Commerce Group to Hear Medicare Talk

Former Minnesota Congressman Timothy J. Penny will discuss the future of Medicare at a meeting of the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. on Thursday in Woodland Hills.

Since he left office two years ago, Penny, a Democrat who represented Minnesota for 12 years, has addressed health-care and business organizations as a spokesman for the Healthcare Leadership Council and the Coalition to Save Medicare.

He will speak at a VICA general membership luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Warner Center Marriott, 21850 Oxnard St. Penny said he intends to discuss the impending crisis of the current Medicare system.

“He’s one of the good guys,” Alan Ungar, VICA federal issues committee co-chairman, said of Penny. “He did a lot of bipartisan work while he was in office and he’s a straight shooter.”

“There is no disputing that the program is in financial trouble and those problems only grow with each impending year,” Penny said. “I want to educate the public about the nature of the situation and some of the possible solutions.”

As the author of “Common Cents,” an insider’s view of the way Congress works, Penny often talks about the politics behind issues. “There is a lot of political rhetoric out there on the Medicare issue. It’s regrettable but understandable in an election year.”

VICA is a nonpartisan business advocacy group that promotes the business community’s agenda to elected officials and the public. Ungar said the state of Medicare will affect nearly everyone as the number of people reaching 65 increases, with no additional funding or cuts in services.

“This is a very important problem that affects us all,” he said. “On a federal level, it has to be solved, because to go on as it is would put too great a burden on our future generations. It’s a bubble that’s waiting to explode.”

Fee for the luncheon, open to the public, is $20. For information, call (818) 888-2228.