester Senior Center, daily from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and a large Town Hall Meeting at Worcester State College (May 29, 10 a.m.). For the complete schedule or to sign the Divided We Fail pledge, visit www.aarp.org/ma or call 1-866-448-3621.

Other Resources
Divided We Fail
http://dividedwefail.org

The Fifty Plus Advocate
http://www.fiftypluscaregivers.com