Alliance members scheduled over 70 district meetings with their elected officials for this week’s President’s Day Lobby Week. The appointments came as the Senate is set to vote next week - right after the Congressional recess ends - on a plan to stop the March 1 sequester (automatic budget cuts) without harming Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
On February 14, Senate Democrats released their plan to avert the sequester for the rest of the year — it contains $110 billion in deficit reduction, evenly divided between spending cuts and new revenues. During Lobby Week, Alliance members have been asking senators to vote for this package and asking House members to vote for it should it come to the House.
Included in the Lobby Week events: a rally and petition drop outside House Speaker John Boehner's (R) office in West Chester, Ohio on Wednesday.
Among those at risk if the cuts come to fruition: homebound and disabled seniors behind closed doors – “the hidden hungry” across the U.S.A., according to Larry Tomayko, interim chief executive officer of the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA). If congressional domestic-spending cuts take effect on March 1, MOWAA faces an estimated 5.1% reduction in Older Americans Act funding.
According to Americans for Tax Fairness, a recent Hart Research poll found that found that two-thirds of voters nationwide want the richest 2% (by 66% of voters) and large corporations (by 64% of voters) to pay more in taxes. The poll also found that 59% of voters say that we still need to do more to make sure the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes: .
Yesterday's landmark decision by the Supreme Court on the Affordable Care Act was well-received by Alliance members and seniors throughout the country.
Because of the ACA, in 2011, over 3.6 million seniors on Medicare saved a total of $2.1 billion on their drug costs, an average of $604 person. And over 32 million seniors received at least one new free preventive care benefit through Medicare.
Seniors throughout the state participated in press conferences and celebrations. Photos.
Wisconsin Alliance President Leon Burzynski commented, "Seniors have and will continue to benefit from the Affordable Care Act in many ways. It is a positive step forward for all older Americans, our children, grandchildren and generations to come."
Maryland/DC Alliance President Frank Stella said, "Maryland is a better place to live today, thanks to today’s Supreme Court decision. More than 750,000 older Marylanders will continue to receive improved health care because the court has upheld important advances in Medicare such as the closing of the doughnut hole in prescription drug coverage and the continuation of critical screening tests without deductibles and co-payments."
Here are some press clips and Alliance mentions
AZ Arizona Daily Star Republicans vow to repeal 'Obamacare': Politicians and candidates on both sides weigh in on constitutional issue, costs and fairness
Alliance members and leaders across the nation have not let up in their efforts to strengthen Social Security and combat proposed cuts from the federal deficit reduction panel. [Arizona Alliance pictured in 2 photos at right.]
Yesterday, the panel released their plan to reduce the federal deficit in a 66 page report entitled "The Moment of Truth." A vote on the proposal by the 16 commissioners was postponed until Friday.
Alliance Executive Director Ed Coyle came out against the plan yesterday saying that it turns a blind eye to tax cuts for millionaires and disproportionately impacts the working class and retirees. Coyle asked, "Since Commission members of all ideologies today acknowledged that Social Security does not add to the deficit, why are these callous, draconian cuts the centerpiece of the Commission’s recommendations?"
Last Tuesday, Alliance members in California and Illinois got the word out in their respective states about the need to ward off cuts to Social Security. The California Alliance (CARA) held press events in L.A. and San Francisco, presenting over 75,000 signatures to Congressman Becerra and Speaker Pelosi urging them to share our NO CUTS message with the Fiscal Commission and with Congress.
The Illinois Alliance held a press conference with Champaign County Health Care Consumers the same day to tout their support for Rep. Jan Schakowsky's (a member of Obama's Fiscal Commission) plan to reduce the federal deficit. Barbara Franklin, President, Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans said
Congresswoman Schakowsky’s deficit reduction plan demonstrates that the deficit can be addressed without harming lower and middle-income Americans. The plan balances the federal deficit in a thoughtful and responsible manner, while safeguarding the hard-earned Social Security benefits of retirees.
Unlike the commission’s co-chairs, Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, Jan Schakowsky has set forth a plan that does not slash Social Security, give tax breaks to the rich, or cause further harm middle class workers and retirees.
The following day, Wednesday, Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR) teamed up with the Pennsylvania Alliance to take a stand on the Fiscal Commission's likely recommendations for Social Security cuts in advance of the December 1st release. Seniors and workers discussed the impact of proposed cuts. USW Secretary Treasurer Stan Johnson said at the event, “We cannot allow retirees, our nation’s most vulnerable group, to be made the scapegoats and sacrificed to satisfy the greed of those who are the most well off.” [Photos at right: Jean Friday, President, PA Alliance for Retired Americans; Credit Jim Coleman - SOAR]
This Monday, the Arizona Alliance continued its activities with a press conference and an open letter to Senator John McCain. The Arizona Alliance urged McCain to safeguard Social Security and oppose any proposals that will cut benefits. Download open letter here. Photos here.
On Tuesday, the nation's defenders of Social Security teamed up for a National Call-In Day on Social Security. Capitol Hill's phone lines were slammed Tuesday thanks to concerned citizens nationwide. In fact, the Capitol Switchboard and the phones went down for a while due to the phone traffic. "Hands Off Our Social Security!" was the message sent loud and clear. (The 800 call-in number is still live 1-866-529-7630.)
Next Monday, the Missouri Alliance Educational Fund and Illinois Alliance gather area seniors and guests for Social Security luncheons. The working lunches will seek to separate fact from fiction about Social Security as changes to Social Security is debated in Washington.
This week's teletown hall event with President Obama, organized to clarify the new health reform law for seniors, was well-received by many seniors and Alliance members nation-wide.
The Alliance's Judy Cato attended the event in Wheaton, Maryland; and the Alliance hosted over 25 watch-and-call-in parties in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvani and South Carolina.
Photos. [Top left: Obama at tele-town hall in Wheaton MD courtesy National Council on Aging (NCOA) Bottom left: DesMoines, Iowa event.]
Barbara Franklin, President of the Illinois Alliance, was the first phone call accepted. She asked President Obama about whether or not changes in Medicare Advantage overpayments would result in a reduction in care for seniors. Obama replied that this was one of the more common myths about health reform (in addition to death panel concepts), and explained what the new health law does to sustain Medicare.
Elmer Blankenship said in response to Obama's tele-town hall,
As a retired Auto Worker and a member of The Indiana Alliance for Retired Americans, I was one of the seniors here in Indianapolis that watched President Obama’s June 8 town hall forum on CSPAN to learn more about how the new health reform law will benefit seniors and retirees.
The new law will help retirees better afford to see a doctor and fill their prescriptions. Seniors who fall into the “doughnut hole” coverage gap in Medicare Part D will, starting this week, receive a $250 rebate check from the government. That may not sound like much, but for many Seniors, it can be the difference to getting needed medicine.
Seniors are starting to benefit with free annual check-ups in Medicare, ending co-payment for preventative screenings, allowing children up to age 26 to be covered on their parents policy and in many other ways. I thank President Obama for his efforts to end the myths and scare tactics around health reform and giving America’s seniors the facts.
Ken Sagar and Midge Slater reported from Iowa that the consensus from seniors gathered at the tele-town hall sites was that "President Obama should do more town hall meetings to inform Americans of the content of the new health care program and to dispel the falsehoods being spread by tea party and other malcontents. Many people indicated that they learned quite a bit from the discussion."
Alliance members in Pennsylvania and nationally are confident that Mark Critz's win will help protect Social Security benefits for seniors.
Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, Ed Coyle, said the following in response to Critz's victory yesterday in Pennsylvania:
The Alliance for Retired Americans congratulates Mark Critz on a hard-fought victory last night in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District.
Seniors have elected a real friend to Congress. As the President's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform comes up with its recommendations, the Alliance looks forward to working with Mr. Critz on protecting Social Security.
Mr. Critz signed a pledge to oppose privatizing Social Security, and that was a major issue in this race. It is notable that his opponent, Tim Burns, had been the recipient of several endorsements from political leaders who support a privatized Social Security run by Wall Street investment firms.
A new television ad, which began airing yesterday in Western Pennsylvania, lauds 12th congressional district candidate Mark Critz for his strong support for Social Security and lowering prescription drug costs for seniors.
The ad states that Mark Critz has signed a pledge to oppose privatizing Social Security, a major issue in this race. Critz' opponent, Republican Tim Burns, has been the recipient of several endorsements from political leaders who support a privatized Social Security run by Wall Street investment firms.
The 30-second spot, an independent expenditure by the Alliance for Retired Americans Political Action Fund, will run on a heavy ad buy during programming with large senior audiences across the 12th congressional district.
Judith E. Jobes of Erie, Pennsylvania has some good points in her letter to the editor in the Erie Times News. (If you've had a letter to the editor published recently, contact the Alliance.)
Once again, our elected officials in Harrisburg have been called upon to deal with the dilemma of our budget. They have chosen to do so by taking away $5 from every recipient of Supplemental Security Income.
You may say; I left that much for a tip or I spent that on a coffee or Danish on the way to work; $5 is not significant. However, they do not take into account that individuals on SSI are disabled, and they survive on less than $700 a month. This $5 may be a meal, a medical co-pay or a Lift ride.
I only hope the representatives that I elected could demonstrate a little more creativity. I find it unconscionable that they resort to punishing the disaffected and downtrodden. The elderly, severely disabled and the blind have no high-paid lobbyists to represent them. I am sure that with a little effort they could identify another means of reaching their budgetary goals.
The Alliance's National 2010 Convention will kick-off our efforts to build the grassroots organizing power of retirees for the 2010 elections. Voters across the country will decide who will represent them in Congress and state capitols, and the retiree voice must amount to a mighty roar on Election Day.
Please join us for workshops and training sessions to strengthen our organizing and advocacy skills. We will hear from leading experts in public policy, health care, aging, and the media.
For more information, please use the following links:
Jean Friday, President of the Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans, said:
As the debate over Health Care Reform continues, grassroots activists with the Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans will continue their efforts to educate and mobilize seniors to help improve the quality of life for Americans of all ages. We urge Senators Casey and Specter to work for the speedy passage of their Health Care Reform package, and to fight to make sure that the important provisions of the House Bill discussed above appear in the Senate version as well. Furthermore, the Pennsylvania Alliance will also do our best to make sure that our members know whether their Member of Congress stood with seniors and their health care needs or with insurance companies and their profits on this important vote.
David Friesner, President of the Ohio Alliance, said in response to the U.S. House vote on H.R. 3962:
The stakes could not be higher for retirees. If we fail to act this year, Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket costs would soon eat up more than one-third of a retiree’s Social Security benefits. A typical older couple would need to save $300,000 for medical bills not covered by Medicare. Retirees were not well served by those Ohio Members of Congress who voted against HR 3962 and failed to stand up to the entrenched health industry interests who want no change.
Alliance members nationally look forward to the passage of a bill that will
The AFL-CIO Convention in Pittsburgh last week showcased retirees’ vital role in the labor movement. The Alliance for Retired Americans President Barbara Easterling gave a major speech to the convention on the political power of the retiree movement, particularly in this year's health care debate. She inspired union members young and old saying, "We can pass the Employee Free Choice Act. We can reform health care. We can change this country. This can be our lasting legacy."
The Alliance Town Hall meeting on Tuesday in Pittsburgh gave the 500 retirees in attendance an update on the health care debate plus key materials to help them educate and mobilize at the grassroots level. Their charge is to separate fact from fiction. Check out the ‘Mythbuster’ sheet.
Richard Fiesta, Alliance Director of Government and Political Affairs, provided a legislative update, while Dani Pere, Alliance Director of Field Mobilization, urged attendees to take specific steps back home, such as calling talk shows and sharing fact sheets. Following the Alliance Town Hall, the retirees attended President Obama’s speech to the AFL-CIO. The speech opened with a powerful story of Indiana Alliance and United Steelworkers member Steve Skvara, and included strong support for protecting Medicare.
On Wednesday, Richard Trumka, a very strong and early supporter of the Alliance, was elected President of the AFL-CIO. AFL-CIO delegates passed a resolution on Retirement Security, with Ms. Easterling speaking from the floor, and Mr. Trumka read a tribute to outgoing President John Sweeney written by former Alliance President George J. Kourpias. The remarks praised Mr. Sweeney for knowing “that the labor movement must retain its lifelong activists - that union members must remain part of the family, even when their working days are done” and assured Sweeney’s “commitment to retirees will be in good hands under our friend Rich Trumka.”
