Tuesday marked Equal Pay Day. The date symbolizes the day in the New Year that women have to work to match the income their male counterparts made in the previous year. Women are about 2/3 of minimum wage workers in this country, and more than half of women are the sole or an essential supporter of their families.
“Women are disproportionately dependent on Social Security – we work longer hours at less pay; we have less savings at the end of their working lives; we are more likely to work in jobs that don’t offer pensions or healthcare or even 401ks… so we rely on Social Security,” said Terry O’Neill, National Organization for Women President said.
Alliance members like Barbara Stone in Nevada can tell you what it means to earn less, sometimes half the wage that her male colleagues earned, and to live solely on income from Social Security. Ms. Stone raised 5 children on her own and contributed to Social Security throughout a long life of work which began at 13 years old. In light of recent proposals to cut Social Security or switch to the chained CPI COLA formula, Barbara Stone said, “We cannot let it happen.” Check out how the chained CPI translates to weeks of food lost to single elderly women:
Leah Witherspoon, Chair of the Dallas chapter of the Texas Alliance, was profiled in a national article this week about the chained CPI. Read it here.
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: .
In the wake of the Supreme Court decision allowing states to opt out of the Medicaid provisions of the Affordable Care Act, five southern governors have chosen to abstain from expanding the program in their states.
Among those refusing are Florida Governor Rick Scott (R) and Texas Governor Rick Perry (R), whose states account for about 20 percent of all potential Medicaid beneficiaries under the ACA. The other states denying the expansion are Louisiana, South Carolina, and Mississippi. These governors’ choices leave millions without the health care they need in a time of economic uncertainty.
The Texas Alliance launched a petition this week to demand implementation of the ACA in their state. They will deliver the signatures to the Governor and Texas legislature. If you are a Texas resident, be sure to sign the petition.
On Wednesday, supporters of President Obama’s health care law and the Democratic leadership from the House of Representatives gathered at the Capitol building for a press conference to hold the Republicans accountable for voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Alliance Regional Board Member and retired social studies teacher Bill Cea spoke on behalf of the Alliance, saying of the Affordable Care Act, “Not only is this good for your health, but it is also good public policy.”
Other Regional Board members showed their support by attending and speaking out - including Sam Burnett, Tim Foley, Larry Malone, James Parent, Nancy True, Jody Weinreich, Marty Alvarado, Kenneth Stevens, Emmett Sheppard, JoEtta Brown, Louie Duran, John O'Brien and Mack Goodman.
The press conference was organized by the Democratic House leadership: Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA), Whip Steny Hoyer (MD) and Assistant Leader James Clyburn (SC). The three Representatives had strong words for their Republican colleagues, who voted to repeal the ACA, 244-185. Five Democrats joined the full Republican caucus in voting in favor of repeal; no GOP lawmakers crossed the aisle. For a complete tally of the vote, click here .
This week's vote was the 33rd attempt by congressional Republicans to repeal this law, a law that in the past two years has been approved by both houses of Congress, signed by the President, and upheld by the Supreme Court. It is time to move on.
Last week, about 500 active senior delegates from across the nation and from many backgrounds joined together in Washington, D.C. for the Alliance Legislative Conference.
Attendees heard from strong political and labor leaders like Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Xavier Becerra, Rep. Raul Grijalva, Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Richard Trumka, Mary Kay Henry, John Sweeney, Randi Weingarten, Gerald McEntee, Dennis Van Roekel and others on issues of importance to them. Singer and activist Judy Collins offered entertainment, while Robert Adler from the Consumer Product Safety Commission provided helpful tips to seniors.
Sessions like "Using Facebook to Communicate" and "Senior Fraud Patrol: Let's Stop Medicare Fraud" were popular stops in the breakout session circuit.
An entire afternoon was dedicated to lobbying on Capitol Hill. Alliance members who are active year-long in their states around issues like preserving Social Security and Medicare got to visit their Representatives' national offices and discuss these issues with Members of Congress or their staff.
Al Hamai - President of the Hawaii Alliance for Retired Americans - President's Award
Tony Fransetta - President of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans - President's Award
Gerald McEntee - President of AFSCME - Leadership Award
Nancy Pelosi - Democratic Leader, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives - Leadership Award
Pictured: Top: Texas Alliance for Retired Americans' Bob Feltzke & Sarah Carothers; Bottom: Texas Alliance delegation visits Congressman Al Green at his D.C. office.
Post by Asiah Gayfield, student at Butler University Indianapolis, IN
Social Security was on the minds of Alliance Members all over the country as they tuned to President Obama’s State of the Union address on January 25, 2011. Members gathered in living rooms, community centers, and restaurants to hear what the President would say about the state of the country, the growing national deficit, and if Social Security would play a part in helping to pay down that deficit (which Social Security does not and cannot by law contribute to).
Seniors citizens were no doubt relieved, and some where even moved to cheer, when the President declared “To put us on solid ground, we should also find a bipartisan solution to strengthen Social Security for future generations. We must do it…without slashing benefits for future generations; and without subjecting Americans’ guaranteed retirement income to the whims of the stock market.”
The watch parties were not only a way for members to socialize as they watched the important event, but were also incubators of great discussions. One group of energized seniors in Gig Harbor, Washington spent three hours at their State of the Union gathering both watching and discussing the President’s speech, including their ideas about Social Security and health care reform. A group of senior activists in Toledo, Ohio made up their own criteria to grade the President on before his speech and stayed after to discuss what grade the President should receive. And another group in Tucson, Arizona were so inspired by the Presidents speech they decided they were going to follow up with their Member of Congress.
When asked about their opinions of the State of the Union address, party participants had great things to say. A retiree from Arizona exclaimed, “It was really positive – he’s on our side!” Another retiree from Washington summed up the whole speech by saying, “Obama hit that out of the park!” Many retirees even ventured out on a limb and tried their hand at new technologies by using the popular websites Youtube and Twitter to share their feelings about the State of the Union and the Republican responses. The Arizona Alliance, for example, tweeted on their Twitter account http://twitter.com/azretiredams while the Florida Alliance hosted a member teleconference call throughout the State of the Union Address and a press conference call afterwards. FLARA then posted video responses from members and part of the press conference call on YouTube here.
The success of the State of the Union watch parties underscores the value of holding such events because they are a mobilization tool to help organize seniors to discuss current events and respond to them as they happen, in real time.
Response from Doug Hart, Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans President
Slideshow (watch parties & events across the country featuring AZ, CA, CT, IA, IN, NH, OH, TX & WA)
Photos: above at right ~ top to bottom: Connecticut, New Hampsire and Indiana Alliance parties
Social Security celebrates its 75th birthday today and Alliance activists and Americans nationwide continue celebratory parties and events.
The week of August 1st, Alliance members held several events in Arizona, Iowa, Ohio and South Carolina in advance of the birthday.
Last week, over 50 Alliance events took place in communities across the states, and festivities continue next week.
Social Security is a true American success story, one that has kept generations of seniors out of poverty, and allowed millions to retire with dignity and peace of mind. Because this landmark anniversary is tainted by the deficit commission's calls to cut Social Security benefits and raise the retirement age, Alliance activists are busier than ever staging events to celebrate and educate across the country. Check out very personal accounts from Alliance members about how Social Security has impacted their lives here.
Festivities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa recently helped spread the word that Social Security puts $7.2 billion into the Iowa economy by releases on Social Security matters coinciding with birthday celebrations. The Social Security Works for Iowa report adds, "Without Social Security, half (50.8) percent of Iowa women aged 65 or older would have incomes below the poverty line." U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) joined the celebration in Cedar Rapids and added his personal story about Social Security survivor benefits. The Congressman told attendees that without Social Security survivor benefits, he would not have made it through college. Other state reports here.
Yesterday, seniors in Omaha, Nebraska gathered to join the month-long, national commemoration of Social Security and the people it serves. ‘With more than 50 million people receiving Social Security benefits today, the program helps virtually every American family,” Donna M. McGrath, Secretary of the Nebraska Alliance said. “Beyond the candles and the cake, we have a more serious message – Social Security must be remain strong for current and future retirees.”
Members nationwide speak out on the issue. Here is Don Thacker from South Carolina:
Jo Price from Florida also shares her thoughts on Social Security:
Check out some news clips including interviews with Alliance members here:
Wisconsin
'Social Security celebrates 75 years' - Wisconsin Radio Network Billy Feitlinger is Executive Director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans. “We feel very strongly, if it is not the greatest program that the federal government has done, it’s clearly one of the most successful programs. And we feel very strongly right now that it’s under attack.
'A federal plan that works' - Toledo Blade letter from Sam Burnett Social Security has been the lifeblood of people age 65 and older. Without monthly Social Security payments, nearly half of Americans over 65 would live in poverty. Help us celebrate this successful government program, which is run by fine people who care about senior citizens.
Watch this video/slideshow highlighting Alliance members from DC, CT, FL, IA, MD, MO, NC, NH, NM, & TX who worked hard to pass a health reform bill that would close the donut hole; cover preventive services; cover early retirees and more. Thanks to them for reaching out and fighting to get the job done.
Earlier this week, Linda Chavez-Thompson announced that she's running for the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Texas.
Chavez-Thompson has a long history in the labor movement. Although she retired from her post as Executive Vice-President of the AFL-CIO in 2007, she continues her involvement in activism and politics. Chavez-Thompson is Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee and is a member of the board of trustees of United Way of America.
As a Latina, Ms. Chavez-Thompson serves as role model for other women of color, and for all the women who comprise a growing share of labor union membership.
