Democrats Court Seniors for Congressional Races

Press Release

Democrats court seniors for congressional races

South Florida's three Democratic candidates for Congress made their pitch to seniors Saturday, saying they would fight the privatization of Social Security, negotiate lower drug prices, and expand programs to graduate more geriatricians and nurses.

Joe Garcia, Raul Martinez and Annette Taddeo also touched on other hot-button issues and jabbed at their opponents before the supportive crowd of about 70 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami in Kendall.

The three spoke at a meeting of the Gray Panthers of South Dade, an advocacy group for seniors interested in social-justice issues. Group leaders said they had invited the Republican incumbents but did not receive replies.

Asked how the government could give seniors access to cheaper, better long-term care, Garcia, who is challenging Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, said Congress should allocate the funds on healthcare to more cost-effective programs -- including universities to teach more nurses, medical technicians and doctors who specialize in elderly care.

''Whenever government wants to do something, government can do it,'' agreed Martinez, who is running against Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart in District 21.

Taddeo said her opponent, District 18 Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, voted against negotiating with pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices and reimportation of drugs from Canada, two changes that Taddeo would support.

''When you agree with George Bush and you want to privatize Social Security, you are not a moderate,'' she said of Ros-Lehtinen.

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