Senate Finance Committee

Baucus

Medicare

Advise

Never,/ever/spill/gin/and/tonic/onto/your/computer/keyboard.

Actually,/I/really/don't/think/I/need/a/space/bar/anyway.

The Real Healthcare Victims

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Will Healthcare Reform Hurt Seniors?

NIPSCO Medical Insurance informational meetings

October 13- South Bend LOA from at 9:30 and 1:00 EST, Large Conf Room

October 16- Plymouth 9:30 and 1:00 EST, Large Conf Room

October 19- SLC 9:30 and 1:30 CST, ABC Conf Room

October 20 -Fort Wayne 9:30 and 1:00 EST, Bldg 7 Large Conf Room

All are at operating headquarters (except Southlake).

All retirees will be notified by US mail – even post-65’ers, since they may have pre-65 spouses.

Where have all the Republicans gone?

The truth of the matter is that there aren't any. The ones that call themselves Republicans are simply phonies. Ike was the last real Republican. Nowadays, Republicans are just plain mean spirited no nothings.
They don't have to read legislation when they have it in their minds before hand that they're going to vote no on anything that attempts to help people.
Even the so called Republican Congressman from Indiana seem to want to show just how stupid they are. The biggest surprise to me is Congressman Mike Pence. Affiliating himself with the right wing nuts.
What a shame.

Lynda Johnson Robb on Health Insurance Reform

A September 11th Memory

Back row, left to right are Alton Glass, Dave Trach and Charlie Averill
Front row, left to right are George Banks, Heidi Templeton, Senator Hillary Clinton, and John Knight. This photograph was taken after our return to Washington.

Explanation

After writing an article to explain this photograph, I decided to check past issues of a SOAR Chapter newsletter that our SOAR Chapter puts out every other month. Success…..I was surprised that the two articles were very similar, proving that I still have some of my memory left. I decided to use the original article here, for accuracy, and only added two sentences.

Because so many steel companies have filed for bankruptcy due to the illegal dumping of foreign steel into our country, about 600,000 Steelworker retirees are in jeopardy of losing their medical insurance, and in some cases, part of their pensions. These benefit costs, which companies overseas don’t have to deal with, are referred to as “legacy” costs.

Our Steelworkers Union and SOAR decided that it would be a good idea to include SOAR members in their lobbying efforts. I was asked to participate in this new program and reported to the USWA Political and Legislative Office in Washington D.C., (located just a few blocks north of the White House), on Monday, September 10th along with seven other members of SOAR.
A photograph was taken and an accompanying article about the program appeared on the cover of the Sept/Oct issue of the Oldtimer magazine.

And now….. The rest of the story:

On the second day of the program, Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, terrorists attacked our country. The Pentagon was hit by one of the planes. We watched the unfolding tragedy on television as the World Trade Center buildings came crashing down and we listened to the sirens as the police cars, ambulances and fire trucks raced to and from the Pentagon.
The subway (Metro) was shut down and our building was locked.
I remember checking my email and seeing a message from my son to my wife Elaine, asking, “is Dad ok?”

I must say that only once before had I experienced the same feelings as produced on that day. It was the day my ship (U.S.S. Walker DD-517) was returning from the Vietnam area and receiving "Flash" message by flashing light (I was a Signalman) saying simply that, “The President has been shot” (President Kennedy).

Bill Klinefelter, the USWA Legislative Director at the time, and Jim Centner, SOAR Director, thought it best that the internship program be postponed until the situation returned to normal, and we were advised to head for home.

Three of us had flown to Washington and were unable to catch either a flight, train or bus. Washington took on the appearance of a combat zone with Hummer vehicles on practically every corner manned by soldiers directing traffic for the passing ambulances and fire trucks. We were unable to get close enough to the Pentagon to get a good view or photo. Finally, on the following Friday we were able to rent cars and headed for home.

I rode back to Indiana with Dave Trach, SOAR Executive Board Member from District 11 who lives in Minnesota. Dave stayed over night at my house and after breakfast the following morning, he headed for home.

The Internship was rescheduled for October 22 – November 9. Four retirees were able to make it. Upon reporting for work on the first day, we found fire trucks and police cars in front of the building and the street blocked off. Apparently, a below ground level transformer had blown up. We entered the building through the rear entrance but about an hour later, the electricity was cut off and we were forced to evacuate the building until the following day.

Our original mission had been to lobby the Senate for passage of HR 808, the Steel Revitalization Act. The program was later changed to work on the Unemployment Compensation part of the “stimulus package” and it was again changed to find out if Senators would support an amendment to the stimulus package dealing with the legacy costs.

Senator’s offices, because of the anthrax problems, were extremely difficult to find. Their offices were closed for cleaning and they had set up their temporary offices in any closet or cubbyhole they could find. They were accepting no mail or faxes so we had an almost impossible mission of delivering material to them. Some of us got the feeling that their staffs were enjoying the disruption.

The experience I had in Washington D.C. was a very good one nevertheless. Like other things in life, practice makes perfect and I think I’m better able to do a decent job lobbying my congressmen than I otherwise would have been.

I hope our USWA and SOAR will continue this program.

The Choice

We Can't Afford to Wait

Bass Lake Tallest Corn Award

After soliciting the people living around Bass Lake to save all of the Republican lies, distortions and racial hate speech having to do with Healthcare Reform that has been mailed to them, I was able to collect three 20 gallon garbage cans full of the crap.

I then soaked the hate filled lies in four five gallon buckets of water. It was pretty stinky so I had to take it out behind the wood shed. One week later I soaked the ground beneath this corn stalk. There was enough propaganda to allow me to do this eight more times.

The corn grew fifteen feet tall. After the Bass Lake Tallest Corn Committee (BLTCC) got a chance to measure it, they gave me the BLTCCA (Bass Lake Tallest Corn Committee Award).

I want to thank the Republican Party, especially the RNC Chairman, Michael Steele and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley as they provided the most manure and I couldn't have done it without them.

You can enlarge the photo above by clicking on it

Union Beer

The only thing better than an icy cold beer on a hot summer day is a union brew to quench your thirst for labor solidarity. Union beers include all Miller and Anheuser-Busch products including Miller High Life, Genuine Draft and Lite, Milwaukees Best, Sharps, Icehouse, Red Dog & Hamms (Miller), and Budweiser, Bud Light and Budweiser American Ale, Michelob, Shock Top, Busch, Natural Light, Rolling Rock and ODouls (Anheuser-Busch) - as well as Leinenkugels, Iron City, Mad River Brewing and Henry Weinhards. “Drink beer made by union members,” the union brewery workers urge, “You’ll feel better in the morning.”

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)