Social Security, Medicare: Focus of June 12 Maui Debate

Case and Hirono. File photos.

By Wendy Osher

Maui voters will have an opportunity to view a live forum and debate between US Senate candidates Ed Case and Mazie Hirono.

The event is hosted by AARP Hawaii, with the forum portion of the event focusing on Social Security and Medicare, as well as other issues of concern to residents age 50 and over.

The issues forum runs from 9 to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 12, at the Maui Beach Hotel, Elleair Room.  The forum will be followed by a candidate debate between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., featuring Case and Hirono, both democratic candidates for the US Senate.

Officials with AARP say Hawaii is home to 210,000 Medicare beneficiaries and more than 234,000 residents who rely on Social Security as the foundation of their economic security – including 172,000 retirees.

With two months to go before the primary election, AARP is hoping to obtain information on where candidates stand on protecting these programs for present and future generations, and gathering information on whether benefits are at risk.

The event is free and open to the public. Donations to the Hawaii Food Bank are encouraged.

To register to be in attendance, individuals can call toll-free 1-877-926-8300 or visit AARP online at: http://aarp.cvent.com/mauidebate.

No promotional t-shirts, signs, banners, balloons or campaign signage of any kind will be permitted inside the event.

There are a total of three joint appearances planned this week featuring both Case and Hirono.  The events are as follows:

• AARP HI Case vs. Hirono debate and 50+ Issue Forum: Tuesday, June 12, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m., Maui Beach Hotel – Elleair Room, 170 Kaahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732.  Register online to attend at www.aarp.org.
• Hawaii Public Radio debate: Wednesday, June 13, 7 – 8 p.m., Hawaii Public Radio studio, 738 Kaheka Street, Honolulu Hi, 96814.  Live on the radio on HPR-1 (KHPR 88.1, KKUA 90.7 and KANO 91.1) and streaming live online at HawaiiPublicRadio.org
• Insights on PBS Hawaii: Thursday, June 14, 8 – 9 p.m., PBS Hawaii studio, 2350 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI 96822.  Live broadcast on television on PBS Hawaii, Channels 10 and 11. Rebroadcast at 1pm on Saturday, June 16.

Officials at AARP say their focus is to inform members and the general public on candidates’ positions on the issues most important to Americans age 50 and older.

AARP is a membership organization for people age 50 and older with nearly 150,000 members in Hawaii. The group champions access to affordable, quality health care , provides the tools needed to save for retirement, and serves as an information source on issues critical to older Americans.