Alliance for Retired Americans Blog

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!