News

 Idaho Federation

 

  

Home | Officers | News | Library | Activities | Links

NARFE Legislative Hotline

NARFE WELCOMES SOCIAL SECURITY FAIRNESS BILL   

            Margaret L. Baptiste, president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Association (NARFE), today applauded Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA) and Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) for swiftly introducing legislation in the new 111th Congress to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), Social Security laws that unjustly deny federal retirees and other public sector retirees their earned Social Security benefits.  NARFE’s President reiterated her association’s long-standing opposition to these provisions of the Social Security Act and pledged to work closely with Congress to ensure action this session. 

            Baptiste thanked Representatives Berman and McKeon for introducing H.R. 235, which was immediately cosponsored by a sizable bloc of their House colleagues.  She specifically noted the federal community’s continued appreciation for the legislators’ “tireless and steadfast efforts to deliver equity to our nation’s public servants”.     

            Since 1983, the GPO has prevented retirees from collecting both their federal annuity and any Social Security benefit based on their spouse’s work.  Two-thirds of the amount of the earned civil service retirement annuity is used to offset Social Security spousal or survivor benefits that might otherwise have been payable.  The WEP reduces the earned Social Security benefit of a federal worker who also receives a government annuity based on his/her own work.  Hundreds of thousands of retired federal civil servants, as well as other public sector retirees, have lost Social Security income as a result of these offsets, and many annuitants are affected by both. 

            Recent data indicates approximately 465,000 Social Security beneficiaries affected by the GPO, of whom about 77 percent are women, approximately 43 percent are widowed, and 75 percent have lost their entire Social Security spousal benefit.  The data also showed roughly 972,000 Social Security beneficiaries affected by the WEP. 

            President Baptiste highlighted NARFE’s ongoing work with other organizations to persuade Congress to address the adverse economic impact of the GPO and WEP.  For over 25 years, NARFE has led a legislative campaign to rid the Social Security Act of the GPO-WEP provisions.  NARFE chairs the Coalition to Assure Retirement Equity (CARE), comprised of over 40 national organizations representing public sector retirees, including teachers, police officers and city workers that seek to change the law. “The GPO and WEP arbitrarily eradicate the earned Social Security benefits of far too many public sector retirees. There is absolutely no legitimate reason for one segment of seniors being denied their Social Security benefits for which full Social Security taxes were paid” affirmed Baptiste.  

 

Region IX Caucus

2:00 p.m. - Lanny Ross, Region IX Vice President opened the meeting.  He welcomed everyone to the convention and the Region IX Caucus.  It is the 30th National Convention.  It is the one time every 2 years for delegates to come together and meet as Region IX.

 

The caucus officials are Presiding Official, Lanny Ross; Recording Secretary, Rich Wilson; Sergeants-at-Arms, Sigrid Preston & Teri Sannar; and Timekeeper, Genevieve (Gen) Boguslawski.  Lanny introduced the caucus officials.  Lanny mentioned that candidates seeking National Resident Officer (NRO) who come to speak at our meeting will have only 5 minutes to speak and 2 minutes for Q&A. They may choose to use all seven minutes for Q&A.

 

All attendees were asked to introduce themselves citing their name and chapter affiliation and position.  As it turned out this processed was parsed throughout the first 1.5 hours of the meeting due to NRO candidate talks.

 

Lanny hopes at this NARFE Convention we can prepare for the future and pass resolutions towards that end.  Lanny mentioned President Margaret Baptiste did a fantastic job so far in conducting the business of the convention.  She prepared for two days prior to the convention by working with the NARFE Parliamentarian.

 

2:06 Dick Ostengren, National Treasurer also a candidate for National Treasurer spoke to the group.  Sam Cagle asked about merging membership and dues.  Dick replied, when a member is dropped, the membership department would drop the member but the finance department would never know about it.  The National Office tried to combine them, but software programs Oracle and Microsoft do not talk to one another.  As a result a program was written to combine the membership and finance databases.  This month is the first month the program was implemented.  Dick added the treasurer does more than just being the treasurer.  He also manages the membership database.  He has been National Treasurer for 4 years and California State Treasurer for 6 years prior to that.  Art Hathaway asked if unified dues would make it easier for the treasurer.  Answer, yes!  Ray Weinmann asked what would be the impact of the single dues structure.  Dick answered that there won’t be an impact unless the $9.00 chapter dues is not raised to at least $10.00.

 

2:16 p.m.  Kenneth Nolan was introduced.  He is running for National Vice President.  He had no prepared notes.  He wants to speak from no notes at all.  He is a “foot soldier, a gum shoe, a plotter and a whittler”.  He said after a sustained effort you end up with something.  What would he do to promote NARFE?  Answer, he doesn’t know.  He would have Maraia Carey sing about NARFE.  Ken went into the news about Sarah Palin.  John Cornette spoke up that we are from Region IX, we know about her.  Mr. Nolan has been to MT, ID but not OR, WA, or AK.  He is from a suburb in Boston.  He’s an advocate for one man, one vote.  He is mostly Irish and Native American and very stubborn.  He promised to post every newsletter he receives on the Massachusetts State website as a clickable link for that chapter.  He claims to generate enthusiasm.  He is not part of the internal intrigue.  He ended at 2:23 p.m.

 

Lanny started again by asking if everyone received a copy of the caucus agenda.  They all did!  He promised we would not go beyond 5:00 p.m.  He then asked us to continue to introduce ourselves.

 

2:17 p.m. We stopped the group introductions to hear Dr. Dan Galvin candidate for National Vice President.  He talked about his accomplishments as former NARFE National Vice President.  He implemented the Pre-Retirement Seminar Program.  He saved NARFE about $300,000 on redoing contracts for the national magazine.  He wants to work on a recruitment and retention program using public relations money.  A question was asked about his health.  He had a quadruple bypass and is diabetic.  He added that at our age we all have some medical conditions.  He is healthy now and ready to serve.  There was a question about publicity and being more successful at getting the word out.  Dr. Galvin answered by saying he’d start by using pre-retirement seminars.  He would also look for suggestions from the membership.  How would he shift NARFE’s focus from CSRS to FERS in the future?  He would look for answers from the membership.  He was asked about him ‘being there and done that’, so why not let others come in and work on the issues?  He answered by saying after talking with his wife and others, he felt he had more to offer.

 

2:36 p.m. Then Joseph Beaudoin, a candidate for National Vice President, and is the current Region X Vice President.  He feels we need to do more about retention.  He has implemented a retention program in Region X.  He wanted to have a CD/DVD about retention ready for distribution at this convention, however there was a problem.  He will forward a copy of it when completed to all Federation Presidents.  He feels the new (presidential) administration will try to make improvements for the economy on our backs (at a cost to our benefits).  Does he have any ideas about promoting the organization?  He mentioned $30,000 had been designated for use for outside the beltway.  Chuck Timanus the Public Relations Director has money for publicizing NARFE.  He is seeking our ideas.  There was a question about communications and how important he feels communication to the field really is.  He said he’s a huge proponent of communications.

 

Dick Strombotne candidate for National Treasurer talked.  He wants to make NARFE a bigger and better organization.  He mentioned that if single-dues issue is passed, chapter dues should increase about $7.00.  Passage of the single-dues issue would eliminate the multi-year dues structure.  The best deal a member can get is dues withholding.  When a dues renewal notice is sent, he has found in the Maryland Federation about 15% of members are lost.  With dues withholding notice sent he concludes fewer members would be lost. 

 

The self introductions continued at 2:55 p.m.

 

There was a question about what would happen to the chapter dues requirement if the single-dues proposal is passed.  Lanny said he would get an answer to the question about chapter dues if the single-dues proposal passes at this convention.  Johanna asked about the proposal to raise or lower the National Secretary and Treasurer salaries to be equal.  Lanny responded that the Treasurer’s salary would be raised to equal that of the National Secretary’s

 

Margaret Baptiste candidate for National President spoke to the group.  Lanny mentioned they are close friends.  Margaret concurred.  When she takes office next November she will be a lame duck president.  She added she will work as hard in the next two years as she has worked during the past few years.  Ray Weinmann asked if she sees any women candidates running for national office.  Margaret said there are two women running unopposed for Regional Vice President Office.  She said there will be then three women among all the men.  She said, in answer to a question, we have no problem recruiting new members.  The “very real” problem is retention at the chapter level and then on to the federation level.  If the single-dues proposal passes we would be more successful at retaining NARFE members.  We should be encouraging new members on a one-on-one basis.  She is an eloquent speaker.  She then talked about her family’s support and introduced her daughter Annette.  Margaret said Annette is her official hand holder.  Annette has been a great support to Margaret.

 

Lanny continued, by asking is any of the group holding onto any special pennies (for Johanna Caylor’s project).  For any of you that we’re tracking convention site cities, the Nugget Hotel has just dropped their hotel rate for a single/double to $95.00, a decrease of $5.00.  Lanny mentioned he is amazed any hotel can guarantee its rate as far as 4 years out.  Lanny indicated Margaret Baptiste said any hotel could change its rate from what was printed on the handout for the convention.  Lanny is against this as it creates an unlevel playing field for competition between the hotels.

 

Next the podium was turned over to Dave Seesholtz for purposes of conducting the nomination and election of the Region IX Vice President position.  Nominating speeches are limited to 5 minutes and seconding speeches are limited to two minutes. Lastly, there will be a 5 minute acceptance speech.  Lanny Ross was nominated and it was seconded.  Chuck Brodigan gave Lanny’s nomination speech.  He mentioned he was Lanny’s bartender last night in the hospitality room.  Chuck and Lanny have been indirectly associated since the 1960’s.  Lanny was a welder on the USS Corral Sea CVA-43 while Chuck was stationed on it.  People look up to Lanny and respect his judgment and position.  Lanny helped get the Oregon Federation into contact with the Federal Executive Board in Oregon.  This helped the Oregon Federation to participate in health fairs.  Lanny is also an excellent fisherman and he gives Chuck some of his fish as well.  George Eads gave the seconding speech.  George shared “Everything you’ve ever heard about Lanny is true”.  George feels very fortunate to have Lanny as part of his Bremerton, WA Chapter #181.  George supports Lanny to once again be our Regional Vice President.  Dave Seesholtz asked are there any further nominations for Region IX Vice President?  Hearing none, Dave Seesholtz asked for a motion to elect Lanny unanimously.  It was so moved and seconded.  Lanny then gave his acceptance speech.

 

Lanny appreciated all the nice things that had been said about him.  It is true that he is the elder member of the NARFE National Executive Board (having served continuous the longest of any current executive board member).  This brings experience to the board and is a voice of what has transpired in the past.  At the 2010 National Convention he will have to make a decision – whether or not to run again.  We are truly at a threshold in NARFE!  In 1996 we had 450,000 members.  Today we have a total of 319,000 voting and non-voting members.  NARFE represents 3.5 million federal annuitants.  The danger is in having NARFE membership drop to below 300,000 members.  Should this happen, we would lose some clout we now enjoy with the Congress.  So far this year we have lost 12,000 members.  Last year at this time we had lost 9,000.  He closed by saying he would, as best he can, do a good job for all of us.

 

  Johanna (Mrs. Abby Lincoln) Caylor has collected one two dollar bill, 4 gold dollars, and lots of pennies.  She said we still need pennies from the 1930’s and `1940’s.

 

3:48 Tom McKinney candidate for National Secretary spoke to the group. His mission is to protect our federal annuities.  He claims the strategies NARFE HQ is using are not working.  He believes Margaret Baptiste is doing a good job.  The vital mission is recruitment and retention.  He has developed a plan.  He plans to publish it.  There will be chapter “Best Practices” from all the chapters he’s been in contact with.  There will be district level recruitment and retention training by District Vice Presidents.  HQ has had a plan written by an outside company but they haven’t distributed it to the field.  He has a plan to get into Federal Active Employee agencies to recruiting.  Question, who will have the burden of the costs and what would the costs be?  He didn’t have an answer.  Chapters are going to have to develop leaders because they don’t have any now.  Sandy Cagle asked, “How are we going to get into the agencies?”  He answered, “We would get into them by advertising.”

 

Lanny started again by saying we’ve had 7 of the 9 candidates so far.  Then another one came in.

 

Nathaniel Brown National Secretary and candidate for National Secretary talked to the group.  He said we have a retention problem?  He said he can’t do it alone.  The only way to retain a member is by personal contact.  Dropped members are usually those who do not come to meetings?  We need to have some kind of personal contact with our members on a consistent basis.  Personal contact is the only way to retain a member.  The only other way is to get them on dues withholding.  “Once you’ve got them on dues withholding, you’ve got them for life,” he said.  He told the story about recruiting a gentleman in a shopping market.  It was a good story.  He told another story about a member he knew and talked to at his church.  The man at church was an SES (Senior Executive Service) employee from the FBI.  Nat recruited him.  The proof was when the FBI employee showed Nat his new membership card.  He finished by saying, “It is only you and me that can turn it around.”  He ended at 4:04 p.m.

 

4:05 Clyde Jeffcoat candidate for National Treasurer talked to the group.  He currently lives in Texas.  He worked in the Department of Defense.  He knows how to set up a network to make NARFE HQ more transparent to the field.  He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Financial Planner and a graduate of many places of higher education.  He plans to be a temporary resident of Washington if elected and keep his permanent residence in Texas, unless Margaret Baptiste indicates he’d need to move to Washington DC.  He said he is a complete failure at retirement.  He has retired four times.  He’s been a NARFE member for 15 years.  He doesn’t think this would or should be a reward for a chapter member like himself.  He believes NARFE needs to grow stronger if it is to succeed.  He intends to publish financial reports to the membership on a regular basis.  4:12 p.m.

 

Lanny provided time to each of the five federation presidents so that they can discuss what has been happening in their state.

 

Alaska (AK) Federation President Jim Oliver spoke.  Greetings from Seward’s folly!  AK has five active chapters.  Chapters collect loose change for Alzheimer's.  Many chapters have fish fries to raise funds.  AK is in the top ten of NARFE PAC.  AK has increased its membership this past year.

 

Idaho (ID) Federation President Bob Conquergood spoke next.  Membership is about the same as last year.  They’ve tried to send out the newsletter to the membership.  They have about 9% of the membership on email.

 

Montana (MT) Federation President’s representative Janice Erfle spoke next.  She is the Montana Federation First Vice President.  They are trying to keep all MT chapters alive.  Billy Butts (MT) Federation President successfully met with Miles City Chapter and persuaded them to stay active.  They even elected a new president.  Billings is the largest chapter with 348 voting members.  The Federation sends its newsletters to federal agencies.  NARFE Legislative Representative Chris Farrell visited their Federation Convention this year.  Montana has conducted pre-retirement seminars in the Missoula area.

 

Oregon (OR) Federation President Don Strathdee next spoke.  The “Beyond 50” program that Chuck and Lanny did has been archived and is available.  Contact him jaimefour@verizon.net  if you’d like the Web address.  A promotional letter, 580 of them yielded 20 new members.  They will try telephone calls in addition to the mailings.  They contact agencies and attend organizational conventions to promote NARFE.  Their membership numbers are dwindling.  For instance, 35 members were lost in July, discounting people who’ve moved.

 

Washington (WA) Federation President Dale Brighton talked about the programs they are doing in WA.  Specifically, they have chapters who are sending their newsletters via the computer on the internet.  They have an Active Federal Employee (AFE) member who will head the AFE Membership recruitment effort.  Linda Cline, Mount Vernon WA Postmaster is heading that effort.  They expect assistance from NARFE HQ.  They set up the “Retention Attention” committee.  Sandy Cagle and Rich Wilson are developing a program to educate our District Vice Presidents.  They are developing a post card to send to members whose membership is expiring.  They are expanding the attention to the Service Officer program.  Currently they have just three service offices in the entire federation.  Marion Wilson (from Tacoma Chapter #163), is the Region IX Service Office award winner.  They are also placing emphasis on newsletters.  Nine chapters in Washington don’t publish at all or at a quarterly frequency.  They are looking forward to receiving the National Award for Alzheimer’s.  They’ve had three chapters close.  Dale said “we have to stop this!  Lanny then presented a letter and plaque to Dale Brighton and John Thurber, Tacoma Chapter President for Marion Wilson.  It was written and signed by President Margaret Baptiste for Region IX Service Officer of the Year.  Lanny asked John Thurber, the Chapter President, to present Marion Wilson with the letter and plaque.

 

Lanny then asked Genevieve Boguslawski, the Region IX Alzheimer’s Coordinator, to talk about the Alzheimer’s program.  She congratulated Washington State for contributing the most money to Alzheimer's.  The years of 2007-2008 NARFE gave the most of any organization to fund five scientists conducting Alzheimer's research.  Normally no more than three are funded.  She announced that on October 17 the Postal Service will issue a commemorative stamp celebrating Alzheimer's research.  Over $7,590,000 has been donated to Alzheimer's in the year ending June 30, 2008.  The delegates at the National Convention in Louisville accepted a new Alzheimer’s goal of $9,000,000.

 

Johanna Caylor asked about the availability of Judy Park’s presentation at the WSFC Convention.  Sam Cagle Washington Federation Public relations Officer said he would send one to Johanna and one to the Walla Walla Chapter (President).  Judy Park’s presentation is on the Washington State website.

 

Lanny announced the $5,000 amount mentioned during the convention is the total amount to be paid not in addition to the amount already paid to Regional Vice Presidents.  He stated emphatically, that if this resolution passes when voted on, you can expect to have 10 resignations from all ten Regional Vice Presidents.

 

He asked that each federation provide him with political activity, i.e., congressional office contact recently concluded.  He needs these reports so he can report to the NEB at the November, 2008 meeting.

 

The GEMS system is now available to each Federation President.  This is the same privilege Lanny now enjoys as Regional Vice President.

 

Membership losses in 2006 amounted to 6,707, in 2007 we lost 9,414 and in the seven months of 2008 ending in July, the losses are 12,694.  These are national figures.

 

Lanny doesn’t hold very much hope for a Region IX Conference.  We now have Federation State Conventions, National Conventions, Legislative Conferences and District Workshops which we spend money on.  He’s heard from all five federations that they can’t afford to send members to a Regional Conference.  While he believes that we’d find such a get together would be very useful, he understands.  Lanny asked for input from the attendees via email about their ideas for a Regional Conference.

 

Arnold asked the attendees to not consider only the cost of the hotel when voting on a city for the 2012 convention.  He added, “Please consider accessibility.”  Lanny echoed this concern and added members should consider all aspects of what people need to have for a successful convention.

 

Lanny reminded the group tonight is Kentucky night.  There will be Bourbon tasting prior to the start of Kentucky Night.  It begins at 7: PM.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 5:02 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Richard Wilson

 

Our New Federation Officers for 2007 - 2009

President - Robert Conquergood - Coeur d'Alene #218

Secretary - Gay Massie - Boise #83

Treasurer - Linda Brugger - Twin Falls #1959

SE District VP - Carrol Owen - Idaho Falls #763

SW District VP - Arnold Hartigan - Boise #83

N District VP - Gordon Rubenthaler - Lewiston/Clarkston #515

 

Photo's from Convention (Click Here)

 

  Webmaster

This Page was Last Updated on 01/09/09 06:36:00 AM