SOAR Members Endorse Barack Obama for President

The Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR) endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president at its 9th International Conference in Las Vegas.

The resolution endorsing Obama, passed at the SOAR meeting held June 27 and 28, voices displeasure with the current Bush administration and the damage it has done to the United States and the world.

The 130 delegates to the conference also elected a leadership team for the next three years. International Vice President Fred Redmond administered the oath of office to SOAR President C.L. “Connie” Entrekin, Vice President Harry Hynd, Western Vice President Al Becco and Secretary-Treasurer Charlie Averill.

The resolution endorsing Obama highlighted the repeated failures of the current administration’s domestic and foreign policy including the failure to adequately help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the increase in our national debt and the ill-timed and mismanaged invasion of Iraq.

Delegates also voiced frustration with the present administration’s failure to meet the health and educational needs of the American people while continuing its calculated attack on Social Security and attempts to privatize Medicare.

Obama’s Republican opponent, John McCain, offers a repeat of the same Bush administration policies that have assaulted the quality of life of working families and retirees, the delegates said.

The November election, the resolution stated, is an opportunity to elect a president and Congress that can together stop the nation’s deterioration and rebuild an America that meets the needs of its people and restores our reputation as a leader in the society of nations.
The delegates pledged to commit SOAR to do all it can to elect Obama as the next president. They said

Obama has demonstrated that he has a broad understanding of the situations we face, a vision of how change can be achieved and in what directions it must move, and an ability both to inform and inspire our people.

In addition to the SOAR officers, members elected to the SOAR Executive Board include William Moore (District 1), Milo Rinna (District 2), Gerald Edwards (District 3), Jim Bickhart (District 4) Robert Saumure (District 5), Daniel McNeil (District 6), Steve Skvara (District 7), Jack Casparriello (District 8), Jim Swindle (District 9) Denise Edwards (District 10) Dave Trach (District 11), and Bob Rankin (District12).

In addition to the elected board members, retired International President Lynn Williams serves as SOAR president emeritus. Larry Spitz, and George Edwards serve as emeritus members of the SOAR executive board.