afscmeretirees161.com (version 0320)

Below is the first page of a handout the State provided. Click here to see the whole document. It offers free health insurance to those who have 20 years as well as to those who purchased additional time.

Here’s a link to Lisa Madigan on the above offer:

http://madisonrecord.com/news/249345-madigan-seeks-dismissal-of-challenge-to-new-retiree-health-insurance-law

23 July 2013

S/C 161 President’s remarks

This July meeting was important. Our guest speaker, Mr. Peter Sterzynski, is the field Director of A Better Illinois. He is organizing a state-wide petition campaign . His goal is to collect 200,000 signatures for a public referendum on election day, November, 2014. It will ask the Legislature to insert a question at the top of the ballot. “Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to have a progressive tax instead of the current flat tax?” (Go to http://www.abetterillinois.org/ for more information and an online petition.)

Some context to consider. We don’t have a “pension crisis”. We have a structural revenue problem in one of the top ten richest states. Illinois doesn’t have to be broke. It does have to fix a revenue problem it’s ignored for 40 years by changing a revenue base tied to a 1930’s economy of smoke stack industries that have disappeared. Ours is a 21^st century high tech & services economy that is lightly taxed compared with our neighbors. 2/3’s of Illinois corporations don’t pay any taxes. Result: Legislators make up the short fall by cutting services, or by raising revenues with sales tax and a regressive flat income tax. Have you noticed that no government pensioner is immune. If the state hasn’t raise your health insurance premiums in front, it has pushed off a cost it once paid onto the local property tax. You have less and less of your fixed income left after August 1^st’ second installment.

For three years, we have been blocking bad law. But as long as the Illinois Legislature fails to act, our pensions will not be secure. We must act.

The answer is to build a consensus for a change. Forget morality. In politics, what matters is mathematics. We need 2/3 majorities in both Chambers to get referendum on the ballot. But every senior’s signature carries a double message. We care and we vote. Starting with family and friends, we’ll change the politically possible. We can do what they can’t.

When you are feeling discouraged; get mad at those blowhards and Gladgrinds that say we are the problem. Chutzpa is a fitting word for their actions. It’s Yiddish for nerve. It’s what a man has who murdered his parents and then asks the judge for clemency because he’s an orphan.

Sincerely,

Charles Hogan, President

**********************************************

23 July 2013

From: S/C 161 President

To: All S/C 161 members

Subject: Nomination & Election of Officers

Notice

On 21 August 2013, there will be nominations for 4 officers and 3 Exec Board members. Each will serve 2 year terms.

President

Exec VP

Recording Secretary

Secretary Treasurer

3 Exec Board members

Additionally, there will be nominations for 3 Trustees. They will serve 3 year terms.

In the case of a contested election for an officer or trustee, there will be an election held on 18 September 2013.

This election will be conducted by an election committee.

Nominations: Election:

Ruby Tuesdays Restaurant Ruby Tuesdays Restaurant

5203 Old Orchard Rd., Skokie            5203 Old Orchard Rd, Skokie

Any S/C 161 member who has paid dues for the past year will be considered “a member in good standing”. You will be eligible for nomination and election to office.  If you are a city resident and not on the S/C 161 roster, I will work with you to get your status corrected.

Sincerely,

Charles Hogan, President

Dear member,

On Sunday, July 14^th, Senator Dan Biss held a Town Hall Forum on the “Pension Crisis”. An estimated 300 people attended. I wish to thank the following AFSCME Retirees:

Leonard Thigpen
Walt & Ginny Esler
Dave Rolston
Mary Bennett
Jessie & Lynn Wilson
Lyon Leifer
Pat Houlihan
Mac Diggs
Pete Belestick

These were the members I was able to recognize in that large crowd. If there were others, thank you as well.

Senator Biss is absolutely right about the need for the state to find monies to balance the budget. He and many of the legislators are wrong in using SB 1 as a way to do it. For the next 16 months, it will be the work of every single AFSCME Retiree 161 member to do 2 things:

1).  Educate yourself, your family, and close friends about the costs to all of us of doing nothing about this Illinois budget crisis.

2).  Work to build a grass roots campaign for a Fair Tax Referendum on the November 2014 ballot.

In the days ahead, we will continue to build our Sub-Chapter’s strength. In the past, we have been able to block bad law. Now we must build voter support for change. We will need to build voter support for the legislators to pass a referendum ballot initiative by 2/3rds of both houses.

To achieve this, we will need new ideas, and more volunteers to carry them out. What we do not need are eloquent spokesmen for all the difficulties we will encounter. The difficulties will speak for themselves. We will be pragmatic. We will apply the lessons of our collective past. We will work together to create, test, and persevere in order to find the answer. This has been our policy and we appear to be learning and growing as we have used it these last three years. Look around you at the next meeting. Be proud of yourself and others. Yes, we are in good company. Yes, we are in a long hard struggle.

But there is no justice without struggle.

Charlie Hogan

PS: The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) will be meeting in Chicago next month.  We expect to  express our opposition to their agenda on behalf of all working people.  See below or at http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/Worker_Rights_and_Consumer_Rights We will discuss appropriate actions at our meeting at Ruby Tuesday’s on Wednesday July 17.

Highlights of June 19 meeting:

Our speaker was Georgia Gerdes, Healthcare Choices Specialist:
AGEOPTIONS
1048 Lake Street. Suite 300
Oak Park Illinois 60301-1102
phone (800)699-9043, (708)383-0258
www.ageoptions.org

From the brochure for AgeOptions: Over the past 30 years, AgeOptions has established a national reputation for meeting the needs, wants and expectations of older adults in suburban Cook County. We are recognized as a leader in developing and helping to deliver innovative community based resources and options to the evolving, diverse communities we serve.

Ms. Gerdes discussed issues of healthcare  for older adults under Medicare and The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).  She distributed relevant literature (click here to view one of the brochures she provided) which are also available at the agency website.

President Charlie Hogan  suggested that members show their appreciation for state Senators who successfully opposed SB01 (see list below).

Senate Bill No. 1
May 30, 2013
16 YEAS
42 NAYS

N    Forby
N    Lightford
Y     Radogno
N    Barickman
N    Frerichs
N    Link
N    Raoul
N    Bertino-Tarrant
N    Haine
N    Luechtefeld
Y     Rezin
Y     Biss
Y     Harmon
N    Manar
N    Righter
N    Bivins
N    Harris
N    Martinez
N    Rose
Y     Brady
N    Hastings
N    McCann
N    Sandoval
N    Bush
N    Holmes
N    McCarter
N    Silverstein
N    Clayborne
N    Hunter
N    McConnaughay
Y     Stadelman
N    Collins
N    Hutchinson
N    McGuire
Y     Steans
Y     Connelly
N    Jacobs
N    Morrison
N    Sullivan
N    Cullerton, T.
N    Jones, E.
N    Mulroe
Y     Syverson
N    Cunningham
N    Koehler
N    Mufioz
N    Trotter
N    Delgado
N    Kotowski
Y     Murphy
N    Van Pelt
Y     Dillard
Y     LaHood
N    Noland
Y     Mr. President
NV  Duffy
Y     Landek
Y     Oberweis

Click here for contact information for state legislators (or click on “Contacts” in menu above).

See our “Members Forum” for postings by our members.

11 June 2013
AFSCME Sub-chapter 161

Dear member;

We will meet again at Ruby Tuesdays Restaurant at 5203 Old Orchard Road, Skokie, Il. on Wednesday, June 19th. The meeting starts at 11 AM. Our guest speaker will be Mrs. Georgia Gerdes from Age Options. Age Options is a “connecter” linking older adults and caregivers to senior services agencies in Cook county. This should be a highly informative meeting.

Most Urgent: Call your State Senator and State Representative now.  They should be asked to oppose any pension bill not supported by the We are One Illinois union coalition. Remember why you worked for your pension, health benefits, and COLA. Remember the actions of this legislature during the past three years. Above all, remember this group equates your silence with assent.    Then call.

Sincerely
Charlie Hogan, President

See our “Members Forum” for new postings by our members.

The last meeting of the subchapter was on May 15 at Ruby Tuesday’s in Skokie. The guest speaker was Emily Stuart, Director, Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans. Ms. Stuart provided the following handouts to members:

Emails sent to specific members but of interest to all may be found on our blogsite–afscmeretirees161.wordpress.com–by clicking on the title below:

To Mary Bennett:

BIG NEWS- Corporate Tax Loophole Bill Moves to House Floor
Celebrate 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage in Illinois
Debunking the Myths about Your Earned Benefits
Join Chelsea Clinton for a Day of Action with Chicago Cares
Medicaid Expansion-342,000 Illinoisans Need Your Help
Their fight is our fight

Pat Houlihan:

Letter from Henry Bayer: Protect Your Pension

The next meeting of the subchapter will be at 11:00 on May 15 at Ruby Tuesday’s, 5203 Old Orchard Rd, Skokie, IL 60077 (847-967-8292).  The guest speaker will be Emily Stuart, Director, Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans. Members who are first-time attendees will receive lunch complements of the subchapter.  After the meeting there will be a brief introduction to using the internet for anyone who is interested.

The letters below from Henry Bayer and Maria Britton-Sipe contain important information about your retirement benefits. SB1 has passed the House, SB 2404 passed in the state senate on May 9.  You can find details on the Illinois General Assembly web sight.  AFSCME representatives will work to make sure SB 2404 passes in the state house and is signed by the governor.  They will also work to assure that SB 1 is defeated in the senate.  Members are urged to tell their state senators to oppose SB 1.

We plan to publish announcements like these on the second and fourth Fridays of each month.  Members are also encouraged to check our website for additional information: https://afscmeretirees161.wordpress.com.  The website (Contacts page) contains links and phone numbers for contacting AFSCME and your legislators. We will soon initiate a forum page on the website that will allow members to further educate our members and to express their opinions on relevant topics.