Margaret Dixon, president-elect of the American Association of Retired Persons, said Saturday the responsibility for a bright future lies on the shoulders of all three generations in America today -- the World War II generation, the baby boomers and college students.
Calling for "a contract between generations of America," Dixon appeared with three other people on a panel discussion titled "Economic Security/Insecurity -- Who's Responsible? Your Generation, Mine or Ours?"
The other panelists included Howard Dean, who is currently the governor of Vermont, Fernando Torres-Gil, the first assistant secretary of aging in the Department of Health and Human Services and Robert Keeshan '42, television's Captain Kangaroo and founder of Corporate Child Care, Inc. Thomas Rath '67 moderated the discussion.
About 200 people attended the discussion, whichwas part of this weekend's symposium, "Joining the Generations." The panelists discussed current topics in social security benefits, health care rights and welfare privileges.
"We must inject values of self-reliance and responsibility," Torres-Gil said.
The panelists all said the social security system needs to be reformed. Some of the suggestions included changing benefit structures and raising the eligibility age for social security since life expectancy has increased 10 years since World War II.
Dean suggested civil rights statutes and age discrimination laws be more strictly enforced as a way of ensuring job security for Americans over the age of 55.
Dixon said, "You can't save too much for retirement and you can't start too early."
Dean also suggested a universal health care program for America. "We can do this inexpensively," he said. "We shouldn't have Medicare, Medicaid and [Veterans Affairs]. We should have one system for everybody."
Keeshan, who called children the "major underclass," discussed the problems plaguing American children today, such as teen pregnancy and drug abuse.
"Children haven't changed in the last 20 or 30 years -- the nurturing system is what has changed radically," he said. According to Keeshan, the divorce rate in the United States is 50 percent and one million babies were born to teenagers last year.
The panelists said American citizens need to be held more accountable for the future of America.
But they also criticized such welfare cuts as the Women, Infants and Children program and the school lunch program, calling them "insignificant expenditures."
The panelists said unity should play a large role in accomplishing these goals. "We must think of ourselves as Americans first and special interests groups second," Dean said.
