Many of my friends are technically “senior citizens,” although almost every one of them would balk at the term. In fact, one friend remarked to me a few weeks ago, that she finds it funny that she’s reached the only time in a person’s life where it’s not a good thing to be a “senior”. I value these friendships, the mentorship and wisdom that they share with me. I know what a great asset our older citizens are and will work hard to make sure they can age in their community with dignity and confidence.
Creating policies to keep our senior citizens active and engaged is the right thing to do, and it’s a smart economic choice. Seniors contribute to our economy in many ways – through working, volunteering, serving as family caregivers, and more. Additionally, active and engaged seniors stay healthy longer – reducing health care costs. We must do more to make aging in one’s home a viable option. We can address our cracked & crumbling sidewalks and make crosswalks safer. This ties in with smart development principles I have been talking about throughout this election.
A major issue right now is public transportation. I support the advocacy efforts to restore the free bus pass for seniors. Additionally, we need to make sure the transportation is professional, courteous and reliable so that folks can get where they need to go in a safe and timely manner.
We must do more to support our senior centers. Local senior centers are a lifeline for folks who rely on them for communication about services and programs, their community and social support. Increased support to senior centers can be doubled with efforts to provide volunteers for other critical services and projects such as mentoring our youth to provide inter-generational connections.
I am committed to working on behalf of our Seniors and will be your advocate in the Senate.
Dawn Euer
