The Aging of Minnesota
Prepared for
Humphrey Institute Policy Forum 2000-2001

By
Jayne Hager Dee
Jody Sailor Fischenich
Chuck Phillips
Paula Rauschendorfer
Kent Thiesse

Each of us has a mind's-eye picture of what being over 65 looks like. We think of people in that age group as being gray-haired, needing more medical care and needing assistance with their day lives including housing, meals transportation and living on a fixed income.

As the Baby Boomers age - and the front end of the Boomers will be 65 in 2010 - the effects of aging and the circumstances of their lives will be far different than the lives of those who are over 65 years old today.

Forget that picture of your grandmother ... That's not the image we're talking about.

Those who will be 65 in 10 years will profoundly change the way you and all of society look at aging.

Overview

Our group of Greater Minnesota Humphrey Institute Policy Forum Fellows took a look at aging issues at a local, state and national level. To get a handle on them, we interviewed local experts and policy-makers. We also went right to individuals at or nearing retirement to hear what's most important to them.

The statistics alone bear witness to what a major policy issue the aging population will become or should already be for governments and communities alike: There are nearly 5 million people living in Minnesota, according to the 2000 census numbers. Today, there are about 600,000 citizens over age 65. By 2020, that number is projected to be 910,000 and by 2030 - that's only 29 years away more than 1.2 million of us will be over 65 years of age. In fact, the number of Minnesotans under 65 years will actually decline by 2030.

Now, about one in eight of us is over 65; in 2030, one in four of us will be over 65. The largest concentration of seniors will be in the Twin Cities area, but most counties are projected to see growth in the population over 65 years of age.

A factor that we didn't include specifically in our study is the growing diversity of Minnesota's population. The numbers, the needs and the values of aging African Americans, Native Americans, and immigrant Southeast Asians, Latinos and East Africans will demand various services and produce diverse lifestyles in years hence. We recognize that this growth will continue, but won't address those issues in the interest of narrowing our topic.

At the same time, the booming aging population isn't just an issue in Minnesota or the United States. Instead, it's an issue for all major industrial nations - with far-reaching implications.

A Social Security briefing on the Network Democracy Web site notes: "Nobody knows what will happen to the currency exchange rates and flows of capital around the world as the countries devote more of their resources to pay for the retirement and health needs of an aging population. It could mean a slowdown in world trade, with fewer autos, computers and VCRs moving around the world. Interest rates could become more volatile."

All because a mass of people are growing up at the same time. All because they're living longer than people ever have. And with the many technologies, medical advances and comforts we have compared to previous generations, they're living better, more active lives.

The National Academy of Sciences published a paper recently stating "the chances that elderly Americans will be devastated by chronic disabilities such as stroke or dementia have declined dramatically" in the last decade. Researchers attribute it to a variety of factors, including "widespread knowledge of the benefits of diet and exercise, fewer people smoking and advances in medical technology." Should there be a cure for cancer or Alzheimer's disease in the next 20 years, the numbers of those who reach 80, or even 100, will dramatically change the roles of older people in our society and will nullify all demographic projections.

Related research

Jan Hively, Ph.D., coordinator of the University of Minnesota's Vital Aging Initiative, recently conducted research entitled "Productive Aging in Rural Minnesota" in central Minnesota. Individuals aged 55 to 84 were interviewed in four counties, which include the three regional centers of Willmar, Hutchinson and Litchfield.

The focus was on productivity, which isn't just the work connotation that comes immediately to mind. It includes employment, but it also includes active community participation. It involves stimulating and intellectual aspects to challenge our minds and ensure they stay active.

The findings? These individuals are healthy, active and mobile. They want to be integrated into society inter-generationally, not segregated into elderly communities. They see changes in their roles and their relationships as women and men. They want opportunities for how they spend their time - including employment with part-time and flexible hours and meaningful work-social connections with co-workers. They want service opportunities at church, at school, with volunteer service organizations. They want opportunities for personal enrichment including education, travel, sport and fitness. They want recreational, personal and spiritual development. They want community involvement. Yes, they see loss in their lives more than when they were younger. Yes, they see their health status changing. Yes, they have become increasingly vulnerable. But out of all these statistics, perhaps the most notable ones are that 92 percent of these individuals are satisfied with life and 90 percent feel in charge of their lives.

Hively wants to use her results to replicate the survey in other regions, comparing information gathered in rural areas, regional centers and metro areas for their differences. The combination of rural and regional centers in her research piqued our interest because it is similar to the areas in which we did our own research. Mankato, for example, is a medical, educational, retail and entertainment hub for five or six rural counties. On a related note, Blue Earth County Commissioner Colleen Landkamer, who regularly lobbies members of Congress on behalf of the county, the National Association of Counties and the Rural Action Caucus, points out the issues of aging or almost any other topic are the same in rural and urban areas. It's the solutions that differ. Our research turned up findings similar to Hively's, although they had a broader focus than the detailed phone surveys done by her team.

Our research

With three of the five group members in our 30s and all five of us 10 years or more away from our retirement, we have different views of aging than some people approaching the sunset of their lives if that's by any stretch what you can call it these days. That's why we decided to go right to those impacted most by aging.

We came to this idea after meeting with Barbara Warren, Extension educator and professor at the University of Minnesota. Warren, who is 62 years old, told us about her own retirement planning, which struck us as extensive. She hopes to settle in a warmer clime, while looking for diversity, cultural activities, life-long learning opportunities, a natural environment and connectivity to technology so she can maintain contact with her children and grandchildren.

Warren and her 64-year-old husband have taken "working vacations" to various communities, going so far as to check out county land-use ordinances to see what could be allowed in those locales. She told us she wants to feel as though she has power over her future and that she doesn't need to retire or move from the state unless she ultimately wants to.

We wondered if other people had done the same. That's why we conducted 14 interviews with individuals and couples in and around Faribault, Northfield, Mankato, Albert Lea and even one in the Twin Cities, hoping to cull information on their attitudes, ambitions and needs for retirement.

We would be remiss not to mention that Jan Hively, whose research we mentioned earlier, would not approve of us calling it "retirement." A very energetic, curious and self-sufficient 69-year-old woman who recently received her doctorate, Hively is proof that most in her generation aren't withdrawing as they age.

Instead, they're "transitioning" as Hively puts it, to the next phase. By the way, Hively defines the word as having the "freedom and flexibility of choices to have meaning in life" and doing and accomplishing things to "feel like you were worthwhile."

For our interviews, we asked several questions, including the following:

• What are your plans for retirement?
• When will you retire? What will you do?
• Have you done any formal planning (visiting new communities, talking to financial service representatives, etc.) for your retirement?
• Do you feel your colleagues are doing the same amount of planning you are? If not, why? Is there something that could be done to assist people in that process? Please be specific.
• What will most influence what you actually do in retirement (i.e. availability of Social Security, medical care)?.
• What services will you most need?
• Have you saved for your retirement? Any specifics you are comfortable with providing would be helpful.
• How long are you anticipating to be retired? Are you approaching it in stages (say the first 10 years will be more active and the last 10 years may be more dependent on your health?
• As a senior citizen, what could cause you to remain in Minnesota? For example, if a tax break were provided to seniors, would you be more likely to stay? Would you prefer a rural or urban areas?
• How could public policy-makers affect your decision on a local and state level?
• As a member of the Baby Boom population growing older, what would you most like policy makers to understand about you? What do you want them to be aware op.

In the interest of compiling numerical data that could be used to further analyze the information we collected, we asked interviewees to rank, on a scale of I to 15, with one being the most important, the following factors in retirement plans:

• Financial resources other than Social Security
• Social Security
• Availability of housing in a specific price range
• Relocation to new location (warmer climate, lake home, etc.)
• Staying close to children or other family
• Health care
• Cultural events
• Tax breaks
• Public transportation (bus systems)
• Proximity to major metro area (airport, etc.)
• Intellectual stimulation
• Availability of assisted living
• Employment opportunities
• Religion

Composite results

Our respondents provided candid insight to the aging process. With their input, we were able to divide them into three groups. Like Barbara Warren, there was a whole group of people that deliberately had planned for their retirements, saving money and taking other steps to make their vision become a reality. Yet at the same time, there were also groups who had done no planning (partly because they didn't have enough income) and those who had done just a little and expected the system to take care of them.

To further illustrate this, we developed three composites using our numerical data. We named the individuals Ike Independent, Phillip "Bud" Planner and Maria Minority. Ike is an aging independent business owner who hasn't. Phillip is well off and has planned for his retirement. Maria is a minority not only in race, but as a woman, as a divorced woman and as a single mother.

Here's what we asked these fictional people that were designed to be representative of our fact-finding. Please see appendix for further details.

Tell us about yourself.

IKE: My name is Ike Independent. I am 70 years old and I live in a 20-year-old home that is paid for on the edge of Pleasantville, Minn., a town of 1,200 people in southern Minnesota. I have five grown children and 12 grandchildren, all living within a two-hour drive of my wife and 1. We own 480 acres of land that is rented to our oldest son, who farms. We sold him and his wife the building site and 80 acres of land five years ago, when we bought our current house in town. I am currently in my fourth four-year term on the Green County

PHILLIP: My name is Phillip "Bud" Planner and I'm a 56-year-old upper middle class executive from Suburbia, Minn. I'm a college graduate from the University of Minnesota. I have two children have who have graduated from college and both of them are living out of the state.

MARIA: My name is Maria Minority. I'm 60 years old, divorced, and have three grown children; one living out of state, and two in the Twin Cities. I have a college degree and work in The Diversity County Human Service Department. I own a small house that I've been in since I moved here from Texas 30 years ago.

When do you plan to retire and what are your plans?

IKE: Basically, I retired from farming at age 65, when we moved to town. However, I still help my son plant the crop in the spring and harvest the crop in the fall, and help out whenever needed with the 8,000 hogs per year that he raises. I enjoy playing cards with other retired farmers at the local grain elevator and going with my wife to activities and events for our grandchildren. I also plan to finish out the three years remaining on my SWCD Board term. I want to stay active in community activities as long as I am physically able. I haven't worried about finances or saved much, because I believe the system will take care of us. If you haven't got a red cent to your name, people will take care of you the same as if you have a million dollars.

PHILLIP: My wife and I plan to retire in six years and will continue to keep our home in Minnesota. When I do retire, I intend to do some part-time consulting work and my wife would like to get a stress-free, part-time job. My wife and I are still very active in the community and we would also like to do some volunteer work. My wife and I enjoy traveling so we plan to do has much traveling as possible and we plan to winter in Florida.

MARIA: I hope to do some part-time work and some volunteer work through my church, which I'm very active in. Most likely, I'll do some type of volunteering or "adopt a family"-type work, especially with the increase in the immigrant population moving to our area. My home should be paid for by the time I'm 65, so that's the most logical age I'd look at being able to retire.

What type of formal planning have you done for retirement and how does that compare to your colleagues and friends?

IKE: In addition to selling the farm acreage to my son and daughter-in-law, we have an estate plan on the balance of the land, where they will get the land and the other four children will be compensated. I think that is going to make it tough for our son and daughter-in-law to make it financially on the farm after paying estate taxes and paying off the other children. We still get some rental income off the land that is rented to our son and this will continue until we die. We also have a few stocks that could be cashed in if necessary. We have not really thought much about long-term care. Both my wife and I are pretty healthy. I don't think most people in our area do much planning before retirement. Of course farmers and rural people just don't talk much about those kinds of things. We really don't like the government telling us what to do and when to do it.

PHILLIP: My wife and I started planning for retirement at an early age. Our financial planner recommended that we start early and diversify so we could do the things we really enjoy when we retire. Our holdings include a 401k account, an investment property, a stock portfolio and IRA that I started over 20 years ago. The last thing that we wanted to have happen was to be dependent on our children or the government to support us during retirement. Regarding my colleagues and friends, it really varies. Some of them are already retired and have more than one home, while others haven't done any planning and are just poor money managers.

MARIA: Most of my friends work in lower-paying social and human services jobs. Those that have been able to "stick it out" over the past several years and have been in the area for a long time will be OK since they have PERA accounts, etc. But those that are more into the nursing, home, home health care and jobs like that don't really have much as far as savings. Since they're the ones that probably haven't been in Minnesota or our community long, they don't have much in the way of other plans for retirement. I think they'll just work as long as they physically can, then hope for the best.

What services will be important to you in retirement and what else could likely influence changes in your retirement plans?

IKE: The most important services to me are access to affordable health care and prescription drugs, good supplemental insurance, and a community transportation system for senior citizens. The biggest factors for our retirement plans will be staying healthy and having good access to health care in our region.

PHILLIP: Hopefully, very few. As we get older, excellent health care services and facilities will need to be close by. We will also need to live close to an area with all the necessary transportation services, amenities and attractions that will provide us with a comfortable retirement. Some of the items that might change our retirement plans would be our health, family or state tax issues.

MARIA: Easily accessible and affordable health care would be number one, but I also think continuing education is important at any age - especially in retirement. We're all living longer nowadays, and I want to remain active and vital. I don't want to have to have someone take care of me.

What are the factors that could cause you to stay in Minnesota during your retirement years?

IKE: The main reason we will stay in Minnesota is because most of our family and friends are here and we are active in church. We will probably stay here as long as we are healthy and can get adequate and affordable health care.

PHILLIP: Presently, I'll stay here because of my job and business contacts. After we retire, it depends where my family and children are. If I do stay in Minnesota, I'm also concerned with all of the taxes I'm going to have to pay. There are other states where I could live and pay substantially less in total taxes.

MARIA: My family and my church are very important to me. While I do think some of my friends are seriously thinking of leaving Minnesota because of the high property taxes, I don't see myself leaving. I've been here too long, my kids are close by, and my work is so crucial with the immigrant populations coming here. Whether I'm working full time in this area or part-time or even volunteering, I will be here.

What are some things that should be considered by federal, state and local policymakers that may enhance your retirement plans?

IKE: Eliminate the estate tax and other tax systems that penalize senior citizens that have been frugal and done a good job of saving for retirement. Adequate and affordable health care and prescription drugs will be big issues. I would also like to see creative initiatives to keep people that desire to - and are able to - work past 65 without incurring financial penalties. We need an overall initiative that is designed to keep people living in their homes in rural communities rather than trying to jam everybody into senior high rises in bigger cities. We also need to do a better job of letting seniors in rural areas know what programs are available for them. There are a lot of programs they're not aware of.

PHILLIP: We need to reduce and improve the tax structure at all levels'. I believe there needs to be good quality health care and assisted living and nursing home facilities available to seniors that are affordable and that won't take all of my assets if I need these services. I want to have the option to work during retirement and not be penalized. These policies also need to be established to give seniors the choices they need to live an independent lifestyle.

MARIA: Some of my friends are so fed up with the system that they don't even talk to lawmakers. They're so tired of lawmakers "monkeying around" with Medicare. However, I do feel we can have a voice in public policies. But most of my friends that are also minorities don't feel the same. There needs to be help with the cost of prescriptions, general health care for seniors, assistance with or relief from high property taxes. We're gonna be on fixed incomes some day soon! How can we be expected to cover the rising costs? We need good jobs for immigrants. We need more educational programs that are self-motivating like Extension services and less dependence on human services. More leniency on illegal immigrants. Local boards and committees need to follow through on commitments already made. There should be assistance for medical coverage for annual physicals for well elderly and more preventive procedures for seniors.

Numerical data

Using the numerical data, we were able to develop several theories, conclusions and even further questions about what issues were most important to those we interviewed and why. As a whole, relocation to a new location, proximity to a metro area and accessibility to cultural events ranked lowest on their list of priorities. At the same time, availability of quality health care, closeness of family, and financial resources other than Social Security topped the list as most important overall.

The data was sorted into three primary categories, just as it was for our composites, largely based on the amount of planning they had done for retirement. This included small business owners/self-employed/farmers that have done little planning; professionals with more detailed planning in place; and lower income that haven't had the money to do planning.

Self-employed individuals (represented by our Ike composite) put the most emphasis on closeness to family and the availability and affordability of quality health care for seniors, followed closely by Social Security, other financial resources and religion coming in closely behind. Proximity to metro areas, cultural events availability, relocation and retail area accessibility ranked least important to this group.

Professionals (represented by our Phillip Planner composite) also ranked health care issues, staying close to family, and financial resources other than Social Security at the top of their lists. Retail area accessibility, employment opportunities and possible relocation also ranked higher importance in this group than in the other two groups. Those in with lower incomes (represented by our Maria Minority composite) placed availability and affordability of quality health care, financial resources other than Social Security, and closeness of family as most important. Relocation, retail area accessibility, proximity to the metro and employment opportunities for seniors were least important to them. Detailed data appears in the appendix.

In examining the data, however, there are several numerical responses that raise intriguing issues. For example, why would religion be less important to those falling into the planner composite than others? Cultural events ranked higher in importance for with low incomes than those with the most disposable income and more education. Why is that?

State and federal policy issues

It's no surprise that many of the policy issues that come up with aging often center around Social Security, Medicare and other issues that w technologies and an aging population, the organization estimates new tests, surgeries and therapies will continue to add to those costs. Cost must be controlled, while access expanded. Incidentally, Peterson notes that Medicare spends about 30 percent of its budget on patients in their last year of life. Are the latest medical treatments necessary after people reach a certain age? What about living wills?

Providing a work force that's able to provide care and funding for the aging population. The labor force expected to decline to just 1.6 to 2 workers per retiree receiving Social Security benefits, according to the Social Security Administration. At the same time, minority will make up a larger segment of the work force. If we want the working population to be well educated and productive enough to cover mounting Social Security costs - if we want to rely on them - we have to invest in them, their education, their well-being. But Dan Crippen, director of the Congressional Budget Office, testified before a congressional committee that federal spending for an elderly person is 7 to 8 1/2 times that for a child; Peterson places that number closer to 11 times.

• Improving long-term care insurance programs.
• Improving prescription drug coverage.
• Eliminating estate tax for farmers and small business.
• Providing tax breaks for seniors.
• Ensuring the federal income tax system does not penalize senior citizens that choose to work beyond age 65. Changes have been made in the last year, but have we done enough?
• Developing a grant and incentive plan to encourage rural communities to expand services and opportunities for senior citizens (health care access, medical services, housing, transportation, etc.) Sometimes things are best accomplished at a more local level.

State:

• Ensuring that seniors in rural communities have comparable health care services, access to medical services and prescription drugs that seniors in urban areas have.
• Ensuring the state income tax system doesn't penalize seniors.
• Developing property tax caps for senior citizens. One individual we interviewed noted she pays about $2,000 a year in property taxes and the county has been increasing property values at a rate of about 10 percent a year. She wonders how she'll pay for it on her fixed income.
• Building on federal programs to provide incentives to rural communities to expand services and opportunities for seniors. We believe these programs are necessary to avoid the have-have not syndrome between urban and rural areas. Urban areas will have higher concentrations of seniors, but rural areas will need to address senior issues as well.
• Develop a "clearing house" for agencies, organizations and programs that impact senior citizens. Blue Earth County Commissioner Colleen Landkamer even recommends that a short-term case manager might get seniors connected with the right services.

Local planning and policies

Our perception as individuals that regularly deal with city and county governments is that issues of the aging population aren't being actively pursued. While some of the programs with the larger implications (Social Security, Medicare, etc.) are being debated elsewhere, there are many things communities can do to ensure a quality of life for seniors that aren't being done. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking ...

Kathleen Sheran, who served as the president of the Mankato City Council for 16 years and teaches psychiatric nursing at Minnesota State University, is 53 years old. Because of her age and her long-range vision, she wants to get her community started talking about aging. Sheran and others say aging is largely a taboo subject for people (and thus, communities), largely for two reasons: They don't want to talk about what they see as their demise. And at the same time, they look in the mirror and see an older person looking back at them, yet they don't feel any older. "Senior citizen" and "aging" don't necessarily apply to them. "What are the correct words and terms that we should use because the words and terms are making us want to be disengaged from it?" Sheran asks. "There needs to be dialogue that doesn't focus on health care. We want to make our plans for our own parties in our own time."

Local governments need to start planning now for the Baby Boomers. Everything from planning parks and senior centers to transportation and inter-generational activities. Social, intellectual, artistic and recreational opportunities are what Sheran says are needed. Parks planning could include everything from having indoor parks (after all, we're going to have more seniors dealing with our Minnesota winter) to curb cuts for wheelchairs and placement of benches. Parks may need to take on a more "recreational" nature and include tennis, golf, swimming and walking paths. Technology planning could incorporate communications systems that could help keep seniors in their homes longer by enabling companies to check in on them via interactive television. Senior centers could incorporate transportation and volunteer activities, while offering adult day care and education opportunities along with child care facilities for the generations to interact. Transportation systems could go from buses to vans as our society continues in its mindset that cars are a necessity. In Mankato, Sheran says a traditional bus service just hasn't worked; the city is using private transportation on at least one bus route and cutting back others. Blue Earth County is looking to develop a rural bus system that would provide access to county government, medical and retail services for elderly and those that don't drive.

But keep in mind that never before has a generation in this country's history been so well-educated, so well-traveled, so sophisticated, according to Peter G. Peterson. "Meaningful activities" are something that comes up repeatedly with Sheran, Jan Hively and others interviewed. The status quo isn't going to be good enough. This generation of seniors will want more fulfillment out of the way they spend their time. Local governments are going to have to do more than they ever had before, but they're not going to be able to do it alone. Governments are understandably reluctant to take on more funding responsibilities at a time when their money is being tinkered with at the state level.

Blue Earth County Commissioner Colleen Landkamer explains, "This can't be government. Government can't do it all because there's not enough." Often times, Landkamer adds, it's better if government steps aside and let things happen. Or government can get different groups in the community to partner with non-profits, forprofits, school districts, colleges and anybody else that's interested and provide support services needed to get things off the ground. A key is to be proactive, rather than reactive. That includes education. Landkamer says for every $1 the county spends on prevention, it ultimately saves $7 on the back side. She thinks its imperative local community health departments start education campaigns urging Boomers and others to eat right, exercise and stay active - campaigns that ultimately could save money in Medicare and Medicaid costs.

We'd recommend a campaign to encourage retirement savings as well. B. Douglas Bernheim, of Stanford University, says that Baby Boomers on average must triple their current savings levels if they want to continue to have their same standards of living in retirement. That's just one little way to begin to address the Social Security issue. In its newsletter, the Association of Minnesota Counties notes that counties have vital roles in zoning ordinances, bonding, housing authorities and encouraging facilities, townships and communities to provide needed services to the upcoming aging population.

Hively also has been working with the Elder Advocacy Network to provide training sessions for elected officials on aging issues. The key is to get the entire community talking about these issues now while there's still nine years before the first Boomers approach retirement.

Other local policy proposals:

Establishing senior citizen steering committees for rural communities to determine current and future needs, to set goals, objective and timelines and to work with federal state and local policy makers to get needed programs and incentives. Please note that by rural communities, we refer to county, city, township and school district governments and any combination of public and private agencies and organizations and other entities including churches. We believe partnerships and collaboration will be the key to solving future policy issues for seniors.

• Getting cities and counties to focus on senior issues such as providing adequate health care, adequate and affordable housing, public transportation needs, community recreation and service and others.
• Developing more opportunities for cross-generational activities through counties, cities and schools.
• Finding creative ways to provide seniors with affordable meals, health care, prescription drugs, etc. in their homes and communities.
• Rural communities need to switch from planning for a "middle-age population with families" to planning for seniors.
• Communities need to become "s enior- friendly communities." Jan Hively's research with the Elder Advocacy Network found seniors are looking for communities that are just plain friendly, where newcomers and seniors are welcome, people look out for each other, and seniors are given positions of value.

Bibliography

Interviews with:

• Jan Hively, Ph.D., Coordinator, University of Minnesota's Vital Aging Initiative.
• Barbara Warren, Extension Educator and Professor, University of Minnesota.
• Kathleen Sheran, former Mankato City Council President.
• Colleen Landkamer, Blue Earth County Commissioner, candidate for 1st District Congressional Seat.
• Numerous individuals at or approaching retirement age, mainly in Greater Minnesota. The names of these individuals shall remain confidential, but we are grateful to them for their assistance.

"Aging populace an issue," Mark Fischenich, The Free Press, Oct. 24, 2000.

"Disabilities among seniors is lower, a study finds," News services, Star Tribune, May 8, 2001.

"Minorities contribute majority of gains," Star Tribune, March 29, 2001.

"New Wrinkle on Aging: Baby Steps to 2030," Project 2030 Aging Initiative Policy Report, Citizens League, December 1998.

"Productive Aging in Rural Minnesota: Summary Conclusions and Recommendations," Jan Hively, Ph.D.

Testimony of Congressional Budget Office Director Dan Crippen before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Budget, July 27, 200.

"Social Security in an Aging Society," Briefing Book, Network Democracy, www.network-democracy.org

"Will America Grow Up Before it Grows Old?" Peter G. Peterson, Atlantic Monthly, May 1996.

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