Alliance Clips and Retiree News: April 11-12, 2012

Alliance Mentions

Alliance for Retired Americans Gives Critz 100% Rating, Altmire Receives 70%
Jake Sternberger
April 12, 2012
Keystone Politics

The Alliance for Retired Americans have officially endorsed Rep. Mark Critz over Rep. Jason Altmire ahead of the April 24 Pennsylvania primary. In the newly-released ARA 2011 voting record, Critz has proven his loyalty to seniors by scoring a perfect 100% on ten issues voted on last year; Altmire scored 70%. Both representatives, who have been gerrymandered into the same district, hope to capture the key senior constituency.
http://www.keystonepolitics.com/2012/04/alliance-for-retired-americans-gives-critz-100-rating-altmire-receives-70/


Health Secretary Makes Pitch for Affordable Care Act
Guy Boulton
April 12, 2012
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Kathleen Sibelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, visited Milwaukee Wednesday during her cross-country tour in support of the Affordable Care Act. Two years after its passage, the Obama Administration is holding events to explain relatively basic and minor provisions of the law that may be misunderstood or overlooked by many Americans. Wisconsin has a particularly key constituency; nearly 49 million Wisconsin residents are covered by Medicare.
http://www.jsonline.com/business/sebelius-makes-pitch-for-health-care-act-f64vacs-147088265.html


Democratic Club Meets Monday, April 16, 6:30 at Downtown Library
April 10, 2012
Democratic Club of North Florida

The DCNF will host a panel discussion about the possible affects the 2012 Legislative session may have on citizens of North Florida. Various lawmakers and community leaders will serve as panelists, including Barbara DeVane, a representative of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans.
http://dcnf.blogspot.com/2012/04/democratic-club-meets-monday-april-16.html


Los Angeles City Council Unanimously Endorses the California DISCLOSE ACT, AB 1648
California Clean Money Campaign
April 11, 2012
YubaNet.com

The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously voted to endorse the DISCLOSE Act, which would require the top funders of political ads to disclose their identity on the actual production. The non-partisan effort hopes to help voters make better informed decisions by having access to the knowledge of influences behind political ads. The California Alliance for Retired Americans is one of the several additional organizations supporting the act.
http://yubanet.com/california/Los-Angeles-City-Council-Unanimously-Endorses-the-California-DISCLOSE-ACT-AB-1648.php#.T4cNEdmE7Ex


Health Care

White House Derides Healthcare Study
United Press International
April 10, 2012
UPI

White House officials are putting down the new study released by policy analyst Charles Blahous, which claims that the new health care law will add $340 billion to the deficit. Jeanette Lambrew, President Obama’s deputy assistant for health policy, asserts that the claim fits old patterns of mischaracterizations about the Affordable Care Act and that official estimates show the health care law will ultimately reduce the deficit.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/04/10/White-House-derides-healthcare-study/UPI-59041334077635/?spt=hs&or=tn


Supreme Court Justices Possibly Misunderstood Insurance
Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar
April 11, 2012
Huffington Post

The columnist Ricardo Alonzo-Zaldivar considers a scenario in which the Supreme Court could possibly misconstrue part of the health care law. During the Supreme Court arguments, it was apparent that some of the justices and lawyers believed consumers would not be able to buy low-cost, stripped-down insurance to satisfy their health care requirement. However, Alonso-Zaldivar expounds upon the little-discussed “bronze” plan provision of the health care law.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/obamacare-supreme-court-justices_n_1417154.html?ref=politics


Obama Promotes Health Care Law – Using Romney
David Jackson
April 12, 2012
USA Today

The Obama re-election team is looking to promote the federal health care law by tying it in with today’s sixth anniversary of former Gov. Mitt Romney’s 2006 health care overhaul in Massachusetts. A recent campaign ad features policymakers who collaborated with Romney for “Romneycare” and later were tapped to work with the Obama Administration. The ads highlight the flip-flop stances Romney has taken in respect to health care and how he ultimately inspired and advocated the idea of his state approach benefitting the nation prior.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/04/obama-promotes-health-care-plan----using-romney/1#.T4bwVdmE7Ex

Politics

More Companies Flee Association with ALEC
Marcos Restrepo
April 12, 2012
The Colorado Independent

An aggressive campaign from several progressive organizations has led five corporations to withdraw support from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The secret council is accused of creating and supporting conservative-based legislation to disenfranchise minorities, the elderly, the disabled, and the poor. McDonalds is the latest company to distance itself from ALEC.  Coca-Cola, Pepsi Co., Kraft Foods, and Intuit withdrew earlier in the week.
http://coloradoindependent.com/117901/more-companies-flee-association-with-alec


Labor

Union Super PAC Unveils Plans
Abby Philip
April 12, 2102
Politico

The AFL’s super PAC, Worker’s Voice, plans to remain as its own political entity rather than supporting specific candidates or the Democratic Party. Hoping to inspire workers to connect and build relationships together, Worker’s Voice hopes to use grassroots efforts and digital technologies to mobilize and spread awareness. One of the biggest initiatives of the super PAC is countering state “voter protection” efforts that are making it more difficult for marginalized voters to cast a ballot.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/75074.html

Source: Alliance for Retired Americans