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AARP teams with Iowa business, industry,
education and labor to spur action on health
care, long-term financial security
Diverse groups join national debate on critical
domestic issues; New AARP…Survey shows strong
support for change
DES MOINES, Iowa, March 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- America's largest advocacy organization, with 38 million members
including 380,000 Iowans, today announced its national, grassroots
issues campaign is beginning in Iowa as part of the January 2008
caucuses.
AARP CEO Bill Novelli, former Iowa
Governor Terry Branstad (R-Lake Mills), and leaders of the state's
business, industry, education and labor communities joined together
at the Iowa State Capitol to launch "Divided We Fail, Together We
Can Do Anything."
The diverse "Divided We Fail" alliance
will work together in Iowa over the next 10 months, leading up to
the caucuses on January 14, 2008, to urge action from elected
leaders on the issues of health and long-term financial security.
This is the first grassroots operation publicly underway as part of
AARP's national effort with the Business Roundtable and Service
Employees International Union (SEIU).
"Together, we represent
more than 50 million Americans and their families.
And we are standing united -- here in Iowa and
across the country -- to demand action, answers,
accountability and an end to gridlock," said Novelli.
In Iowa, the initial "Divided We Fail"
campaign includes AARP, the Principal Financial Group, Des Moines
University, the Iowa Health Care Association, DeWaay Capital
Management, and Iowa SEIU, with additional organizations joining in
the coming weeks.
These organizations will collaborate to
use the influence of their combined institutional reach to amplify
the message that attaining health and long-term financial security
is vital for all Americans, and that
these issues must be included in the national electoral debate.
"The rising costs of health care and
the low rate of savings among Americans cause grave concern for
long-term financial security. We are pleased to join AARP and a
diverse group of leading Iowa organizations in urging those seeking
to lead our nation to clearly address their proposed solutions,"
said former Gov. Terry Branstad, President of Des Moines University.
Bruce Koeppl, AARP Iowa "Divided We
Fail" Campaign Manager, said results of a new survey of 400
registered Iowa voters age 18+, finds that while more than
two-thirds of Iowans believe the legislative system in Washington is
seriously broken (80.2 percent for Democrats; 54.1 percent for
Republicans), a 58 percent majority believe the country's health
care and financial security systems can be fixed, without adding to
the deficit and burdening future generations.
"Iowa voters of both parties share
strong opinions on these issues, and agree on the need to move
forward," said Koeppl. "Divided We Fail is ultimately about bringing
these issues center stage so that caucus-goers have the information
they need to make informed choices."
Koeppl said a key tactic in moving the
issues forward is joining with a diverse group of Iowa businesses
and organizations to use their collective networks and outreach
efforts to get Iowans of all ages, backgrounds and political
affiliations involved with the issues.
"Rapidly escalating health care costs,
shortfalls in quality and safety, and the high number of uninsureds
threaten the long-term prosperity of America's consumers and
businesses and the economy in general. Americans are ready for
fundamental change. This coalition can serve as a positive catalyst
for change," said John Aschenbrenner, President of Insurance and
Financial Services, The Principal Financial Group.
"We all agree that the health and
long-term financial security crises in America need to be addressed
by our political leaders," said Steve Ackerson, Executive Director
of the Iowa Health Care Association.
"Divided We Fail will provide an
excellent opportunity for 2008 candidates to discuss the importance
of individual retirement planning," said Don DeWaay, founder of
DeWaay Capital Management. "Iowans need to hear about the
opportunities that are available to them to ensure they have a
long-term financial plan that works."
In addition to banding together with
diverse organizations, Koeppl said during the caucus season, the
Iowa Divided We Fail campaign will encompass additional coalition
building to expand the network of organizations involved; a series
of at least 40 local town hall meetings and candidate events on the
issues; member engagement and volunteer mobilization, involving
outreach to the more than 380,000 Iowa AARP members; extensive
newspaper, TV and radio advertising;
plus online activities to engage the public, business and elected
officials in the debate, and encourage public leaders to offer
solutions.
Koeppl said the Iowa campaign will be
coordinated with national and other primary state efforts in tandem
with a team of Iowa Divided We Fail dedicated staff including two
Iowans Pete Jeffries, former Senior Counsel for the Nussle for
Governor campaign, and Betsy Shelton, former Chief of Staff for
former First Lady Christie Vilsack.
Novelli summed up the effort by saying,
"Congress and the President must act soon before our options become
too few and the costs prohibitive. None of us can do this alone --
this partnership is vital to the success of realized real change.
Divided we fail, but, united we succeed."
Divided We Fail, the most ambitious
efforts in AARP's 49-year history, is designed to engage the
American people, elected officials and the business community to
find broad-based, bi-partisan solutions to the most compelling
domestic issues facing the nation -- health care and the long-term
financial security of Americans.
More information about these efforts can
be found at the newly launched website,
http://www.dividedwefail.org and on the Iowa AARP webpage at
http://www.aarp.org/ia.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence,
choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to
them and society as a whole.
We produce AARP The Magazine, published
bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda
Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live &
Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50 + educators; and our website,
http://www.aarp.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity
that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons
in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and
sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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