TheWiseOldFart

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart I am nearly 78 years old. However, watching interviews on television, I am positive that I know more about everything than 98 percent of our nation’s people 30 years old and younger. I am also more informed than anyone aged 50 or under. I am disgusted with television and the print media for making President Biden’s age an issue. He has accomplished more in one term than any president since Bill Clinton. He has worked harder than Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump combined to solve our most important domestic issues. TRUMP IS OLDER THAN BIDEN PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY On November 5, 2024, the President will be 81 years old. He will be 82 later in the month. Trump will be 78, and his 79 th birthday will be in June of 2025. They are both elderly. However, chronological age at this point in their lives is less critical than their physical and mental health. Judging the President by his accomplishments and his work ethic is far greater than most individuals his ...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   My wife and I each paid into Social Security for more than 40 years. When we became eligible for Medicare, we would be required to pay about 150 dollars per month for part “B,” each, and that didn’t cover everything we might need including vision care and prescription medicine. People half our age are now receiving comprehensive healthcare under the Affordable Care Act, “or Obamacare,” for as little as 20-30 dollars per month without contributing any additional funds to Medicare. What’s wrong with this picture? With a fixed income from Social Security of about $3,000 a month, we make too much money to qualify for assistance from any agency. Our food bill has increased by more than 30 percent. Gas and electric bills have increased by more than 27 percent. We cannot afford Medicare part “B” and continue to pay our monthly bills, all necessities. We do not have food delivered or go to restaurants. All of our money helps us maintain a meager lifestyle. We’re n...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Greedflation, increases in Medicare, and insufficient increases in Social Security prove that our government and corporate America are colluding to kill older Americans as quickly as possible. My wife and I have one income: our Social Security. We struggled as millions of others do. In 2019 we were surviving, and that is the only accurate term I could use. Today our food bill has increased by about 35 percent. Our gas and electric bill increased 37 percent. Gasoline prices have risen by more than 40 percent. Medicare has risen by about 20 percent. I have found ways to reduce our automobile and homeowner’s insurance, but every other necessary expenditure has increased. The 8.5 percent increase in our Social Security checks we began receiving in January of this year fail to compensate for the increase in the cost of necessities. Greedflation, a planned increase in commodities, and a minimal increase in Social Security in 2024 will endanger our very existence...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Moscow Mitch McConnell is the Senate minority leader, serving his 7 th term. He is 81 years of age. Recently, he took a fall and later was led off a stage during a news conference as he was unable to speak. He is too old and unfit to serve the people of Kentucky or our nation. Fact: the average age of our nation’s people is 38.9 year of age. The average age of Congress is 64 years of age. 54 senators are over 65. In the House, there are 141 men and women who qualify for social security. The largest demographic belongs to millennials. Pure white Americans are declining to reproduce, while Black Americans and Hispanics continue to have children. Our nation is becoming younger, and the Senate, older. Our government does not represent our people. One other statistic which applies: women compose 51 percent of our population, but approximately 27 percent of our federal government is composed of women. Republicans have a total of 40, only 7.5 percent of the tota...

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart   Consumer Cellular, Hartford Insurance; these are two major companies who actually care about the American people. These two companies appreciate seniors and offer great service at a fair price. However, most corporations take advantage of older Americans and make our final years more difficult. My bride and I are seniors. We have our monthly social security checks as our sole income. Neither of us were ever employed in a business which offered a realistic retirement plan. Therefore, every dollar is crucial. Most of our creditors don’t care. NV Energy recently raised our gas and electric bill 37 percent, although our usage has been lower than in years past. In an act of pure “Greedflation,” corporate America has raised prices on everything. Our grocery bill is 12 percent higher than one year ago. Although we received an 8.5% increase in our monthly income last year, it was far below what we needed to compensate for our government’s failure to protect consum...

                                                                 Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart Time is a cruel mistress. As we age it is impossible to maintain the physical abilities we enjoyed when we were half our age. However, I hope that life has taught us many valuable lessons and therefore we are wiser and possess more knowledge about the world we live in and the reality which exists around us. I will be 77 years old in just over a week. When I turned 70, I began to fall into a trap. Memories of my past made me sad. Although many of them will be cherished forever, I allowed myself to believe that the future would never contain great joy and I would fail to find excitement in my meager accomplishments as a much older man. This form of “defeatism” must be quashed. I am learning to accept what I cannot do and treasure what I ca...