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Jeff's Positions on Key Issues
Please read the information below to learn about Jeff Thielman’s positions on important issues that will be addressed by your next State Representative:
(use the links to the left to see different issues)
Seniors
Many people in Arlington and West Medford are caring for aging parents, and many seniors I meet are concerned about the rising cost of health care, particularly prescription drugs, as well as rising property taxes and other expenses. Our seniors have worked hard and deserve support, security, and dignity. How government cares for seniors is a statement of our values as a Commonwealth.
Here’s what I want to work on if elected to the State Legislature to help our seniors:
- First we have to reduce the pressure seniors feel from rising property taxes by closing corporate tax loopholes, generating more state revenue, and returning more aid to local communities like Arlington and Medford. The more aid we have, the less pressure there is to increase property taxes. Many of our communities’ seniors own their own homes, live on fixed incomes, and are concerned about being forced to sell their homes as their property taxes increase.
- We need to pass legislation that would make it easier to find highly qualified and reliable Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) by creating a registry and providing training, licensing, and certification. Seniors deserve to spend their final years in their homes, and the state needs to provide the resources to make this possible.
- The prescription drug program at the federal level is inadequate. Thankfully, Massachusetts offers Prescription Advantage. This program must be fully funded, and we must ensure that more seniors learn about it.
- Many seniors in our communities receive assistance from local senior centers. Arlington’s Council on Aging, for example, sees about 3,000 of the town’s 9,000 seniors (residents over age 60) each year. The Council’s staff includes two social workers who help families in important ways. We need to increase the state’s contribution to cities and towns for elder services, and we can start by increasing the state’s per senior contribution from $6.50 currently to at least $7.00.
The largest source of financial support for seniors is the federal Social Security program. State Legislators do not oversee this program, but as a state lawmaker, I will speak out and fight aggressively against any effort to privatize Social Security. Privatization would hurt many seniors as well put an economic strain on many families in our state.
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