Why 10% of Floridians Can't Vote

Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert 5-30-14

Headlines:
The Alliance Releases Annual Voting Record Rating Congress
Early Social Security Claims Linked to Job Demands and Life Expectancy
Skyrocketing Median CEO Pay Tops $10 Million
Social Security Administration Considering Closing Most Field Offices
Fiesta Joins Sinema at Tele-Town Hall Call Regarding Seniors and Veterans
Voting Restrictions Threaten to Disenfranchise Voters Across South




The Alliance Releases Annual Voting Record Rating Congress
On Thursday, the Alliance released its annual report detailing the voting record of every U.S. Representative and Senator on issues important to current and future retirees. The voting record looks at 10 key votes in both the Senate and the House and assigns a “Pro-Retiree” score for each member of Congress. Scores reflect a member’s level of support for retirees and older Americans.
This year, votes examined include whether to:
•    raise the retirement age and fast-track cuts to Social Security;
•    privatize Medicare;
•    turn Medicaid into a block grant system;
•    limit voters’ rights by implementing photo identification requirements; and
•    repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would take away some gains for seniors and Medicare beneficiaries in terms of coverage and benefits.

“The first session of the 113th Congress was one of the least productive in modern American history. It enacted just 55 substantive pieces of legislation, the fewest in decades,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. “The House Speaker said that Congress should be judged on how many laws it repeals. We looked, and it repealed none. It was a year of endless attempts to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and repeal health care reform.”

In total, 47 members of the Senate and 154 members of the House received perfect scores of 100 percent. Sixteen Senate members and 132 House members, including House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), received scores of zero. To view the voting record, go to http://tinyurl.com/kxfrped. For the press release, go to http://bit.ly/1oNFvm2.

Early Social Security Claims Linked to Job Demands and Life Expectancy 
A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) suggests that work-related factors and expectations about living past 75 have a powerful impact when it comes to workers claiming Social Security benefits early. The study focuses on those who claim Social Security retirement benefits at age 62, the earliest age of eligibility. The report, available at  http://tinyurl.com/na6722x, suggests that workers with physically-demanding blue collar jobs, workers facing unemployment or underemployment, and workers with lower expectations about living past 75 are all among those significantly more likely to claim benefits early.

Workers claiming Social Security at age 62 see their monthly benefits reduced by 25% compared to what they would have received had they delayed claiming until the current full retirement age of 66. Although early claimers see a reduction in monthly benefits, the study also found that these benefits represent a higher proportion of monthly retirement income for these workers when compared to those retiring at 66.  

Skyrocketing Median CEO Pay Tops $10 Million
Another new study shows that rapidly increasing executive compensation has resulted in median CEO pay topping $10 million dollars for the first time. Last year was the fourth year in a row in which CEO compensation rose. The typical CEO now makes around 257 times the salary of the average worker, a sharp uptick from 181 times in 2009. The rising pay amounts are in part the result of a booming stock market and a higher proportion of CEO compensation coming through company stock. Not surprisingly, executive compensation rose the highest in the banking industry, with last year’s median pay for Wall Street CEO’s up 22% from 2012.

“CEO’s in this country are raking in increasingly obscene salaries while they are cutting workers’ pensions, and wages for the average worker remain flat,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance. “So much wealth going to those at the very top only underscores the importance of protecting programs like Social Security and Medicare and highlights the necessity of the wealthy paying their fair share to ensure a secure retirement for everyone.” More at http://bit.ly/RGnnhB.

Social Security Administration Considering Closing Most Field Offices
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is considering long term plans that could result in the closing of most of the SSA’s more than 1000 community field offices throughout the country. The SSA’s “Vision 2025” plan proposes shuttering field offices and forcing beneficiaries to rely more heavily on internet and phone based services. Such a move would threaten the jobs of nearly 30,000 field office employees and reduce the availability of face-to-face assistance in navigating Social Security benefits. Last year, more than 43 million people sought help through an SSA field office.

“Closing Social Security field offices would particularly harm the millions of seniors without regular internet access and make it more difficult for workers to be sure they are receiving the full benefits they have earned,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer for the Alliance. For more on the proposed closings, go to http://bit.ly/1rl1Yev.

Fiesta Joins Sinema at Tele-Town Hall Call Regarding Seniors and Veterans
On Tuesday, Mr. Fiesta spoke on a tele-town hall call hosted by Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ). The town hall focused on current issues impacting Social Security and Medicare on Capitol Hill as well as efforts to address the recent scandal involving wait times and the quality of care at Veterans Administration hospitals nationwide. “There are millions of senior vets across the country. It’s absolutely critical that we do everything we possibly can to make sure all of our veterans enjoy a comfortable, secure retirement and receive the quality health care they deserve,” said Mr. Fiesta. 

Voting Restrictions Threaten to Disenfranchise Voters Across South
Republican-backed voting restrictions implemented in the wake of last year’s Supreme Court ruling overturning portions of the Voting Rights Act created problems during recent primary elections in a number of southern states. In states like North Carolina and Arkansas, the new rules led to issues including widespread confusion, absentee ballots being rejected, and some voters being forced to sign affidavits before voting. The laws are currently facing a number of legal challenges, and critics fear that the new restrictions could swing several close elections in November. Read more on the effects of the voter restriction laws at http://on.msnbc.com/TXHlGC.

For a printable version of this document, go to bit.ly/1ku7VRC.

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 8-9-13

Headlines:
Happy 78th Birthday, Social Security!
Voting Rights under Attack in Florida
More Polling Shows Republican Party Increasingly Unpopular With Seniors
Study Finds Dementia Dropping Sharply, as Forecast
Alliance President Barbara Easterling Speaks At Virginia AFL-CIO Convention

Happy 78th Birthday, Social Security!
On Wednesday, August 14th, Social Security will celebrate 78 years of providing retirement security to older Americans. In this time of financial uncertainty, when other sources of retirement income such as pensions and savings are increasingly out of reach for many Americans, Social Security is more important than ever.  If you have not already signed the Alliance petition, which says to “Keep Social Security Strong – Let’s Not Be the Last Generation to Retire,” you can add your support at http://bit.ly/16ESw9e. The Alliance has also marked the birthday milestone by partnering with the group Social Security Works to release special state-by-state reports on what Social Security means for the people and economy in each state. To view the reports and see the data for your state, go to http://tinyurl.com/mjfvazl.

State Alliances around the country have already begun holding birthday celebrations for Social Security, and the news media is taking notice. The Iowa Alliance co-hosted a town hall with Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA). View moving footage from the town hall at http://tinyurl.com/n4dkkh7. For coverage of a California press conference in Fremont with Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), go to http://tinyurl.com/ltonyw6. To read about birthday celebrations in Connecticut, which were attended by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), go to http://tinyurl.com/lpcbnsg. Dozens more events will be taking place across the country this month. Find an event near you at http://tinyurl.com/nxvp8ls.

Voting Rights under Attack in Florida
Florida officials, led by Gov. Rick Scott (R), have resumed a purge of Florida’s voting rolls. The process had been stalled due to lawsuits, but Mr. Scott claims that the Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike down a key part of the Voting Rights Act has made it clear that the voter removal program is legal. The purpose of the program is ostensibly to remove non-citizens from the voting rolls, but many opponents believe that the real motivations are political. Groups of voters likely to be disproportionately impacted by the purge include seniors, minorities, students, and low income Americans.

“These developments in Florida make it increasingly clear that the Supreme Court’s recent decision puts the voting rights of millions of Americans, including seniors, at risk,” said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance. “Instead of trying to reduce voting, states should be encouraging political participation by expanding early voting programs and making it easier to vote from home.”

More Polling Shows Republican Party Increasingly Unpopular With Seniors
Echoing the sentiment of a National Journal story in the Friday Alert last week (http://tinyurl.com/n8aspgq), Democratic strategist James Carville and pollster Stan Greenberg brought more startling numbers to the table on Thursday. According to recent polling reported on the National Memo web site, only 28 percent of seniors rate the Republican Party favorably, and 71 percent disapprove of the job performance of House Republicans. Only 33 percent of seniors identify as Republicans, down from 39 percent in 2010. On the other hand, 39 percent of seniors now identify as Democrats, up from 29 percent in 2010. This change in party affiliation coincides with a recent survey about the policy priorities of seniors, which show that 89 percent of seniors want to protect Medicare benefits and 74 percent want to cut subsidies to big corporations. The survey also showed that a majority of seniors believe that Republicans are too extreme. In 2010, seniors voted for Republicans by a 21 point margin (38 percent to 59 percent). Among seniors likely to vote in 2014, the Republican candidate leads by just 5 points (41 percent to 46 percent).Read the analysis of the data at http://tinyurl.com/lj8aoca.

“This news comes as no surprise,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “Republicans have attempted to gut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid while giving tax breaks and special deals to corporations and the wealthiest Americans. Seniors are a savvy voting bloc and do not support these misguided policies. The Republican Party needs to reconsider its extremist positions.”

Study Finds Dementia Dropping Sharply, as Forecast
A recent study has found that dementia rates among people 65 and older in England and Wales have plummeted by 25 percent over the past two decades, to 6.2 percent from 8.3 percent. Researchers say the trend “is probably occurring across developed countries and that could have major social and economic implications for families and societies.” Another recent study, conducted in Denmark, found that people in their 90s who were given a standard test of mental ability in 2010 scored substantially better than people who had reached their 90s a decade earlier. Both the British study and the Danish one were published in The Lancet. Experts on aging said the studies confirm something they had suspected but had had difficulty proving: that dementia rates would fall and mental acuity improve as the population grew healthier and better educated. The incidence of dementia is lower among those better educated, as well as among those who control their blood pressure and cholesterol, possibly because some dementia is caused by ministrokes and other vascular damage. To read the full New York Times story, go to http://tinyurl.com/m36cyzz.

Alliance President Barbara Easterling Speaks At Virginia AFL-CIO Convention
Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling spoke at the Virginia AFL-CIO’s convention today (August 9th). Her remarks focused on senior issues and the upcoming November 5 Virginia governor’s election, as well as the ongoing budget battles in Washington. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe has a very slim lead over his opponent Ken Cuccinelli (R) in recent polls. In Washington, conservatives continue to threaten to shut down the government unless their demands for draconian spending cuts, potentially including proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare, are met. Ms. Easterling stressed the importance of holding firm against these threats and organizing to elect pro-senior lawmakers to both state and federal office.

“Older Virginians vote more than any other age group – this is a must-win voting bloc for both sides,” said Ms. Easterling. “We need you to help educate seniors on the huge differences between these two candidates. Please help us elect a pro-senior Governor and state legislature.”

For a printable version of this document, go to http://bit.ly/17cR6AY.

Alliance for Retired Americans Friday Alert 2-22-13

Alliance Lobby Week Comes Just Days Before Sequester Cuts are Set to Kick In
Alliance members scheduled more than 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 (coverage: http://tinyurl.com/bbwlkee). For a map of where all the meetings have been taking place, go to http://tinyurl.com/adyekv2.

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: http://tinyurl.com/a2bydwm.


House Democrats Reaffirm Commitment to Vital Seniors’ Programs
One hundred and seven Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives, led by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), released a letter last Friday in which they implored President Obama not to agree to any cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid as part of an upcoming deal over the sequester cuts. In the letter, the Representatives adamantly state that they will not agree to a “compromise” that includes cuts to earned benefit programs, including implementation of the flawed “Chained CPI” method of calculating Social Security cost of living adjustments. To read the letter and see if your Member of Congress signed it, go to http://tinyurl.com/bxysruq.

“It is very encouraging to see a majority of the House Democratic Caucus sign onto this strong statement supporting seniors,” said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance. “We urge President Obama to follow their lead and make it clear to Republicans that cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits, including implementation of the Chained CPI, is not an option.”


New Bowles-Simpson Outline: Particularly Bad for Seniors
The former heads of the President's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform — Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson — unveiled a new debt reduction plan Tuesday that they said is intended to pressure the White House and Congress to stop squabbling and act. Among other cuts, their plan slashes $600 billion from Medicare and Medicaid, in part by reducing provider payments under Medicare, and demanding that more money come from Medicare beneficiaries’ pockets. Their plan would also adopt the chained CPI. Go to http://tinyurl.com/axw9o88 to read Politico’s article.

“The new framework that Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson outlined on Tuesday cuts tax rates for the wealthiest Americans and corporations - those who need it least,” said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. “Some of the ways that they ‘accomplish’ this are by cutting earned Social Security benefits, transferring health care costs to seniors, and reducing federal employees’ retirement benefits. It is a particularly bad deal for seniors.”


Voting Rights Project Releases 2012 Election Report
The Voting Rights Project, a division of the Lawyers’ Committee on Civil Rights, has just released a comprehensive report on voting problems during the 2012 elections. The report details how countless Americans, including many seniors, were either unable to vote or had to wait in line for hours due to voter registration problems, understaffed polling places, malfunctioning voting machines, unjust voter ID laws, and many other flaws in our voting system. These voting issues are especially problematic for seniors, who are less likely to own photo IDs and are not always physically able to wait in long lines for several hours. Click on http://tinyurl.com/ctg5dnp to read the findings.

“This report illuminates many areas of our voting system that need to be reformed,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “Instead of making it harder for seniors to vote by passing unnecessary voter ID laws, our lawmakers should work to increase voter turnout by implementing mail-in voting and increasing the number of polling places and poll workers.”

America’s Work Force Radio Show Airs in Cleveland, Can be Heard Nationally
America’s Work Force, a daily labor-radio program, has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, and practical consumer reports. To hear it locally, tune in on WERE 1490 AM in Cleveland weekday afternoons from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Click on http://tinyurl.com/c9jcz5m to listen to an internet stream of the show from anywhere during that hour. Or, click on http://tinyurl.com/b4ucc5h to hear a podcast Of America’s Work Force shows through iTunes.

At the heart of the show is its provocative guest list – through the support and participation of the labor community, dozens of labor leaders and advocates have been guests, along with politicians, civic leaders, industry professionals, experts and more. You can generally hear Mr. Coyle on the show the second Wednesday of every month. The show is now in its 20th year and Ed “Flash” Ferenc has been hosting it since 1998. “Todays seniors are the folks that built America and made it great. They fought for us in wars, they worked hard so their kids could have a better life than they did. As a country, we cannot do enough for them,” said Mr. Ferenc.

For a printable version of this document, go to http://tinyurl.com/bzybno3.