Lessons From Four Decades in Aging Policy: What a Long Fine Trip It’s Been

Abstract

Early in her career, a young professor was invited to testify at a state budget subcommittee hearing. She donned her power suit and boarded an early morning flight to the state capital. On arriving, she was surprised to find the room already crowded, although the hearing would be widely broadcast. As she obsessively reviewed her notes and underlined key points (fragmented delivery system, unintended consequences of cost containment, rationalizing services by consolidation), she noticed a seasoned legislative staffer heading her way. Sitting down and greeting her like an old friend, the staffer leaned in and said sotto voce, “Let’s see what you got there.” Commandeering the pen and paper, the staffer began to read and delete, crossing out vast sections of each page, saying “You don’t want to say that!” “They won’t care about this,” “This is ok; keep this.” As she handed the pages back, she advised, “Don’t take it personally; the chair can be pretty rude.” Glancing at the edited pages, the professor heard “We’d like to call our first panel” and then her name.