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On NPR this morning, Morning Edition aired a story on the Republican Leadership Conference, which is taking place in New Orleans this weekend. At one point, the reporter interviewed two women who were waiting in line to meet former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. The interview includes this brief exchange, which comes at 1:20 in the audio:
REPORTER: Now they’re looking to hear what the GOP candidates have to say about what these ladies agree is the nation’s top problem: the faltering economy.
WOMAN #1: I’m 74 years old, and I’m still working as a nurse.
WOMAN #2: And I’m 68. I retired and I went back to work, because I have to work. I need the money. Retirement wasn’t enough.
My first thought was: These women should add their stories to Retirement USA’s story bank!
My second was: I hope these activists are telling party leaders and their elected representatives about their retirement situation. Politicians need to realize what’s happening in the “real world.”
As policymakers talk about cutting Social Security and Medicare, a new Gallup poll shows that Americans worry more about having enough money in retirement than any other financial concern, including paying for medical expenses, paying their rent/mortgage, and paying for their children’s college.
It’s time for politicians to start listening to their constituents!
