The three gubernatorial candidates addressed about 400 people at a Richmond forum sponsored by AARP Virginia Monday and, not surprisingly, told the crowd why old people should vote for them.
Mr. Russ “Blunt Talk” Potts, 66, noted that he was the only candidate who was a member of the American Association of Retired People and “the only guy with gray hair running in this race.” Wow, that’s a great way to get someone to identify with your vision for Virginia — emphasize your similarity in age. Let’s see. I’m 52. Tim Kaine is five years younger, Jerry Kilgore is eight years younger, and Russ Potts is 12 years older than me. I guess that means I should vote for Kaine. And I would, oh, yes, I would, if it weren’t for the fact that…
Kaine’s idea of appealing to old people is to shovel money at them. He would seek additional money from the 2006 state budget if rising heat bills begin to hurt low-income seniors, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He said he’d spend more money on Meals for Wheels, an adult day care service for the handicapped that has a long waiting list. And he bragged about the Warner administration’s track record of boosting the pay of caregivers and Medicaid reimbursement rates.
Kilgore matched Kaine pander for pander. He, too, would seek to help old folks hurt by rising heating costs, increase funding for rural medical clinics, and give tax incentives for the purchase of long-term care insurance.
If I were running for governor, here’s what I would tell old people: You old people have more disposable income, more assets and more free time than your children and grandchildren. Sure, some of you are poor, and I’ll make sure that there’s a social safety net to guarantee that your basic needs are taken care of. But I’m not treating you as a privileged class deserving of special consideration based on your age. What I will do is stop sticking it to your children and grand-children by promising you stuff and taxing them to pay for it!
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