Alliance for Retired Americans Blog

Rallies tomorrow to oppose S. 1789, avert Postal Service disaster

Tomorrow, April 17th, retirees will join the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) in their Rallies to Save America’s Postal Service and informational leafleting at post offices around the country to highlight an urgent message: Congress must act now to avert a Postal Service disaster.

The timing and impact of these events will be critical in helping us to stop S. 1789 and save America’s Postal Service.

If S. 1789 were to pass, the bill would hurt retirees and the Postal Service by:
•    Putting an end to six-day mail delivery in two years.
•    Phasing out door-to-door mail delivery.

Many retirees receive their needed prescriptions by mail.  These proposed changes could threaten their well-being.

The Postal Service has a wide variety of supporters, many of whom may wish to participate in these Rallies to Save America’s Postal Service and informational leafleting , including small-business owners who use the mail to advertise, veterans groups, local elected officials, labor union members, faith leaders, and progressive allies who have concerns for the plight of working men and women.

“As it’s currently written, the bill will not prevent the Postal Service from closing thousands of post offices and hundreds of mail processing centers around the country or degrading service standards,” said Cliff Guffey, president of the APWU.

Join the all-out push to amend the Senate bill to maintain current service standards, keep post offices and mail processing centers open, and fix the Postal Service’s finances without drastic cuts in cutting service.

In honor of Tax Day, the rallies will also point out that the USPS receives no tax dollars, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Click here for a list of rally locations.
Click here for a flyer, which you can distribute to friends and family members.

Contact your senators and ask them to support changes to S. 1789.

The Postal Service is facing a financial “crisis,” but not for the reasons you might think.

How Mitt Romney Celebrated His 65th Birthday

By Barbara J. Easterling

Mitt Romney recently turned 65.  He celebrated his birthday by doing what he does nearly every day – by saying something that reminds us of just how out of touch he is.

On his 65th birthday Mitt Romney said no thanks to Medicare, choosing instead to keep his own private health insurance.  Maybe if you were born into the Romney family, you would have that luxury.  But for the rest of us, Medicare is the only affordable way to see a doctor or fill a prescription.

It makes you wonder if perhaps Romney lives in such an isolated world that he thinks no one needs Medicare.  That could explain why he not only wants to repeal the health reform law’s new benefits for seniors, but would also switch much of Medicare to a privatized voucher program.  Under the Romney plan, seniors would get a small voucher to purchase coverage in the expensive, unfair private insurance market.   That’s not Medicare for seniors, that’s welfare for corporations.

When we talk with our neighbors and children and grandchildren, we must remind them that before Medicare and Social Security, people used to work until the day they died.  Many seniors lived out their final years in bad health and terrible poverty.  We have come a long way in this country, and we cannot let politicians like Mitt Romney take us back.

Social Security and Medicare are what give middle class workers hope and faith that someday, when their working days are over, they will be able to relax and enjoy a break after decades of hard work.  This is a promise America must continue to keep.

Barbara J. Easterling is president of the Alliance for Retired Americans.  She was previously the secretary-treasurer of the Communications Workers of America.

Alliance Leader Joins Biden to Discuss Medicare with Florida Seniors

Florida retiree Bill Cea, a member of the Alliance for Retired Americans’ Executive Board, recently joined Vice President Joe Biden in Coconut Creek FL to discuss plans to cut Medicare that have been advocated by U.S. House Republicans and presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

The FY 2013 budget proposal by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) would give seniors vouchers to either buy health coverage in the costly private insurance market, or purchase it from a Medicare program that would be made more expensive by the exodus of younger, healthier retirees.  The plan, which would lower taxes on corporations and high-income earners, would also cut spending on Medicaid and turn it over to cash-strapped states, jeopardizing the only way over 70 percent of seniors are able to afford long-term or nursing home care. 

In contrast to Romney, who termed the plan “bold and exciting,” Biden told the gathering of 500 seniors that the proposal would, “balance the budget on the backs of seniors and middle class Americans.”
“Vice President Biden made a powerful presentation to Florida seniors.  He understands that Medicare and Social Security are lifelines for millions of retirees,” said Cea, a retired teacher.

Even though the 2010 Affordable Care Act improves Medicare by helping retirees better afford to see a doctor and fill a prescription, Cea is concerned that the law is often misunderstood among older Americans.  “I urge all retirees to learn more about how this law helps them pay their medical bills,” he said.

The Alliance has a new fact sheet on the Republican budget proposal, as well as information on how the Affordable Care Act helps seniors.

Florida Retirees fight back! Hold "Mack Attack," other events today

Report from Jenny Kenny in Florida

Today Florida Alliance for Retired Americans attended events on Florida’s east and west coasts! 

During the morning hours, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans on Florida’s West Coast spoke with Rep. Mack’s staff at an in-district lobby meeting.  Immediately following this meeting a sign waving event was held in front of the Representatives office.   Thirty strong FLARA and Community allies waved signed to the honks of passer by cars.  Three local television stations interviewed the protestors and posted favorable coverage of the event.  All attendees vowed to return to Rep. Mack’s office on a continuous basis until he agrees to vote for his constituency.

Also this morning, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans President Tony Fransetta and members joined over 100 Labor and Community activist at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach to protest Florida Gov. Rick Scott attendance.  Scott is one of the least favorite Governors in the United States with an approval rating below thirty percent.  Scott’s attendance at this particular venue was viewed by local activist as a double slap in the face because the Kravis Center is currently breaking labor law and is involved in an ongoing Labor dispute with IATSE.  In addition to this Scott ran for Gov. on a “jobs” platform and to date, local residents have not seen an end to unemployment as the poverty rate continues to increase. 

Later in the day, President Fransetta and Leo Solar went inside a town hall meeting hosted by Rep. West in West Palm Beach.  Both Fransetta and Solar had front row seats and so were in a position to inform other attendees about Rep. West notoriously wrong votes for his constituents. 

 

Valentines for Veterans

Yesterday in Reno, Miss Reno/Sparks and Miss University of Nevada and joined members of the Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans in expressing gratitude and love for veterans by giving valentines at Reno's Ioannis A. Lougaris Veterans Medical Center.

"We thank them for serving our country. We want them to know just how much we value their sacrifices and cherish them as individuals," said Gail Dietrich, NARA coordinator. 

Valentines were produced by a local artist who wishes to remain anonymous.

Gail Dietrich sent the following update:

We had a wonderful morning. The beauty queens are not only stunningly pretty, but they are both on scholarships. Miss UNR is majoring in International Affairs and Politics and the other is studying Psychology. We could not have had a better reception by the vets and it caused quite stir around the hospital. ...

A young vet had arrived home from Afghanistan today and came to the hospital to surprise his mother. We took a photo of him, in uniform with the 2 queens. He was on cloud nine. ...

Our vets were so happy, surprised and appreciative.

White House & Alliance for Retired Americans to Host Q&A on Seniors Issues

UPDATE: Here's the teleconference CALL-IN INFORMATION for those joining via phone (instead of or in addition to Twitter):

NUMBER: (800) 230-1096
PASSWORD: White House Twitter Q&A

Do you want to know more about the Affordable Care Act and dispel the myths about it? Want to ask administration officials about strengthening Social Security and Medicare for you, your kids and grandkids? Have other questions for the White House? Now’s your chance to ask and participate!

The White House Office of Public Engagement is hosting a Twitter Q&A and conference call with the Alliance for Retired Americans this Monday, February 6th from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to answer your questions about aging, retirement and politics. The call is a follow-up to President Obama’s recent State of the Union address. Answering your questions during the Q&A:

•  Jon Carson (@JonCarson44), the director of the Office of Public Engagement
•  Kathy Greenlee (@hhsgov), Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

How to participate:

1. Send your question to us before the Q&A by tweeting it to @activeretirees; posting it to our Facebook page; or by emailing it to us here.
2. Follow along with the Q&A through the hashtag #SOTU or #seniorshealth, and keep sending us your questions.

Photo: Korean Resource Center on Flickr

REMINDER: Western Regional Conference in Vegas

FEBRUARY 29 – MARCH 2, 2012

REGISTRATION:
We have extended the deadline date for REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT for the Western Regional Conference to February 15, 2012, to avoid the $15.00 late fee.

HOTEL
Bally’s Las Vegas
3645 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV  89109
877-603-4390
 
Bally’s Las Vegas has extended our cutoff date to February 10, 2012 for making Hotel reservations.
We would encourage you to make your reservations on or before February 10, 2012 in order to get the contracted rate for our Western Regional Meeting.

If you have any question about registering for the conference or about registering at the hotel, please contact: Joni Jones - Alliance Event Coordinator at 202-637-5377.

Photo: Douglas Carter Cole on Flickr

 

Birthday Wishes for FDR!

by Tony Fransetta -  President of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans

January 30 was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s birthday.  I remember a time not too long ago when Americans were proud of their elected officials and especially their President.  This was a time when we didn’t always agree with each other but we were nice about it.  We didn’t call names; we recognized good work and thanked those who worked to make life better for the workers.  Such was the case with President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR).

President Roosevelt entered into his first term when there were over 13 million Americans out of work and every bank was shut down.  Sometimes we think that we have it bad today but those Americans living during the great depression — they knew how just bad things could get.  It was fortunate for them that FDR came along when he did.  FDR was able to turn our great nation’s economy around, he had a vision for American workers — he gave them jobs.  FDR established the New Deal, he put Americans back to work on infrastructure projects, he established the Tennessee Valley Authority to produce energy, he levied higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans and he implemented Social Security.  Until the dawn of Social Security in 1935, Americans either dropped dead at work or when they became too old and/or ill to continue working, they lived a life of abject poverty relying on the mercies of family and strangers. 

Today many Americans are unemployed due to no fault of their own, Social Security is under attack, and tax loop holes for wealthy Americans are at an all-time high.  President Obama has tried work towards solutions but with very little compromise on behalf of the sitting Congress.  I believe it is time to plow forward like FDR, time to re-enact a New Deal for American workers and retirees.  Allow the wealthiest Americans to pay a percentage of taxes that is comparable to that of the average worker.   Save Social Security for current and future retirees, put Americans back to work. 

Be American, Buy American!

3000 Lbs of Petitions Delivered Today; Retirees Active in Recall

A million signatures were turned in today to begin the formal process of forcing a recall election for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. The petitions delivered to the Government Accountability Board arrived on a truck and weighed over 3000 pounds. The signatures collected and submitted were 460,000 more signatures than required to force a recall. In addition to the Governor, Wisconsinites also turned in the required signatures to recall the Lieutenant Governor and three state Senators.

Retirees in Wisconsin, including WI Alliance members, were active in circulating hundreds of petitions to recall the Governor and the Lt. Governor. In addition to circulating petitions, Wisconsin retirees from all walks of life volunteered time to data entry and validating the signed petitions.

Wisconsin Alliance  leaders spoke to many retiree clubs to organize their membership around the recall efforts. Wisconsin Alliance members also organized and participated in many recall events around the state, including this one at the Milwaukee Airport featured in the New York Times yesterday.  

[Photo at right: Justin Geiger/wisaflcio on Flickr]

The number of signatures and support for the recall that culminated by the time of delivery today far exceeds many Wisconsinites' expectations. 

On Wisconsin!

Romney to Seniors: Let Them Eat PB & J

While presidential candidate Mitt Romney noshed at a recent Palm Beach fundraiser co-hosted by a sugar baron and a pro sports owner, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans members gathered nearby for a more simple meal: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

The idea for the “Regular Man’s Picnic,” according to event organizer Tony Fransetta, a UAW retiree and Florida Alliance president, was to contrast Mitt Romney and his financial backers with the daily struggles of seniors in Florida and across the nation.   Speaking near the Romney event, Tony Fransetta said:

“Those inside are advancing the interests of the 1%, while we are outside today to speak up for the 99% who are too often silenced in this country.”

The Alliance for Retired Americans is gearing up for its largest-ever grassroots mobilization, seeking to educate current and future retirees on the issues and where the candidates stand.  Alliance president Barbara J. Easterling said today:

“Mitt Romney’s America would have seniors buying their Medicare from the big insurance companies and anxiously watching Wall Street gamble away their retirement savings through a privatized Social Security.”

Romney To Be Greeted By 'Real Man's Picnic' - Politics News Story - WPBF West Palm Beach

Romney blasts Obama, ignores GOP rivals at West Palm Beach - News - The Palm Beach Post