I worked hard all my life and never expected to find myself in the challenging situation I’m in today. At age 68, I am facing the possibility of losing my home, skipping some medical care that I can’t afford and economizing any way I know how, but I’m still behind on my bills.
For 17 years I worked as a pharmacy technician, making a solid living. I worked hard and have always taken pride in living up to my responsibilities. But now, as much as I’ve tried to be responsible, the pandemic has made my life much more difficult.
Hard-working Americans are struggling and we need the budget bill to pass to get back on our feet. As someone who has voted for both Democrats and Republicans, including casting my vote twice for Donald Trump, I am very frustrated to see our elected officials in Washington playing politics over the budget package that would be a lifeline for me and millions of other hard-working Americans. These bills would ensure more affordable housing support and cheaper utility bills, and lower health care costs. That would help me and many others.
It’s time for Republicans to help working people who are suffering right now. Supporting the budget bill shouldn’t break down along political lines. Our representatives should be united in finding a solution. I’m praying that that will happen and Congress will pass this bill. Not just for me, but for all Americans who need help.
- WorkMoney member Debbie Zellner, Hamilton
The section in the Nov. 7 Dayton Daily News on healthy aging contains a number of suggestions that people should consider as they get older. Unfortunately, many of them fall into the same category as the best time to plant a tree. From my perspective as a geriatrician, I would like to add some additional comments for those who didn’t get around to planting the tree 30 or more years ago.
Trying to define or describe “healthy aging” has been challenging, and a search for alternative terms has gone on for decades. One alternative is “successful aging.” In a book by the same name, Rowe and Kahn suggest that a person who is aging successfully has a high level of engagement with life, low risk of disease, and high physical and cognitive levels of function. If we accept these criteria, between a fifth and a third of older adults are successful. Other researchers have been more liberal, perhaps more realistic, in their definition of success by acknowledging that many of us will have 2 or 3 chronic diseases by the time we reach old age, but we still have a high level of engagement with life and high physical and cognitive levels of function. In some circles, doing the best you can with the hand you were dealt is described as optimal aging.
Another factor affecting successful or optimal aging is frailty. Some older adults, with or without chronic disease, become frail, meaning they are weak, have little energy, and don’t get around very well. People who are frail tend to have poor health outcomes, but some of them are resilient and can still experience optimal aging. People who are most likely to be resilient tend to have an engaging, easy-going temperament, good self-regulation skills, warm trusting relationships, and a strong external support system.
There is hope for those of us who are not running marathons or even playing pickle ball. That hope for aging optimally depends on staying connected with family and friends and maintaining strong external supports.
- Larry Lawhorne, Kettering
The economy is still struggling from the pandemic and from the consequences of our polluting the climate. Congress is attempting to address this by a reconciliation package that is hotly debated. One major focus is how Congress will cover the cost of these new programs. I hope Congressman Tim Ryan will oppose an increase in the federal tax on tobacco products. We have two priorities: recover from the pandemic and structure our economy to be able to take on the post pandemic future. Congress must seize the moment. We must change behaviors and undo pollution from the last 100 years. Now is not the time to tax products, particularly those used by low-income workers. Many other taxes and incentives go much farther to save the environment, provide jobs, and healthy, productive citizens. There are much more appropriate tax targets before smokers. Tobacco taxes are regressive and disproportionately hurt poor people. By raising taxes on those who make less than $400,000, a tobacco tax goes against President Biden’s commitment not to do so. And thousands of American jobs and businesses, including my favorite cigar lounge, local wholesalers, and distributors, rely on sales of tobacco products to remain afloat. The loss of sales affects jobs, and that ripples through the economy. While it might be easy to have “sin taxes” on tobacco products, these hurt the very people Tim Ryan represents. Thus, I hope Representative Tim Ryan will take a stand against increasing federal tobacco taxes.
- Brian McCann, Columbus