Political Quotes

“May 1 will mark the beginning of Older Americans Month, a time to honor the many contributions our seniors make to our communities. In honor of Older Americans Month, I would like to congratulate Illinois' 13 area agencies on aging--AAAs--on 50 years of service to Illinois seniors. As the saying goes: With age, comes wisdom. But living a long, full life also means facing life's many changes, challenges, and uncertainties. Let me take you back to 1965. Thanks to modern medicine and science, Americans were living longer than ever before. Every 20 seconds, an American was turning 65. But that progress exposed a lack of support for the needs of the older population. While more Americans were living longer, many were living their Golden Years in poverty, alone, and without the services and care they needed. They had nowhere else to turn. At this same time, President Lyndon B. Johnson was pursuing an ambitious agenda of domestic policies aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice, his ``Great Society.'' Recognizing our ``nation's sense of responsibility toward the well-being of our older citizens,'' President Johnson signed the Older Americans Act--OAA--on July 14, 1965. This legislation paved the way for the creation of a nationwide network of area agencies on aging--AAA--that would support the health, social, and economic well-being of older people and their caregivers.…”