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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
October 15, 2012 Aldira Aldape, Centro Hispano Milwaukee/Council for the Spanish Speaking, Inc. (414) 384-3700 Ext. 214
Kathy Mimberg, NCLR, (202) 776-1714
kmimberg@nclr.org
Milwaukee community town hall to address Latino seniors’ concerns about the future of Social Security and Medicare
MILWAUKEE—As concern grows over potential cuts to the financial safety net for America’s seniors and disabled, and voters consider the presidential candidates’ policy proposals, NCLR (National Council of La Raza), AARP and Centro Hispano Milwaukee/Council for the Spanish Speaking, Inc. will host a community town hall on Thursday, October 18, to address Social Security and Medicare and their importance to Latino families and the state of Wisconsin.
The forum will begin at 10 a.m. at Centro Hispano Milwaukee, located in the Hillview Building at 1615 S. 22nd Street, 3rd Floor, in Milwaukee. A light breakfast will be served at the event, which is free and open to the public. Experts from AARP and NCLR will discuss the importance of the Social Security and Medicare systems to Hispanics and share analyses of how the presidential candidates’ proposals could change these programs.
Our Social Security system is vital because it is the safest, most efficient, and most reliable way for Americans to guarantee their retirement savings. In an economy where about half of all workers—and two-thirds of Hispanic workers—lack access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, this system is more important than ever. More than 2 million Latino seniors today rely on Social Security benefits they earned while working. Latino seniors are particularly vulnerable to cuts because Social Security benefits represent nearly all of their income.
Medicare and Medicaid are also essential lifelines for vulnerable Americans. An estimated 3.5 million Latino seniors and disabled adults and children use Medicare. One-quarter of all Hispanics on Medicare were also covered by the Medicaid program and are extremely vulnerable to cuts to either program. In addition, the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s health reform law, is critical for Hispanics, since an estimated 6 million Hispanics will gain pathways to health insurance under the new program.
In Wisconsin, Social Security contributes $14 billion annually to the local economy by paying benefits to over 1 million Wisconsin residents, including 716,800 retirees, 146,500 disabled workers and 77,000 children. Almost one in five (18.7 percent) people who live in Wisconsin receives Social Security benefits. About one in ten (11.6 percent) Hispanic households in Wisconsin receives income from Social Security. Medicare contributes another $8 billion to the economy by serving 880,000 residents, and Medicaid also contributes $6.7 billion to the economy by serving 1 million Wisconsin residents. The Milwaukee forum is the seventh in a series of town halls held across the country as part of the “Latinos and Social Security: ¡Tu Futuro Cuenta!” campaign. In addition to experts on this issue, Latino seniors at the event will be available for interviews.
Centro Hispano Milwaukee is a member of the national NCLR Affiliate Network. NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Centro Hispano Milwaukee, established in 1964, making it Milwaukee’s first Hispanic-serving agency, provides educational, housing and social services.
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHAT: Town hall on Social Security and Medicare: How will the proposals by each presidential candidate change these systems? This event is free and open to the public.
WHO: Aldira Aldape, Director, Bilingual Social Services, Centro Hispano Milwaukee
Leticia Miranda, Senior Policy Advisor, Economic Security Policy, NCLR
Lisa Lamkins, AARP Wisconsin Federal Issues Advocacy Director
WHEN: Thursday, October 18, 2012
10 a.m. CDT
WHERE: Centro Hispano Milwaukee/Council for the Spanish Speaking, Inc.
Hillview Building
1615 S. 22nd Street, 3rd Floor
Milwaukee, WI 53204
(free parking available)
Space is limited. To RSVP for this event or to get more information, call Aldira Aldape at (414) 384-3700 Ext. 214, or email aaldape@spanishcenter-milw.org.
For more information about the Centro Hispano Milwaukee, visit www.spanishcenter-milw.org/.
For more information about AARP, visit www.aarp.org.
For more information about NCLR, visit www.nclr.org or www.nclr.org/socialsecurity.
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