October 22nd - Iza Mae Harper

The Jameson Inn of Eufaula is not at the end of TV McCool Lane. Whether or not you believe everything Google tells you or not, this is a fact. What is at the end of this small residential street on the banks of Lake Eufaula in Alabama is the home of Iza Mae Harper.

Iza Mae Harper on her porch in Eufaula on October 22nd, 2008

Like so many elderly in the United States,  64-year-old Harper is concerned about the future of Social Security. Throughout our hour long conversation she explained how difficult her life would become if she wasn’t to receive her $770 check from the Social Security Administration each month.

“I’m downright scared that Social Security is going to go away,” Harper said. “I’ve worked for over 40 years and this house and that check is what I got.”

Harper’s husband William, a 73-year-old veteran of the Korean War, suffered a debilitating stroke in 2000 and is unable to work. A few years after the stroke William’s condition worsened, forcing Harper to leave her job at Delphi in Trenton, NJ to care for him full time. Once they were ready and their children were in a good state, Harper moved her husband into her childhood on TV McCool Lane in Eufaula.

“I grew up in this house with brothers and sisters,” Harper said. “The town was different but I still enjoy it, though I’m about the only person that doesn’t fish in this town.” (Eufuala is the “Big Bass Capital of the World“)

The Harper’s only other income is from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. Her husband receives exceptional medical benefits and a thousand dollar stipend, or as Harper refers to it, “our check from Uncle Sam.” With only a small combined income, Harper reservations about the state of entitlements she depends on are vital to her choice for President.

Harper who says she just completes her household chores and goes to church now. She is ready for a President that will turn the economy around and help secure the benefits she relies upon.

On the Issues

Everything is now related to the bailout, so lets take a look at ProPublica’s guide to the candidates and their proposals for “Market Reform.”