LAUDERHILL - Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Lieberman set up a town hall-type meeting in Broward County Thursday to talk about issues vital to seniors. So he was caught off guard by one attendee's question.
Seventy-five-year-old Alice Romans, seated in the front row, asked, "What about the young people walking the streets with their dropped pants?"
Lieberman quickly recovered from his surprise. "All right, where's my staff? What's my position on dropped pants?" he said with a broad smile as his audience roared.
Lieberman's hourlong appearance focused mainly on the plight of poor seniors dealing with federal Medicaid rules. He said too many are forced into poverty when they need nursing home care, preventing them from "retiring with dignity."
The Connecticut senator, the Democrats' 2000 vice presidential nominee, vowed if elected to reform a part of the rules that deny long-term care benefits to about 2-million seniors with more than $2,000 in assets.
"That means people either have to be in poverty or red ink or spend themselves into the poor house by giving away your assets to get the care you need and deserve," Lieberman told the group of about 60. "To me, that's an insult." He said the rules under Medicaid, the joint state-federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled, remain too stringent and the maximum asset level to qualify for nursing home care - $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 per couple - has not been increased since 1989.
His plan would allow seniors to maintain assets such as savings, burial plots and family jewelry, allow middle class families to hold onto family homes and reduce paperwork and bureaucracy in the system.
Lieberman said the Bush administration has focused too heavily on tax cuts to help the wealthy while "nickel and diming the people who really do need the help."
Lieberman was wrapping up a two-day visit to Florida.
