1. Demography is Destiny “Setting the Stage” Barry Bluestone John Sarvey The Open Classroom Spring 2010

2. Happy Birthday Baby Boomers  Two weeks ago, the first official Baby Boomer turned 65 – Kathy Casey-Kirschling  Baby Boom Generation – Born between 1946 and 1964 – 78 million births  Boomers are now hitting age 65 at a rate of more than 8,000 a day  Are they that different from those who came before and those who were born after?

3. American Generations  1900-1924 “GI Generation” Came of age during WWI and WWII  1925-1945 “Silent Generation” Children of the Great Depression and WWII  1946-1964 “The Baby Boom Generation” Post-WWII Glory Days Children … and Viet Nam  1965-1979 “Generation X” An age of Economic Malaise  1980-2000 “The Millennials” (Generation Y) A return to public conservatism  2001-2011 “New Silent Generation” (Generation Z) Post-9/11 Generation

4. The Baby Boomers  Healthiest, best-educated, and wealthiest in the nation’s history  A generation that spans the Beatles and Springsteen  Crusaded to end a war and stop the spread of nukes  Powered an explosion in technology  Fueled the feminist revolution and joined the battle for civil rights Source: ARPP Bulletin, January-February 2011

5. But … a Generation that has  Saved too little  Eaten too much  Borrowed beyond its means  This “trifecta” puts our health care system, our economy, and the well- being of our children and our parents at risk Source: ARPP Bulletin, January-February 2011

6. Will this set off Generational Conflict?  Education vs. Social Security?  Children’s health vs. Medicare?  Popular tax cuts vs. tax policy enabling people to work longer? Source: ARPP Bulletin, January-February 2011

7. Boomsday Christopher Buckley’s 2007 Novel  In Boomsday, Cassandra Devine, a trendy 29-year-old PR whiz, touts a way to ease Boomers’ pressure on Medicare and Social Security.  Give boomers incentives, she suggests – free Botox and no estate tax, for starters – if they agree to commit suicide at age 70  “Voluntary Transitioning,” she calls it and it eventually inspires a presidential campaign  That in turn ignites fiery opposition from the religious right …  And from boomers upset by demonstrations that block golf courses in their retirement communities. Source: ARPP Bulletin, January-February 2011

8. The Alternative?  As boomers arrive at 65 in these grim economic times, we understand that generations need each other  “It’s not a fight. It’s a Family”  Generations United: “Good policies – Social Security, public education, and affordable health care – do not impact one generation at the expense of another. We must look at generations as interdependent.” Source: ARPP Bulletin, January-February 2011

9. We need an “Adult Conversation” – something seemingly missing in Washington, D.C. today  How do we deal “with a nation that faces gigantic budget deficits and a mix of government services and obligations that are out of whack and out of date?” Source: ARPP Bulletin, January-February 2011