AARP's $83 Million Dollar Hand Out From the Federal Government

The AP reports on the hardly downtrodden senior lobby:

Conservative groups urged Congress on Tuesday to end all federal funds to AARP, saying it was wrong for the seniors group to be receiving tens of millions in taxpayer dollars at the same time it was campaigning against administration policies.

"AARP does not have the right to expect taxpayers to foot the bill to help advance its political agenda," said John Carlisle of the National Legal and Policy Center, author of a paper on federal funding to the seniors organization.

David Sloane, senior managing director of government relations at AARP, said the paper was a "sour grapes" response to the coalition's failure to advance President Bush's proposal to privatize Social Security, which AARP opposed.

Sloane said AARP participates in competitive bidding for all federal grants and has shown good results in its federally backed program to find employment for low-income seniors. He said financing for the foundation that runs such programs is totally separated from other AARP activities, including political lobbying.

Carlisle said AARP's 2004 annual report showed $878 million in revenue. In the same year it received about $83 million from the federal government through a variety of grants.

Rent-seeking has never been so fun and profitable.The AARP is in a league of their own.Let's here it for free health care for George Soros just because he's over 65.