2020-09 September

President … Ken Schieck

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National AARP continues to share current Covid-19 information every Thursday at 10:00 AM PDT; phone # is 855-274-9507.

Many thanks again to Thelma Bridges and her telephone committee; they are continuing to contact all our members every week, checking to see if they are safe and have all the items they need.  A device as simple as a telephone can assist us in keeping our AARP bonds with each other.  It goes without saying that members who have email and phones should also keep up any contacts they have with other members.

I coordinated my first general meeting on Zoom Tuesday, August 18; thanks to those of you who attended and saw a great presentation on museum operations during the COVID pandemic.  Our next general meeting is Tuesday, September 15, but will be earlier at 9 AM; see the “September Meeting” Note for more details.

Thanks to Nancy Tepperman, who served as our Treasurer for the last four or five months.  Sharon Levine has offered to accept the Treasurer position and the Assistant Treasurer position will be filled by Leona Fails.

REMINDER:  As of the beginning of July, National AARP has cancelled all in-person AARP events until the end of the year, including in-person general meetings. We will continue to hold our meetings using Zoom or other technologies until further notice.

Please read this issue of the Dispatch carefully, as there is a lot of information about current happenings in the Campbell area.  Please check our chapter website at campbellaarp.org for information on positions with the Red Cross.  Thanks to Lynda Martinez, Shelly Schwartz, Marilyn Clough and Veronika Phillips for Glad Tidings and Jokes in the previous Dispatch.

AARP September Meeting … Paul Levine

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AARP September Meeting … Paul Levine

The speakers for our September 15, 2020, meeting will be from the League of Women Voters (LWV) who will discuss the ballot issues in the upcoming November election.  LWV presenters will open a zoom meeting live and show a recording of the pros and cons of each ballot measure.

There are 12 state propositions, 3 county measures and 2 local measures for those living in our League’s coverage area.  In the presentations, they will address the pros and cons of the state ballot measures, pause after each measure for questions, and also highlight the county and local measures.

The LWV is a national, non-partisan, volunteer organization committed to voter engagement and education,  The LWV of Southwest Santa Clara Valley, which covers the cites of Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga, will host a Zoom  Pro and Con webinar meeting with our AARP chapter  on Tuesday, September 15 at 10:00 AM.  Check-in will start at 9:50 AM.

Chapter members will receive an email on Monday, September 14, giving instructions for attending the meeting(s); 9 AM for the general meeting and 10 AM for the LWV-led meeting.

Legislative News … Daniel Nnorth and Claudia Schott

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With the last of the summer recess for Congress, and the Democratic and Republican conventions taking place, not a lot has happened, legislatively speaking.

But for those of us who are retired, or hoping to retire (soon), President Trump’s recent statements about eliminating Social Security’s current dedicated funding is cause for concern.  On August 8, 2020, President Trump said that he intended to “terminate the tax,” referring to Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes.  It’s a step that would, if taken in isolation, remove nearly 90% of funding for Social Security benefits, and thus likely pose a threat to the continued existence of those programs.

Because of coronavirus, the President had first wanted to defer the payroll taxes being taken out of workers’ paychecks, but he stated that, if elected, he would permanently cut the taxes by the end of the year.  A week later, President Trump finally suggested an alternate source, the general fund of government revenues, per Fox Business.

These sweeping statements come at a time when Americans 50+ are already on edge about their financial and retirement security.  We cannot cut Social Security funding without a strong plan in place, otherwise we endanger the benefits that Americans have paid into their whole lives.

We need to take action by writing or calling the President, asking him to explain his statements and let us know, exactly how this would work.  Copy the link below into a new browser window and email President Trump today.  Ask him to explain his recent statements about eliminating Social Security’s current dedicated funding.

https://action.aarp.org/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=00000000.app260b?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=8629&cmp=EMC-ADV-NLC-ADV-EML-null-null-082620&s_src=202008_E1W&NONCE_TOKEN=87207CDDA7598924BC82AA2C921ABB82

Santa Clara County Election Information

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If you voted by mail before, your voting process will be mostly the same under the Voter’s Choice Act.

Now all voters will automatically receive a Vote by Mail (VBM) ballot. You do not need to submit a VBM request.  Ballots will be mailed about a month before the election, giving you plenty of time to mark and return your ballot when it is most convenient for you.  Please VOTE EARLY if you can.

However, if you need to request a ballot, such as a change of address, contact:

  1. Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, 1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, San Jose, CA 95112
  2. Toll Free 1 (866) 430-VOTE (8683) – Fax 1 (408) 293-6002
  3. Or submit the application on-line at: sccvote.org

By October 6 the following sites should be updated with complete detailed information:

Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters November Election web page: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Info/Nov2020/Pages/Nov2020Info.aspx (most detailed information will be available 29 days before the election, so on Oct 6)

AARP Web Site AARP.org: The state guides will be featured in the September and October Bulletins and via aarp.org/election2020 (when they are available)

Santa Clara County (sccgov.org) Verify your own registration status (on-line or via telephone), Voter Information Guide (will be available at https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Voting/Pages/INFOpamphlet.aspx, available by Oct. 6).

Caregivers Count … Ken Schieck

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  1. A free virtual conference for families and friends caring for a loved one
  2. By Aging Services Collaborative of Santa Clara County
  3. Co-sponsored by San Jose Regional AARP Office

Event Dates and Topics:

  • Sept 12:  Emotional Well-Being
  • Sept 19:  Paying for Care
  • Sept 26:  Technology Tools
  • Oct 3:      Reducing Stress & Dealing with Parents and Resistance

Registration Info at www.caregiverscount.net

Laughing is Good for the Soul

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…. Lynda Martinez

I still can’t believe people’s survival instincts told them to grab toilet paper. If I had only known in March it would be my last time in a restaurant, I would have ordered dessert.

Let’s Laugh at Covid-19

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…. Lynda Martinez

I was in a long line at 7:45 AM today at the grocery store that opened at 8:00 for seniors only.  A young man came from the parking lot and tried to cut in at the front of the line, but an old lady beat him back into the parking lot with her cane.  He returned and tried to cut in again, but an old man punched him in the gut, then kicked him to the ground and rolled him away.  As he approached the line for the 3rd time, he said, “If you don’t let me unlock the door, you’ll never get in there.”

…. Joy Walsh

When I was a kid, my parents would always say, “Excuse my French” just after a swear word.  I’ll never forget my first day at school when my teacher asked if any of us knew any French.