Being Informed Matters, at Any Age

No matter how how old you are, seeing almost every level of government, from U.S. Congress to city council, represented in one room is impressive.

I stumbled upon this amazing sight the morning of May 20 at the in Farmington Hills. After Gov. Rick Snyder and Republican leaders in the Legislature announced an agreement on the state budget, I was looking to get a comment from State Sen. Vincent Gregory (D-Southfield). I knew he planned to be at the Costick Center for a meeting with residents, so off I went.

But when I walked into the Conway room, it was U.S. Congressman Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Hills) holding the microphone. Next to him stood Gregory and State Rep. Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills), Oakland County Commissioner Jim Nash (D-Farmington Hills) and Farmington Hills City Council member Barry Brickner.

Over the next half hour or so, they talked about everything from prescription drug purchasing for Medicare to the elimination of item pricing in retail stores, public employee pensions, helping veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and the Hills city budget (In Brickner's words, "Everything is okay."). Hot topics included Medicare and the state Legislature's imminent passage of a budget that would tax pensions, with exceptions for older pensioners, and would eliminate funding for senior programs like Meals on Wheels.

The audience: Folks who participate in the city of Farmington Hills senior programs.

"They're addressing issues that are really critical to seniors," Farmington Hills resident Chuck Collins said. "I don't think all seniors really understand what's being done to them.

"Now, to a large extent, it's up to the people to fight back," he added. "You can't just sit back and accept these things. They're taking things away from people who can least afford it."

Collins thought it was a fantastic forum, to have all elected representatives in one place. And encouraging seniors to raise their voices is exactly the outcome senior adult supervisor Mary DiManno hoped to achieve.

DiManno said senior programs will especially be affected by the state budget cuts; information provided by the Area Agency on Aging 1B estimates funding will be zeroed out for Meals on Wheels, a senior volunteer program and senior companions, a program that provides low-income residents with a small stipend to assist seniors in their homes.

"All these cuts are coming, and you feel helpless," DiManno said.

So when other elected representatives wanted to join Peters on his regular trip to the Costick Center—he visits every two months, on the third Friday—DiManno just let the event evolve.

"I think we need to inform seniors about how to make their voices heard," she said. "This gives them an idea of what's happening at all the various levels. It gives them an opportunity to ask questions."

How cool is that?