In Laconia, Shea-Porter makes pitch for preserving Social Security & Medicare

LACONIA — Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter told a gathering of residents of Taylor Home Tuesday morning that she knows from her own experience how important Social Security and Medicare programs are to those receiving benefits and said that she will work to preserve and strengthen those programs.

''In Laconia everyone knows how much we need these programs but in Washington that's not so much the case,'' Shea-Porter told the audience, maintaining that many who want to cut Social Security or turn Medicare into a voucher program are well off and don't need the programs.

Her remarks came at an event sponsored by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare at which she was presented with dozens of petitions collected by New Hampshire members of the group opposing cuts in those programs.

Shea-Porter said that in her family Social Security benefits had helped provide for care for a grandmother with early onset dementia and a great uncle who had suffered a stroke and that her father, who had saved for his retirement, saw those funds wiped out by three major diseases within a decade and had to rely on Social Security and Medicaid for the rest of his life.

''My father praised those programs in the last part of his life even though he had been against Medicare when it first was started,'' she said.

She also praised the Affordable Care Act for bringing health insurance to millions who had never before had coverage and said that even though she favored a Medicare for All program she was pleased with the progress being made in extending coverage and reducing the projected increases in health care costs.

She stressed that the Medicare for All program she would like to see is different from another proposed by a Democratic congressman and would preserve the independence of medical providers by allowing them to contract with Medicare rather than being sold to the government.

Shea-Porter said that she is co-sponsoring legislation which would give credits to caregivers for up to five family service years for those taking care of children or elderly or disabled family members in the formula used to calculate Social Security benefits. She also supports other changes which would improve survivor benefits which would help prevent widows and widowers from falling into poverty after their spouse dies.

When asked how New Hampshire should cope with demographic changes which have been described as a ''silver tsunami'' and seen a major increase in the state's elderly population. Shea-Porter pointed out that young people are having a hard time, as well and said that passing an increase in the minimum wage might help keep more of them in the state.

She said that she would like to see tax law changes which would keep American companies from moving their headquarters overseas to reduce their tax burden and said she was pleased by the recent decision of Walgreen's to remain in the country.

''We have to shut off escape routes for the corporations. There are a lot of things we could do'' she said, pointing out that a lot of the largest corporations pay no taxes at all.

Shea-Porter said that it would ultimately be up to the American voters to decide the future of the Social Security and Medicare programs and said there stark differences between the political parties with the Democrats wanting to strengthen and preserve them while Republicans have supported the Paul Ryan budget plan which would change Medicare to a voucher program and result in reductions in Social Security benefits.

Also speaking at the meeting was Steve Richardson, public affairs specialist with Social Security's regional office in Boston, who said that 58 million Americans currently receive benefits from the program, 34 million of whom are retirees.

He said that fraud is a major problem for retirees and cautioned cautioned those present not to reveal their personal information.

''After Hurricane Sandy there were people getting calls from people who claimed they were with Social Security telling them that banks had suffered a power outage and asking them for personal information which would allow their social security cheeks to be deposited. Don't ever give your number to those people. Remember that if it's Social Security calling that we already know your number.''

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Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter talks with Mendon and Betty McDonald at the Taylor Home Tuesday morning where she discussed steps she supports to strengthen Social Security and Medicaid programs. (Roger Amsden/for The Laconia Daily Sun)