Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert 6-13-14

Headlines:
Leaders in Washington Pushing to Strengthen and Expand Social Security;
Wild Week in Virginia Shifts Political Landscape;
Activists Plan Events in Response to ALEC’s Annual Meeting in Dallas;
Millennials May Be Headed For Retirement Hardship;
North Carolina Alliance Holds Golf Tournament, Sees Great Results

Leaders in Washington Pushing to Strengthen and Expand Social Security
In a sign that the push to expand Social Security is continuing to build support, on Wednesday Senators Mark Begich (D-AK) and Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced the Retirement and Income Security Enhancements (RAISE) Act. The RAISE Act would enhance Social Security benefits for widows, widowers, and divorced spouses while extending benefit eligibility for children of retired, disabled, and deceased workers.
The RAISE Act is not the only proposal to expand Social Security. Last year, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the Strengthening Social Security Act (S. 567) in the Senate, with Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) introducing a companion bill in the House (H.R. 3118). The Strengthening Social Security Act proposes adjusting the benefits formula to provide an increase in benefits for most beneficiaries and improving the program’s finances by lifting the earnings cap on Social Security contributions.

“With multiple expansion bills under consideration, it’s clear that an increasing number of leaders in Washington realize the importance of strengthening and expanding our Social Security system,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President for the Alliance. If you have not already signed the petition calling on senators to stand up in support of the RAISE Act, go to http://bit.ly/1jmKXYq.

Wild Week in Virginia Shifts Political Landscape
During a tumultuous week in Virginia politics, two politicians are now out of their posts in moves with major implications at both the state and national levels. At the national level, a shocking result in the Virginia GOP primary saw U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R) lose to Tea Party candidate David Brat. Following the loss, Rep. Cantor announced his resignation from the Majority Leader position, effective July 31st. Cantor’s loss will have ripple effects throughout the House Republican leadership. The result is also expected to revitalize the Tea Party after a primary season in which Tea Party candidates nationwide have otherwise had little success challenging establishment Republicans. Cantor has a 2% lifetime voting record with the Alliance (http://tinyurl.com/kxfrped). Read more on Cantor’s defeat at http://cnn.it/TNTCNE.

Earlier in the week, on Monday, Virginia Republicans had taken control of the state Senate after the unexpected resignation of Democratic state senator Phillip P. Puckett. Republicans now control the Virginia Senate by a 20-to-19 margin. Following the resignation, Republicans immediately ended a budget standoff that had threatened to shut down the state’s government in the coming weeks. The impasse was brought on by a proposed Medicaid expansion under the terms of the Affordable Care Act. Expanding health coverage to 400,000 low income Virginians has been a top priority for Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D). Mr. McAuliffe had traveled to hospitals that serve the poor in rural districts of conservative lawmakers, seeking to pressure them to endorse his plan to join the 26 states that embraced Medicaid expansion under the president’s health care law. He is now widely believed to be studying how to enact a Medicaid expansion without the legislature.

“Any time the health care of 400,000 people is put at risk, it is extremely unfortunate,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance.

Puckett’s resignation was clouded in controversy as news quickly leaked that he was set to receive a job as deputy director of the state’s Tobacco Commission and that his daughter was in line for a judicial appointment. Puckett subsequently removed himself from consideration for the Commission post. For more on the resignation, go to http://wapo.st/Uwdbus.

Activists Plan Events in Response to ALEC’s Annual Meeting in Dallas
The shadowy American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) will be heading to Dallas from July 30th to August 1st for its annual meeting. The Dallas-Fort Worth area chapters of the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans are working with North Texas Jobs with Justice and an anti-ALEC coalition to organize a number of upcoming events in order to draw attention to ALEC’s anti-retiree and anti-worker agenda, putting pressure on ALEC-linked politicians to cut ties with the corporate-backed organization. The events kicked off this Thursday with a teach-in and concert featuring folk musician and political activist Anne Feeney. Numerous grassroots actions, including workshops and protests, will be held in the Dallas area through late July. The main protest and rally will take place on July 30th. For more on the upcoming events, see the flyer at http://bit.ly/1jmENHD.

Millennials May Be Headed For Retirement Hardship
A recent Merrill Lynch survey looking at generational attitudes towards retirement security suggests that millennials expect Social Security and employer-provided pensions to make up less of their retirement income than previous generations. Millennials, a term researchers and commentators often use to refer to those with birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s, expect to rely more heavily on employment income and personal savings. With record levels of student debt, high unemployment rates curbing future earnings, and low rates of retirement savings, millennials may be counting on savings that don’t ever materialize. According to New Republic, if millennials’ expectations about relying on personal savings prove accurate, these younger workers may face economic hardship in retirement or be left working for years longer than previous generations.

“This survey underscores the importance of strengthening Social Security and protecting pension programs so that our children and grandchildren are able to enjoy a dignified, secure retirement,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer for the Alliance. More at  http://bit.ly/1hN3wK5.

North Carolina Alliance Holds Golf Tournament, Sees Great Results
On Monday, the North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans held their 3rd Annual Golf Tournament at Holly Ridge Golf Links in Archdale, NC. Twenty-one golfers, 10 sponsors and 30 donors took part! Congratulations go out to SEIU member Lewis Sasse, who won the affiliate's first ever raffle. The prize was a 42-inch flat screen HDTV. “This year’s golf tournament was our most successful to date,” said North Carolina Alliance President Jim Moore. “Thank you to all of our volunteers & sponsors.” To view a photo from the event, go to http://tinyurl.com/q2zafpz.

For a printable version of this document, go to http://tinyurl.com/mxllppw.

For the Alliance's Spanish language page, which includes last week's Friday Alert in Spanish, go to www.alianzadejubilados.org

Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert 3-28-14

Headlines:
Doc Fix Prevents Cuts to Medicare Providers for a Year
Kellogg’s: Frosted Flakes®, Froot Loops®, and a Worker Lockout
See Hidden Camera Footage of American Legislative Exchange Council in Action
NAFTA at 20: AFL-CIO Reports on Legacy of the Trade Deal
Fiesta Speaks at NEA Conference
Alliance’s National Convention is April 28 – May 1, 2014 at Bally's Hotel Las Vegas

Doc Fix Prevents Cuts to Medicare Providers for a Year
On Thursday, the House approved a so-called “doc fix” bill that serves as a temporary solution to an ongoing structural problem in the formula used to determine Medicare funding levels. After hours of uncertainty over whether the bill would have sufficient support to pass, House Republican leaders moved quickly to approve the measure by voice vote. The legislation, which is also expected to be taken up and passed by the Senate on Monday, prevents a 24 percent cut in reimbursements to physicians under Medicare. The Washington Post reported that many House Democrats criticized the bill -- insisting that Congress should have voted on a permanent fix to the Sustainable Growth Rate, as the doc fix is known.

“This is a band-aid,” declared House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). “There are so many things that are wrong with this bill, but the simple fact is that the clock is ticking and on March 31, it's bad news for our seniors and the doctors that treat them.” She voted in favor of the year-long fix despite its shortcomings, after considering the consequences of not doing so.

This “doc fix” is the latest incarnation of a bill passed frequently by the House -- sometimes multiple times per year -- that avoids a sharp drop-off in Medicare payments. In 1997, Congress created the Sustainable Growth Rate, a system that pegged the amount of money budgeted for Medicare payments to projected growth of the economy. However, within a few years, health care costs far outpaced economic growth -- creating a multibillion dollar shortfall in funding.

“While we really need a permanent fix, we can at least breathe a sigh of relief that seniors will not have trouble getting doctors to accept patients on Medicare next week,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance.

Kellogg’s: Frosted Flakes®, Froot Loops®, and a Worker Lockout
Kellogg Company, the $14 billion global snack food giant, has embarked on a perilous path that threatens the very principles and values that its founder W.K. Kellogg envisioned a century ago. Under the guise of another restructuring program and led by its CEO, John Bryant, Kellogg is closing factories, cutting production lines, locking out workers, taking uncompromising and unreasonable stands at collective bargaining tables throughout the world and is even turning its back on its hometown of Battle Creek, Michigan.

More than 220 workers have been locked out of their jobs at Kellogg's Memphis, Tenn. cereal plant since October 22, 2013. The workers, members of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union Local 252G, who make Frosted Flakes®, Froot Loops® and other breakfast favorites, were locked out as part of the drive by the company to replace steady, middle-class, full-time jobs with casual part-time employees who would make significantly lower wages and substandard benefits.

“We need to stand with these Kellogg’s workers in order to help save the middle class,” said Rich Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance. To tell Kellogg to stop the global destruction of middle class jobs, go to http://www.kellogggreed.com.

See Hidden Camera Footage of American Legislative Exchange Council in Action
Check out the Alliance’s new web page http://tinyurl.com/nqr4g2q, which features a story about a hidden camera in an American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) meeting in Arizona with state legislators and corporate lobbyists. The page also has action links (updated for all browsers!) and resources.

NAFTA at 20: AFL-CIO Reports on Legacy of the Trade Deal
The AFL-CIO’s new report “NAFTA at 20” outlines what workers have learned from 20 years of NAFTA. The report, available at www.aflcio.org/NAFTAat20, argues that NAFTA-style agreements prove to be a vehicle to increase corporate profits at the expense of workers, consumers, farmers, communities, the environment and even democracy itself.

“The report is particularly relevant in the context of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, wealth inequality, and the jobs deficit,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance.

Insurers Benefit More from Additional Medicare Reimbursements than Seniors do
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) has released a paper looking at the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, through which the federal government contracts with private insurers to coordinate and finance health care for more than 15 million Medicare recipients. NBER found that additional reimbursements to Medicare providers lead more private firms to enter the market and to an increase in the share of Medicare recipients enrolled in MA plans. The findings revealed that only about one-fifth of the additional reimbursement is passed through to consumers in the form of better coverage. A somewhat larger share accrues to private insurers in the form of higher profits. There was also evidence suggesting a large impact on advertising expenditures. The results have implications for a key feature of the Affordable Care Act that will reduce reimbursement to MA plans by $156 billion from 2013 to 2022. The paper is available at http://tinyurl.com/qy6yanp.

Fiesta Speaks at NEA Conference
Mr. Fiesta traveled to Houston for the NEA Retired Organizing Conference on Wednesday. The conference was devoted to training retired members of the National Education Association to organize their communities to advance the cause of public education.

Alliance’s National Convention is April 28 – May 1, 2014 at Bally's Hotel Las Vegas
It is not too late to register for the Alliance for Retired Americans 2014 National Membership Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 28 through May 1. More info is at http://bit.ly/1hYpj0g. Retirees will take home all the information they need to fight for retirement security and help fellow Americans retire with dignity. Convention attendees will have time to network with activists from across the country, share experiences, and gain helpful tips. Delegates registered to attend may offer or second a resolution for consideration. It must pertain to a statement of the Alliance’s position or policy on a specific matter and be sent to Resolutions2014@retiredamericans.org. Resolutions and seconds must be received by the Alliance by April 8, 2014.

For a printable version of this document, go to http://bit.ly/1mbcWwV.

Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert 3-14-14

Headlines:
Stand up to the American Legislative Exchange Council and Protect Pensions
Alliance Letter: House “Doc Fix” is the Wrong Solution
USA Today Piece Describes Retirees’ Biggest Financial Regrets
Spanish Friday Alert now Available
Oregon Alliance Holds State Convention, Hosts Former Governor Roberts
Alliance’s National Convention is April 28 – May 1, 2014 at Bally's Hotel Las Vegas

Stand up to the American Legislative Exchange Council and Protect Pensions
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a corporate-funded, “pay-to-play” lobbying group that brings corporations and state legislators together to craft “model” legislation. The “model bills” they craft, regrettably, put corporate profits before the public interest. Stand up to ALEC – the coalition group that includes the Alliance for Retired Americans, the AFL-CIO, and other unions and allies, will focus on pensions during the week of March 17. ALEC’s goal is to wipe out public pension systems in favor of private 401(k) type plans. In a Wall Street-managed, individual 401(k) world, workers would lose their ability to save, invest and take action collectively. For a fact sheet on ALEC and retirement security, go to http://tinyurl.com/l6ruewq.

“ALEC and its sister organization, the State Policy Network, are planning campaigns, lobbying activities, and lawsuits to challenge and degrade state and local public pension systems in numerous states,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. “Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania are targets at the least, and we cannot afford to stay out of this battle. We will reach out to expose these anti-democratic efforts step-by-step.”

Alliance Letter: House “Doc Fix” is the Wrong Solution
The Alliance sent a letter to all members of the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday regarding the “doc fix,” or “Sustainable Growth Rate” (SGR). The SGR is supposed to chop provider reimbursement if spending rises too fast, but such steep cuts in practice would harm patient care, and more doctors would refuse to treat seniors.  The letter from Alliance Executive Director Richard Fiesta opposed the passage of H.R. 4015, the SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act, as the solution. The letter suggested other ways to solve the problem, including the Medicare Drug Discount Act (http://tinyurl.com/p5px7p5). However, the bill passed on Friday, 238-181. For a tally of the vote, go to http://tinyurl.com/mgnvxze.

“While the February 2014 agreement reached by the House and Senate to fix the sustainable growth rate formula in Medicare’s physician reimbursement was bicameral and bipartisan, this legislation is not,” Mr. Fiesta wrote. “Under this egregious proposal, doctors would be paid on the backs of uninsured Americans. This is simply unacceptable….(i)t is disturbing to us that the authors of this proposal found money to provide an update for physicians, who on average make upwards of $200,000 per year, but not for low-income Medicare beneficiaries.” To read the full letter, go to http://tinyurl.com/qj7zve9.

USA Today Piece Describes Retirees’ Biggest Financial Regrets
Financial advisers, asked about their retired clients’ biggest money regrets, offered several recommendations in USA Today this week. Among the regrets listed: retiring too early, not planning for worst-case scenarios, and underestimating future medical costs. Some also regret withdrawing early from an IRA or 401(k) and not moving to a new city or state to reduce taxes.

“I’m sure many people would love to have saved more for their retirement, but the money was just never there,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance.

Tash Elwyn, president of the Raymond James & Associates firm, says a key mistake people make is that they fail to make provisions for catastrophic events. “Whether it's a major medical issue or a debilitating illness, those that find they are not only financing their own retirement, but an adult child who has returned after a job loss aren't accounting for real life. Planning can't just be for best-case scenarios, and far too often it is.” More at http://tinyurl.com/q44lwqb.

Spanish Friday Alert now Available
The Friday Alert will now be available each week in Spanish! To see last week’s Alerta Semanal, go to http://tinyurl.com/mq7gpry. For the Alliance’s Spanish language page, which includes fact sheets and other translated documents from the main site, go to http://tinyurl.com/nllcz6n. More outreach from the Alliance to the Hispanic elder community will be coming in the next few months.

Oregon Alliance Holds State Convention, Hosts Former Governor Roberts
On March 8, the Oregon Alliance for Retired Americans held its annual convention, and it included the most attendees in years. Featured speaker Barbara Roberts, Oregon's first woman governor, shared her life story. In observance of International Women's Day, she encouraged women to record their successes. Progressive talk show host Carl Wolfson spoke about fighting income inequality. Resolutions were passed opposing ALEC legislative activities and supporting Postal Service banking. Board member Jim Davis reported success at the just-ended Oregon legislative session in securing funding for the placement of senior and disability mental health and addiction specialists in all 36 county mental health programs. Ron Rogers and Jane Netboy were elected as trustees.

Alliance’s National Convention is April 28 – May 1, 2014 at Bally's Hotel Las Vegas
Join us in Las Vegas as we sharpen our organizing and communications skills for the 2014 elections and beyond! Confirmed speakers now include: Lee Saunders, President of AFSCME; Danny Thompson, Nevada AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer and Nevada Alliance Vice President; Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner of Social Security; Liz Shuler, Alliance Executive Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO; Linda Chavez-Thompson, former Executive Vice-President of the AFL-CIO; J. David Cox, President of the American Federation of Government Employees; and several others.

Alliance members will elect a president and secretary-treasurer, and community members will elect six community-based board members and the executive vice-president for community affairs. Hotel reservations must be made by March 21, 2014. Click on http://tinyurl.com/luw8vke to visit the Alliance’s convention web page. Go to http://tinyurl.com/prl8box to register on-line. Questions? Contact Joni Jones at jjones@retiredamericans.org or 202-637-5377.

Any delegate registered to attend the National Membership Convention may offer or second a resolution for consideration. The resolution must pertain to a statement of the Alliance’s position or policy on a specific matter. Resolutions, and seconds, must be received by the Alliance no later than April 8, 2014. The Resolutions Committee, designated by the Alliance President, will review proposed resolutions. Send resolutions to Resolutions2014@retiredamericans.org.

For a printable version of this document, go to http://tinyurl.com/k9vlzqv.

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Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert 1-31-14

Headlines:
President Stays Away from Cuts to Key Programs in State of the Union Speech
Illinois Public Sector Unions Sue to Block Pension Theft
In Fight of Their Lives, Union Members Rally at Pennsylvania State Capitol
Coalition Challenges ALEC with the Facts
Today is Intercontinental Day of Action against the TPP; Harry Reid Lends Support
Thousands Join Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday Night Call
Alliance’s Virginia Chapter Marks Its Third Year

President Stays Away from Cuts to Key Programs in State of the Union Speech
President Obama’s State of the Union address avoided mention of some policies that would prove damaging to retirees, such as the chained CPI cut to earned Social Security benefits or other cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. “Now, we must work to increase Social Security benefits,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance. Mr. Fiesta added, “We applaud the President’s efforts to attack income inequality. An initiative to raise the minimum wage, and a renewed effort to extend the unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed, are two major steps in the right direction.” To read Mr. Fiesta’s full statement, go to http://tinyurl.com/ol972dw.

The President also introduced his myRA plan, which would allow some individuals to purchase bonds in a “starter” retirement account which guarantees no risk. The myRA will be safe and simple, but will top out at $15,000 per account and offer modest returns.

Illinois Public Sector Unions Sue to Block Pension Theft
On Tuesday, a coalition called “We Are One Illinois,” which consists of the Illinois AFL-CIO, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Service Employees International Union, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the Illinois Education Association and others, brought suit to block the enactment of a sweeping pension reform law in the state. While other employee and retiree groups already had filed legal challenges to the state pension law, the latest lawsuit carries the weight of Illinois’ largest public sector unions. The law was passed to alleviate a $100 billion dollar unfunded pension debt the state has accrued, but there is a provision of the Illinois Constitution which declares public pensions a “contractual relationship” with benefits that cannot be “diminished or impaired.” More at http://tinyurl.com/nemraln.

Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael T. Carrigan said, “Our suit makes clear that pension theft is not only unfair, it’s clearly unconstitutional…Teachers, nurses, emergency responders, and other workers and retirees will not stand by while politicians try to take away their life savings illegally.”

“We stand with the We Are One Coalition against any attempt to take away employees’ pensions, whether they are retired or still on the job.” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance.

In Fight of Their Lives, Union Members Rally at Pennsylvania State Capitol
Identical bills currently being debated in the Pennsylvania state House and Senate would stop state and local governments, as well as school districts, from automatically deducting union wages from employees’ paychecks.  Opponents of the bills point out that other organizations, including the United Way, are allowed to make use of automatic deductions at minimal cost to the government. In response to the proposed legislation, a rally was held at the state Capitol in Harrisburg on Tuesday. Over 1,000 union members, including several members of the Pennsylvania Alliance, protested against the severe attack on labor and Pennsylvanian workers. More at http://tinyurl.com/ptbtnad.

“This legislation is a blatant attack on worker’s rights, and is absolutely unconscionable,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “We hope the actions of the Pennsylvania Alliance and the unions showed Governor Corbett that this is not the will of the people.”

Coalition Challenges ALEC with the Facts
On Monday, a coalition of labor and progressive groups kicked off “Mondays with ALEC,” a day focusing on an aspect of the ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) corporate-funded agenda and ways to fight back, as part of the Stand Up to ALEC campaign. A new fact sheet highlights how ALEC’s agenda targets workers and lowers wages, increasing income equality: http://tinyurl.com/qapc29o.

Today is Intercontinental Day of Action against the TPP; Harry Reid Lends Support
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has signaled his opposition to a bill that would speed the approval of the trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). If not blocked, the bill would allow the TPP to be passed with minimal debate and no amendments. While the White House supports both the TPP and fast track, 151 House Democrats have told the President in a letter that they will vote against fast track. The addition of Senator Reid leaves the administration with an uphill battle.

Today is an Intercontinental Day of Action against the TPP and Corporate Globalization, with dozens of protests taking place in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada to mark the anniversary of the passage of NAFTA. Today’s march in Dallas includes numerous Texas Alliance members. The Iowa Alliance joined Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) of Iowa, the Communication Workers of America State Council of Iowa, and about 50 community members on Tuesday night, braving the -8 degree weather in the Eastern part of the state, for a teach-in on TPP and Fast Track. Jan Laue, President of the Iowa Alliance, highlighted the history of unfair trade starting with NAFTA and spoke about how the TPP will hurt seniors and raise the cost of prescription drugs.

Thousands Join Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday Night Call
More than 670 Alliance members joined a tele-conference call with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Monday night. Thousands of activists from partner organizations were also on the call, which focused on protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and creating an agenda that works for all Americans, and not just powerful special interests. “We've got to be alert, we’ve gotta be focused, we have to be aggressive,” said Sen. Sanders. “If we do that, I am confident that we will not just protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, I believe we can expand those programs.”

Alliance’s Virginia Chapter Marks Its Third Year
Virginia Alliance for Retired Americans members gathered in Richmond on Tuesday to mark their third year of retiree activism and to build capacity for more. Delegates heard from Ms. Easterling; Doris Crouse-Mays, Virginia AFL-CIO President; Ron Thompson, President of the Virginia Alliance; James Gilbert, Union Veterans Council Director; Judy Beard, American Postal Workers Union National Retiree Director; Jayne Clancy, Legal Consultant for the Alliance; and others. Attendees spoke with Mr. Gilbert about issues affecting veterans, such as transitioning from combat to civilian life and Helmets to Hardhats programs, which connect service men and women to building trades careers. Photos here: http://tinyurl.com/ps7k7qr.

For a printable version of this document, go to http://tinyurl.com/ofuwk7c.