Advocacy

CHARLOTTE -- AARP members from the Carolinas joined a chorus of protesters at the Duke Energy shareholders meeting who feel the company's rate hike requests are excessive in today's economy.

In response to the NC Supreme Court's decision in April that requires the North Carolina Utilities Commission to factor the interests of residential consumers in order to justify the 10.5 percent return on equity it granted to Duke Energy in 2012. AARP is arguing that double digit profit guaranteed to Duke is inconsistant with the state's economic realities.

NC Voters 50+ Oppose the Chained CPI, Believe Social Security Should Not Be Cut to Reduce the Deficit

Do you know how the Health Care Law will directly affect you, your family or your place of business? If you are like many people, you may have questions about what the law means for you. Join AARP for a free, 60-minute webinar on Thursday, March 21 at 2:00 p.m. to get an overview of the changes and improvements in the law. Go to http://bit.ly/15pvTEQ to register. During the session, we will help you separate facts from fiction and explain what the health care law means for

By Bridgette A. Lacy for AARP

Just in case you thought that some of our politicians had run out of bad ideas, they’ve come up with another deeply troubling one: Cutting Social Security as a way to fix Washington’s budget problems.

As more people discover that North Carolina is a great place to age and to retire, they are also finding AARP as a way to take better charge of their future health and economic security.

March 26 – Lexington, Scam Jam, Lexington Senior Center, 555-B West Center Street Ext., Lexington, 1:00 – 4:00. Free. NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall is the keynote speaker. Also speaking are representatives of the NC Attorney General’s Office, the NC Department of Insurance Senior Medicare Patrol, Secretary of State’s Securities Division, Better Business Bureau, and AARP. Advance registration is required; to register please call 336/242-2290. Deadline to register is March 22.

As the N.C. Utilities Commission takes Duke Energy's long-term plan to the public for its reaction in a series of hearings this month, the majority of North Carolinians feel that Duke's 20 year plan, known as the IRP, relies too heavily on rate hikes and isn't focusing enough on the use of cleaner, cheaper and more efficient energy.

Some in Washington are pushing a budget proposal that would cut Social Security benefits by $112 billion over the next 10 years. It’s called “chained CPI” - a proposal that would cut the yearly cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security, leaving seniors struggling to keep up with the rising cost of utilities, health care and prescription drugs. As seniors get older, it would only get worse because the cuts would start now and get bigger every year. Washington should focus on finding responsible ways to addres ve earned their benefits and they deserve a separate conversation about how to protect Social Security for today’s seniors and strengthen the program for future generations.