Alliance for Retired Americans Blog

Retirees with the Write Stuff

“Retirees with the Write Stuff” is a project recognizing retirees whose letters to the editor are published.  Most recently, Charles Fyffe, Al Hamai, Harry Kamberis, Bob Kortkamp, Linda Linderman, Donna McGrath, Dave Meinell, Paul Shanabarger, Lenora Schur, Bill Stevens, Adam Swope, Norm Wernet, Elmer Yuen and Jack Zuckerman contributed to their state and local papers. 

Thanks to Elmer Yuen from Honolulu, for example, who wrote to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, “I am a retiree on a fixed monthly income.  Gov. Linda Lingle has drastically cut state programs and services while attempting to balance the budget.  So many markets in Chinatown are overrun with rats at night because of a lack of health inspectors.  Many seniors and retirees, who worked all their lives to help build Hawaii, need kokua [help] so they may continue to live at home and not go to a nursing home.”  He strongly encouraged legislators through a general 1% general excise tax increase in order to fund important state programs instead of cutting them further.

If you have had a letter published recently, please email us at letters@retiredamericans.org

Hawaii Convention

January 9's third Biennial Hawaii Alliance Convention was a success. Ninety delegates and guests attended.

On the political front, Mufi Hannemann - Mayor of Honolulu - spoke to the convention at length about Hawaii senior community issues. U.S. Senator Inouye introduced his wife and expressed his endorsement of State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa for election to the Congress. Congressman Abercrombie also addressed delegates on his congressional activities.

ARA Regional Board member Luis Duran, from California, represented the national Alliance and spoke with the delegation about various issues including health insurance reform.

Hawaii Alliance President Al Hamai said, "Hawaii has one of the best congressional delegations in the country.  All of our four - U.S. Senators Inouye and Akaka and Congressmen Abercrombie and 
Hirono - have ARA voting records of 90% plus.  They are very accessible.  We thank our congressional delegation for their outstanding service to seniors and our community."

The convention adopted three resolutions: 

One - Honoring the late Ah Quon McElrath, who attended two previous Alliance conventions, as a delegate from the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU), for her lifetime of service to working people of Hawaii and her commitment for economic and social justice;
Two - Supporting the Pacific Beach Hotel Workers and the Employee Free Choice Act;
Three - Supporting a one percent increase in the general excise tax, from the current 4.5% to 5.5% to raise state revenues to close the state budget deficit, rather than have more cuts in the essential state services, including senior services and programs.  (This resolution was preceded by an hour education session, small break-out groups and debate.)