| Greater Green Bay Labor Council |
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| NEW (North East Wisconsin) Labor Retiree Club |
| Current News: |
NEW Labor Retiree Club
Would like to invite you to .........
- Continue your friendship into your
years of retirement.
-Keep informed of issues of concern
to you and other retirees.
-Have fun with useful social
recreational opportunities
-Keep informed of legislative issues
that are sure to affect your daily lives
and the lives of your families, such as:
Health Care
Social Security
Prescription Drugs
Education
-Have a strong voice for union
retirees within the labor movement,
within the community, the political
arena, and the legislative arena to
work collectively to protect, improve,
preserve and pass on these and
other important programs to our
families.
Then join us and together we can still
get things done!
Dues......
Only $20.00 per year.
Meetings......
Our meetings are held on the fourth
Monday of every month at 1:00 pm.
Places to be announced.
Meetings usually consist of:
Short programs with a speaker
followed by some fun time.
------------------------------------------------
2010-2011 Officers
President
Tony Vanderbloemen
Postal Workers, Northeastern WI
Vice-President
Tim Driscoll
Electric Workers, Local 2150
Recording Secretary
Elaine Capelle
Wisconsin State Employees,
Local 1800
Treasurer
Dan Huettl
United Auto Workers, Local 1102
Seargeant-At-Arms
Mike Cole
Iron Workers, Local 8
Trustee(3):
Jack Krueger
AFSCME, Local 3055
Roger Smet
United Auto Workers, Local 1102
Ken Hockers
United Auto Worker, Local 1102
Email Link (Please Identify the
Person's Name in the Message)
Would like to invite you to .........
- Continue your friendship into your
years of retirement.
-Keep informed of issues of concern
to you and other retirees.
-Have fun with useful social
recreational opportunities
-Keep informed of legislative issues
that are sure to affect your daily lives
and the lives of your families, such as:
Health Care
Social Security
Prescription Drugs
Education
-Have a strong voice for union
retirees within the labor movement,
within the community, the political
arena, and the legislative arena to
work collectively to protect, improve,
preserve and pass on these and
other important programs to our
families.
Then join us and together we can still
get things done!
Dues......
Only $20.00 per year.
Meetings......
Our meetings are held on the fourth
Monday of every month at 1:00 pm.
Places to be announced.
Meetings usually consist of:
Short programs with a speaker
followed by some fun time.
------------------------------------------------
2010-2011 Officers
President
Tony Vanderbloemen
Postal Workers, Northeastern WI
Vice-President
Tim Driscoll
Electric Workers, Local 2150
Recording Secretary
Elaine Capelle
Wisconsin State Employees,
Local 1800
Treasurer
Dan Huettl
United Auto Workers, Local 1102
Seargeant-At-Arms
Mike Cole
Iron Workers, Local 8
Trustee(3):
Jack Krueger
AFSCME, Local 3055
Roger Smet
United Auto Workers, Local 1102
Ken Hockers
United Auto Worker, Local 1102
Email Link (Please Identify the
Person's Name in the Message)
1570 Elizabeth Street
Green Bay WI 54302
Click Button Above to View Map
Green Bay WI 54302
Click Button Above to View Map
Part D Voter Revolt
America's most powerful voting bloc is vehemently rejecting the Part D Drug Plan, according to a
recently released Democracy Corps report. Among seniors 65 years and older, 53 percent rate
Part D negatively, compared to the 25 percent who rate it positively. Opposition among
pre-retirees (50-64 years old) has risen sharply to 51 percent from 38 percent last fall. "Clearly
this Republican devised plan is a loser," said Edward Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance. "All
signs point to a well deserved voter revolt at the polls this fall."
Lawmakers from both parties admit the most widely discussed issue amongst their older
constituents is the new drug plan. Eager to fix the problems plaguing seniors both looking to
enroll in or already signed up in a plan, Democrats have introduced approximately 20 bills
designed to fix the program. Legislative fixes include extending the sign-up period and enabling
Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Republican members of Congress echo the sentiments of
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), who says he prefers administrative solutions over legislative
changes and has rejected each measure introduced. "This Part D disaster is a Pandora's Box for
Republicans," said Coyle. "Once it opens, there is no telling what will fly out. We must see to it
that behind-the-scene scheming that created this mess is exposed."
HHS Reaches Out for Help?From Teens!
Millions and millions of taxpayer dollars have been squandered by the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) attempting to help America's seniors make sense of the complicated and
confusing Part D drug program. HHS must have been betting on a whole lot of love being in the
air this Valentine's Day week when it bought a $500,000 ad in PEOPLE magazine urging readers
to send a card to a senior they love, offering to help decipher the Part D plan. Wonder if they'll
consider using the April Fool's Day hook?
Canadian Pharmacies Feel Customs Heat
Canadian pharmacies are reporting an increase in the number of intercepted shipments by U.S.
Customs officials of lower-priced prescription drugs ordered by American citizens. In a Los
Angeles Times article, Calgary-based MinitDrugs president Barney Britton revealed his company
had more than 800 seizures of shipments in January, up from the usual 15 per month.
It comes as no surprise that the crackdown by the U.S Customs coincides with the launch of the
Part D drug plan disaster. Seniors increasingly rely on Canadian pharmacies to provide the drugs
they cannot afford to purchase in the United States. As a result, the Canadian pharmacies, which
are able to purchase brand-name drugs at lower wholesale prices negotiated by the Canadian
government, are in direct competition with the Part D plans.
"This administration is not about providing affordable drugs to America's seniors," said Ruben
Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. "It's all about providing profits to the insurance and
drug companies."
Junior High Civics Class Re-Visited
Democratic leaders attacked the legality of the $39 billion in spending cuts in the recently passed
"Deficit Reduction Act." The bill voted on by the House on February 1 differed by $2 billion,
according to Congressional Budget Office data, from the version President Bush signed into law
last week. "In their zeal to cut vital programs for seniors, Republicans in Congress would not be
stopped, not even by the constitutional requirement that bills sent to the President for his
signature must be passed by the House and Senate in identical form," said George Kourpias.
"House Republicans are using words like 'clerical error' and 'enrolling glitch,' but they clearly knew
the bills were different for more than a month and still sent a bill to the President that had not
passed the House and the Senate in the same form," Kourpias added. A provision in the bill that
reduced the amount of time Medicare could pay for "durable medical equipment" rentals other
than oxygen tanks is at the center of the controversy. The issue of the law's constitutionality as
passed is headed to court.
www.retiredamericans.org
Alliance for Retired Americans 815 16th St, NW Washington, DC 20008 www.retiredamericans.org
America's most powerful voting bloc is vehemently rejecting the Part D Drug Plan, according to a
recently released Democracy Corps report. Among seniors 65 years and older, 53 percent rate
Part D negatively, compared to the 25 percent who rate it positively. Opposition among
pre-retirees (50-64 years old) has risen sharply to 51 percent from 38 percent last fall. "Clearly
this Republican devised plan is a loser," said Edward Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance. "All
signs point to a well deserved voter revolt at the polls this fall."
Lawmakers from both parties admit the most widely discussed issue amongst their older
constituents is the new drug plan. Eager to fix the problems plaguing seniors both looking to
enroll in or already signed up in a plan, Democrats have introduced approximately 20 bills
designed to fix the program. Legislative fixes include extending the sign-up period and enabling
Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Republican members of Congress echo the sentiments of
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), who says he prefers administrative solutions over legislative
changes and has rejected each measure introduced. "This Part D disaster is a Pandora's Box for
Republicans," said Coyle. "Once it opens, there is no telling what will fly out. We must see to it
that behind-the-scene scheming that created this mess is exposed."
HHS Reaches Out for Help?From Teens!
Millions and millions of taxpayer dollars have been squandered by the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) attempting to help America's seniors make sense of the complicated and
confusing Part D drug program. HHS must have been betting on a whole lot of love being in the
air this Valentine's Day week when it bought a $500,000 ad in PEOPLE magazine urging readers
to send a card to a senior they love, offering to help decipher the Part D plan. Wonder if they'll
consider using the April Fool's Day hook?
Canadian Pharmacies Feel Customs Heat
Canadian pharmacies are reporting an increase in the number of intercepted shipments by U.S.
Customs officials of lower-priced prescription drugs ordered by American citizens. In a Los
Angeles Times article, Calgary-based MinitDrugs president Barney Britton revealed his company
had more than 800 seizures of shipments in January, up from the usual 15 per month.
It comes as no surprise that the crackdown by the U.S Customs coincides with the launch of the
Part D drug plan disaster. Seniors increasingly rely on Canadian pharmacies to provide the drugs
they cannot afford to purchase in the United States. As a result, the Canadian pharmacies, which
are able to purchase brand-name drugs at lower wholesale prices negotiated by the Canadian
government, are in direct competition with the Part D plans.
"This administration is not about providing affordable drugs to America's seniors," said Ruben
Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. "It's all about providing profits to the insurance and
drug companies."
Junior High Civics Class Re-Visited
Democratic leaders attacked the legality of the $39 billion in spending cuts in the recently passed
"Deficit Reduction Act." The bill voted on by the House on February 1 differed by $2 billion,
according to Congressional Budget Office data, from the version President Bush signed into law
last week. "In their zeal to cut vital programs for seniors, Republicans in Congress would not be
stopped, not even by the constitutional requirement that bills sent to the President for his
signature must be passed by the House and Senate in identical form," said George Kourpias.
"House Republicans are using words like 'clerical error' and 'enrolling glitch,' but they clearly knew
the bills were different for more than a month and still sent a bill to the President that had not
passed the House and the Senate in the same form," Kourpias added. A provision in the bill that
reduced the amount of time Medicare could pay for "durable medical equipment" rentals other
than oxygen tanks is at the center of the controversy. The issue of the law's constitutionality as
passed is headed to court.
www.retiredamericans.org
Alliance for Retired Americans 815 16th St, NW Washington, DC 20008 www.retiredamericans.org
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| NEW Labor Retiree Club |