Robby on the issues

Resolutions that touch our lives
By Robby Stern

The PSARA Executive Board has approved and forwarded to the April national Alliance for Retired Americans convention four major policy resolutions. Each deals with a subject that affects our members, their families and the broader community as well.

The resolutions are also being sent to the Washington State Labor Council’s convention in August, with the request that they be endorsed and forwarded to the national AFL-CIO for its consideration.

The ability to present important issues for consideration by progressive national organizations is one of the benefits of membership in the PSARA. Resolutions are a potent democratic instrument. They give our members a meaningful voice in shaping policy at all levels of government.

Here are the four resolutions:

1. “Scrap the Cap.” At present, only the first $106,800 of a person’s annual earnings is subject to the Social Security payroll tax. Our resolution calls for eliminating this arbitrary cap, so that all income, including that of the wealthy, is taxed.

In this connection, I recently had the privilege of expressing PSARA’s solidarity with 350 shop stewards and other union activists of UFCW Local 21 at a meeting to prepare for a challenging round of negotiations with the big grocery chains.

When I asked how many believed there is a funding crisis in Social Security that might jeopardize their future benefits, almost every hand went up. When I asked how many were aware that earnings above $106,800 were exempt from Social Security taxation, there were gasps of disbelief. Clearly, the disinformation campaign to undermine Social Security has been devilishly effective.

I assured these workers that the $2.7 trillion currently in the Trust Fund would provide full benefits through 2037. I further explained that simply extending the payroll tax to earnings above $106,800 would ensure the solvency of the Trust Fund for a full 75 years.

Their response was dramatic and immediate: ELIMINATE THE CAP! And that’s what our resolution calls for.

2. Watch the “Budget Deficit Task Force.”

Appointed by President Obama, the task force, in the name of reducing the federal budget deficit, can be expected to recommend cuts in lifeline entitlements, including Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Our resolution warns of such recommendations and calls on Congress to reject them.

Such an entitlement task force has long been the goal of billionaire Peter G. Peterson and his foundation, as well as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers. Instead of tackling the budget deficit with cuts in entitlements, our resolution calls on Congress to go after the fat cats who enjoyed huge tax cuts during the Bush years. Another target might be the billions lavished on the military-industrial complex.

3. Enact the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Our resolution declares that there should be no discrimination against workers based on their sexual orientation. Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender workers still suffer discrimination in hiring and advancement. They suffer harassment in the workplace and exclusion of their partners from health and other benefits. On average, they earn lower wages than their straight counterparts.

Federal employees and workers in 38 states have no statutory protections against workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and sexual identity. The PSARA Executive Board voted to endorse the speedy passage of ENDA, to communicate our support to our Congressional delegation, and to forward the resolution to the ARA convention and the State Labor Council convention.

4. Eliminate the Senate’s 60-vote rule.

The first three resolutions were adopted unanimously. The fourth resolution was passed, after a robust discussion, with a significant majority vote, but with three nays and two abstentions. The resolution calls for the elimination of the 60-vote filibuster rule and urges Senators Murray and Cantwell to work with their Senate colleagues to eliminate the rule as expeditiously as possible. The resolution was also referred to the April ARA convention and to the August WSLC convention.

For arguments in favor of the resolution you can read my column in the January, 2010 issue of the Retiree Advocate (available on line at www.psara.org). Board members opposed to the resolution expressed understandable fear that the 60-vote rule might be used against our interests should the Republicans gain majority control of Congress and the Presidency. The majority of our Executive Board ultimately decided that the potential benefits of majority rule outweighed the potential risks.

Your delegates will advocate for these resolutions at the ARA convention. We hope that delegates from other states will support our efforts. We invite PSARA members to comment on these resolutions at the PSARA website blog.

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