Nurses share stories about impact of economy

[scecile]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/16/1007604/-Stories-from-Main-Street:-Nurses-Say-We-All-Deserve-The-Right-To-Retire-With-Dignity-?v

Posted on the Daily Kos

Stories from Main Street: Nurses say everyone deserves to retire with dignity

For years, Americans believed if we worked hard, took care of our families, and followed the rules that we would eventually be allowed to retire with dignity.

That's not the case anymore.

The economic crisis - the situation created by greedy Wall Street executives-has forced older workers to keep punching the time clock each day rather than enjoy the senior years of their lives.

Catie Sager, an RN who works in Leawood, Kan., tells the story of her parents in this video. Her father has struggled with medical problems. Her mother keeps working as they exist paycheck-to-paycheck. Sager lives with them and helps pay the mortgage. Health woes forced Sager's mother to take money out of her 401(k) to help pay the mounting medical bills.

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The Orlando Sentinel did a story recently about how even people with health insurance can't afford treatment and are declaring bankruptcy.

Her parents' retirement plan-like too many Americans - is being pushed back again and again. They had wanted to retire in their mid 60s. Now, her mother is prepared to work until at least 75.

National Nurses United, the largest union and professional organization of registered nurses with 170,000 members across the U.S., has collected hundreds of stories of people who are struggling in these hard economic times.

These stories are part of our campaign for a new Main Street Contract for the American People. It's a movement where everyone in our country will have jobs at a living wage, access to quality education, guaranteed healthcare for all, good housing, protection from hunger, a healthy environment, and a just taxation system.

Sager's video highlights another goal: A secure retirement and the ability to retire with dignity.

The overall labor force participation rate for older adults has grown to 40 percent - the highest level since 1975, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

This trend will continue to grow, the institute reports, because people need access to health insurance and can't afford to retire.

That's why the Main Street contract for the American People is so important. And, why we support taxing Wall Street transactions, a move that would raise more than $350 billion that could be reinvested in America.

In our country, we have a right to retire with dignity.

Please share your own story of how our country's financial downfall is hurting you and learn more about the Main Street contract. Go to www.MainStreetContract.org for more details.

[gettingbsn2msn, MSN, RN]

Loss of RN job.

Loss of 401k (to pay for hospital stay for husband and we had insurance!)

Continuously called off working agency.

House about to go into foreclosure since not working enough.

Going back to school and hope it is worth the $$$ invested.

[cabanaboy]

"It’s a movement where everyone in our country will have jobs at a living wage, access to quality education, guaranteed healthcare for all, good housing, protection from hunger, a healthy environment, and a just taxation system."

Sounds great! But where is the plan to make that happen. Some might argue that our country got into the bind we are in by trying to make sure everyone has everything.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Lost most of 401K when everything dumped.

became ill....lost job

used 401K for living and medical bills......gone

disability finally came through.....still ill, have insurance but still with medical bills weighing everything down.......praying we make it.

32 years registered nurse.....trauma flight nurse, emergency nurse, cath lab nurse, All areas of critical care nurse.......heartbroken.....that my lifetime devotion to my profession who dumped me like a hot potato and that I probably won't be able to give my chidren what my parents gave me...

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

Some might say we got in the bind we are in by fighting 2 unfunded wars, deregulating financial institutions, extending/taking out loans without the means to pay them off and shipping jobs overseas.

[cabanaboy]

Some might say we got in the bind we are in by fighting 2 unfunded wars, deregulating financial institutions, extending/taking out loans without the means to pay them off and shipping jobs overseas.

"extending/taking out loans without the means to pay them off"

I agree with you there. That's where things went downhill in a hurry. Our lawmakers made rules and regulations that made it easy for people who couldn't afford a house to buy a house, or a bigger house then they could afford. That is the real cause of the recession and drop in stock market (and therefore our 401k's).

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

Back to the original topic of this thread:

I am 54 years old, watching my 401(k) wither away and listening to politicians plotting to do away with the other insurance programs (Medicare and Social Security) that I have been paying into since I was 16 years old. I used to assume that our home would be sort of a retirement fund, but its value has plummeted due to over-saturation of the market.

My 30 year old son has been unemployed for 1 1/2 years but at least I have been able to keep him on my medical insurance, but he has no savings or assets.

I probably won't ever retire because people in my family tend not to live to 70, but I worry about my husband and son.

I

[scecile]

This is why we need to tax Wall Street. They got us in this mess. They made billions while the rest of us lost and keep losing. The masterminds behind our recession are sitting pretty from all the bailout money and golden parachutes.

Adding a tiny bit of tax on Wall Street transcations would raise billions. That's why I totally support the Main Street Contract and encourage others to get beind it, too. It's not taking a political side -- both Democrats and Republicans screwed us. It's standing up and fighting back as a community.

[cabanaboy]

This is why we need to tax Wall Street. They got us in this mess. They made billions while the rest of us lost and keep losing. The masterminds behind our recession are sitting pretty from all the bailout money and golden parachutes.

Adding a tiny bit of tax on Wall Street transcations would raise billions. That's why I totally support the Main Street Contract and encourage others to get beind it, too. It's not taking a political side -- both Democrats and Republicans screwed us. It's standing up and fighting back as a community.

You obviously work in some capacity for National Nurses United. You'll need to come up with a better camapign to get your hands on my money, which is your ultimate objective. Most nurses aren't going to believe that "taxing Wall Street" (I don't even know what that means, and not sure you do either) is going to make sure that I have a job, food, education, etc.

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

"Taxing Wall Street" refers to a bill proposed by Congressman Peter DeFazio of Oregon that would impose a .25% tax on stock transactions >$100,000. In theory this would dampen excessive risk-taking, such as was seen in the derivative debacle.

So cabanaboy, unless you own Exxon, are a billionaire, have a coporate jet, or make stock deals of $100,000 on a regular basis, I don't want your money.

[cabanaboy]

"Taxing Wall Street" refers to a bill proposed by Congressman Peter DeFazio of Oregon that would impose a .25% tax on stock transactions >$100,000. In theory this would dampen excessive risk-taking, such as was seen in the derivative debacle.

So cabanaboy, unless you own Exxon, are a billionaire, have a coporate jet, or make stock deals of $100,000 on a regular basis, I don't want your money.

Thanks for that info. I'm not convinced that go as far as to make sure we all have well-paying jobs, homes, insurance, etc, but at least I see there is some sort of rationale behind the plan.

I didn't say you wanted my money. I was speaking about the union who wants more members ie. more membership dues and are trying to do so seemingly by encouraging class warfare.

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

Thanks for that info. I'm not convinced that go as far as to make sure we all have well-paying jobs, homes, insurance, etc, but at least I see there is some sort of rationale behind the plan.

I didn't say you wanted my money. I was speaking about the union who wants more members ie. more membership dues and are trying to do so seemingly by encouraging class warfare.

Class warfare - http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-august-18-2011/world-of-class-warfare---the-poor-s-free-ride-is-over?xrs=share_copy