AARP Texas

Attention is focused on the western Gulf of Mexico as a significant storm threatens to bring high winds, coastal damage and inland flooding to large parts of Texas. The National Hurricane Center believes the storm off the Texas Gulf Coast has a 90-percent chance of becoming a tropical storm. That decision will be determined Monday evening or Tuesday. If it gains strength the storm will be upgraded to a tropical storm named Bill.

The recently completed 2015 Texas legislative session posted significant gains for older Texans in key areas including increased spending for home- and community-based care programs, consumer protections against surprise medical billing, and progress on a consumer and homeowner issues for middle class Texans, AARP Texas Director Bob Jackson said.

“Past performance is no indication of future results.” It's a common adage to warn financial investors. But the saying may also be relevant to hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Amendments designated “Key Votes” by AARP

Mother Nature’s soggy wrath, a monumental first-of-its-kind celebration, and an airshow could not keep more than 600 drivers from recycling their private documents and electronics in Corpus Christi. The AARP Shred Day event was held at KIII-TV (an ABC affiliate) Saturday, April 18 and it set a new record.

We carefully chose the issues we're focusing on during the 2015 Texas Legislative Session. One of the key elements is that all these topics are close to home for countless Texas families. So chances are you have a relative, neighbor or friend with a personal experience highlighting why at least one of these issues are important--and why Texas legislators should take note and work to fix or improve the situation.

Featuring our knowledgeable volunteers is something AARP does well and this month Dr. Ricardo Chapa, a long-time AARP volunteer, represented AARP Texas well on the small screen.

Identity theft is a growing concern. For the 15th consecutive year, it was the top complaint in the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, accounting for 13 percent of the total 2.5 million filed complaints. Identity theft complaints in Texas totaled 25,843. Nationally, people in their 40s and 50s filed the most complaints – 19 percent – while 18 percent of complaints were made by those in both their 20s and 30s. People age 60 and older filed 13 percent of complaints and people age 70 and older only filed 7 percent of complaints.

By: Charlene Hunter James

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