Norm Wernet, State Director for the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about efforts to fix the gerrymandered districts in the state. Wernet also talked about the potential attacks on retirement age and the impact these attacks could have on the American population.
Wernet discussed the past legal cases that determined Ohio voting districts are illegal. A group known as Citizens Not Politicians is working with the Ohio Alliance to earn the signatures needed to have a ballot issue that would remove politicians from the redistricting efforts if approved by voters.
There are a number of candidates running for the presidency who are seeking to raise the age for retirement. For every year the age requirement is raised, workers lose about 20 percent of their benefits, which will never be recouped. In short, raising the age of retirement will harm the economy, Wernet said.
Wernet continued by saying if the government attacks retirement benefits, it will ensure that retirees lose their autonomy. Along with the loss of autonomy, retirees will also lose their ability to positively influence the economy. The loss of these economic benefits would create a gap in the economy’s stability, damaging the entire population simultaneously, Wernet said.
Hear more from Wernet by listening to the show above.