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Delegates to the ARA Convention went to the nation's capitol on September 7. Leo C. Helmer, an octogenarian from Monahans, Texas (west of Midland) participated in the rally and lobbying effort.
Helmer
is a veteran of the National Maritime Union, the Teamsters, the Stagehands,
and the Service Employees' unions. He continues to proudly wear his SEIU shirt
and hat while working with other unionists in the Permian Basin (Midland-Odessa)
Central Labor Council. This was hardly his first time to lobby Congress; he
began in 1992!
The delegates gathered on the lawn of the Capitol Building for a rally to preserve Social Security. They took donuts that had been donated by the Bakers and Confectioners' Union. By giving their representatives a donut, they made the point that millions of seniors are falling into the "donut hole" of premiums but no insurance coverage in the Medicare Part "D" (for disaster) Prescription Drug Law. Even though most Americans realize realize that the drug bill benefitted drug companies and not customers, they really get a jolt when they find themselves in the "donut hole!" Most of the activists with the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans have a video movie that explains the horrendous aspects of Medicare Party "D."
Gerald
McEntee, President of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME) led the capitol rally with strong calls to defeat the Bush
agenda. No fewer than twenty Representatives and Senators joined the rally in
person to express their commitment to seniors' issues and to publicly sign the
"Golden Pledge" to save Social Security from privatization. Senate
leader Harry Reid and House leader Nancy Pelosi were among them. The pledge
was taken back into the capitol buildings to be signed by other elected leaders.
The plaque reads: "The Golden Promise:
A Declaration of Unity. Social Security guarantees Americans that if they work
hard, contribute and play by the rules, they have earned the right to retire
in dignity, and their families will be protected in the event of disability
or death. We are united in our commitment to strengthen Social Security, not
privatize it.
'We will work to improve the retirement security of all Americans and will oppose any scheme for deep benefit cuts or massive debt to fund risky private accounts."
After the rally, Leo took Shane Fox of Tyler and Gene Lantz of Dallas to visit his Congressman, Republican Michael Conway of Midland. The trio also visited the offices of Representatives Chet Edwards and Lloyd Doggett. Shane Fox did some other lobbying on his own. Shane is shown signing the register at Chet Edwards' office while Leo looks on.
Please click here for more about the ARA Convention