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The National Alliance for Retired Americans has asked Texas retirees to join in the nationwide effort to talk to congresspersons during their next break, February 16-20. Retirees will talk about health care and other issues of vital concern. The number one issue for all working people, Employee Free Choice Act, will be on every agenda, if it hasn't already passed.
The Executive Board of the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans discussed the issues on January 31 at the Communications Workers Hall in Houston. President Annie Banks welcomed national leaders Dani Pere and Charlie Williams, along with Gayle Fallon of the Houston Federation of Teachers. Sister Sarah Puente of the Teamsters union came because she wanted to get more involved with the retirees’ movement for justice.
President Banks encouraged everyone to openly discuss the many challenges that retirees are facing, and to recommend ways to be most effective in standing up for seniors’ rights. Charlie Williams offered to help visit leaders of unions and other progressive organizations around the state. He has a solid plan for improving the organization’s finances while drawing more and more people into action.
Dani Pere went over some of the upcoming legislation at the federal level. She said, “We are going to be heavily involved with Medicare.” The Alliance and its millions of members will work to extend and modernize health care services for everyone. Even though the November elections put a lot more seniors’ friends into office, Pere said, “It’s still going to take a very huge fight.”
Teachers will be lobbying the state government on March 16, and retirees expect to help. On July 15-18, retirees from all over America will converge on Washington DC for the Alliance for Retired Americans Legislative Conference. They will be calling on government leaders again in between educational workshops. The national leaders say, “With more than 3.5 million members in 30 State Alliances and the change in Washington, the Alliance is moving into a new era of exercising its energy and wisdom on senior issues. Your voice and energy have made and will continue to make a huge difference.”
Texans were disgusted by the maneuver in the State Senate to pass the “Voter-ID” bill that failed two years earlier. Supporters claim that the bill will stop a certain type of voter fraud, but they have been trying for years to document a single incident without any luck. What they actually intend to do, and what the bill would do if it became law, is limit Texas voting rights. Disabled and older Texans would find an extra hurdle and financial burden before they would be able to vote!
Retiree leaders: Jo Cole, Charley Hightower, and Harold Shaffer