AARP Fights for Fair Tax Reform

By Andrew Behm

AARP has been fighting tax reform proposals in the North Carolina General Assembly that will harm seniors by adding taxes to Social Security and failing to provide the state with enough revenue to support the demand for important programs.

AARP is not opposed to fair tax reform, but the tax proposals now on the table include harmful reforms that will cost all North Carolinians more and will not provide adequate funding for services important to older adults and their families.

Through a barrage of phone calls to their members of the Assembly, AARP members have been warning their representatives of the harm the tax reform plans will cause to low and middle-income residents.  In an ad in the News & Observer last week, AARP stated that the reform they are fighting for is fair and would not include harmful proposals that will cause seniors and hard-working North Carolina families to pay more taxes on the things they rely on most.

At a press conference adjacent to the Legislative Building, AARP Associate State Director Mary Bethel (Photo) said, “If revenues are stagnant or do not rise at a rate sufficient to address critical needs like this, we will fall further and further behind in responding to our citizens who need basic services.”

Most recently, the Senate introduced a Proposed Committee Substitute (PCS) for a House plan that includes a Social Security tax. This comes on the heels of proposed cut in the House and Senate budget bills to the Home and Community Care Block Grant.  The Block Grant supports many programs that are critical in the lives of many older adults.

Programs the Home and Community Care Block Grant supports include:

• Home delivered meals
• In-Home health care
• Health promotion and disease prevention activities
• General and medical transportation
• Project C.A.R.E. programs

AARP is urging members to call their elected leaders at 1-800-464-2537 to tell them you want fair tax reform that protects, not threatens our health and economic security.