Social Security: the hottest item at Conference on Aging

THE BIGGEST item on the agenda at the 3rd White House Conference on Aging will be the problems in the social security system. "It's the hottest issue in town," said Peg Blaser, director of the Illinois Department on Aging and Gov. James R. Thompson's choice as chairman of the Illinois delegation to the conference, to be held November 30 through December 4 in Washington, D.C.

It was also the hottest issue at the Illinois White House Conference on Aging, held in Champaign-Urbana in May, where senior citizens from all over the state attempted to put together a "platform" to present at the national conference. "[Senior citizens] view Social Security as a contract between them and the government. And they feel now that government may try to change the terms of the contract. Mainly they are concerned with protecting the basic system," Blaser said. Blaser feels that with the "difficult economic times" changes will have to be made in the system, "even if it means cutting some benefits in supplemental categories like benefits for college students, or financing [social security] through general funds."

The two previous national conferences, which are held every 10 years, led to the creation of the current medicaid and medicare programs. Will such consensus be realized at the upcoming conference? "I think we will be able to reach agreement and make some recommendations at the conference," Blaser said. Aside from the overriding issue of social security, the conference, according to Blaser, "is an opportunity for senior citizens in Illinois and across the country to get together and discuss common problems in the 80s, to try to establish common ground for discussion." A total of 24 delegates and 23 alternates were selected by Thompson to attend the conference. The Illinois conference elected 23 more and the state's congressional delegation also selected delegates, including state Rep. Josephine K. Oblinger (R., Sherman), who is former director of the Department on Aging and the choice of Sen. Charles H. Percy.         John G. Martin