A message from PEF Retirees President Jim Carr Retirees make Hochul win our victory too


The May victory of our CARR


PEF-endorsed candidate, Kathleen Hochul, in the special election to fill a mid-term vacancy in the 26th Congressional District is also a victory for our members, whose activism helped the Democrat score this upset that made news throughout the country. Despite conventional


wisdom that the district was impossible for a Democrat to win, we were there with her from the beginning until the last vote was counted, and the once-Republican House seat was hers. Approximately 25 PEF retirees and


many PEF members participated in a wide range of campaign activities to support Hochul. Hochul defeated both Republican


Assembly Member Jane Corwin and Tea Party candidate Jack Davis. The 26th is a traditionally “red” district where Democrats are in a 27,000-voter minority.


The Democrat, Hochul, received 48 percent of the vote. Just last November, the Democratic candidate for that seat received only 20 percent of the vote. This election was critical in sending a


message to house Republicans’ who voted for the Ryan budget’s Medicare voucher program, a vote that would end Medicare as we know it! It was a steep, uphill battle and the


future of Medicare was the key issue in this race. Hochul defended our Medicare and we supported her. Corwin supported the Republican


budget proposal crafted by House Speaker Paul Ryan. We helped voters understand his proposal to replace Medicare coverage with health care vouchers is a thinly disguised attempt to shift costs from the government to the elderly. Additionally, this plan did nothing to control health care costs or diminish the national debt. Millions of dollars were spent in this


race, as the election attracted national interest. The media was flooded with advertisements.


MEMBERS GET EMPOWERED—Pappy Kunjukunju and Richard Nebb, at right, are among the 100 participants of the PEF Region 10 Membership Conference held in early June inTarrytown.Members said the conference highlights included talks fromPEF President Ken Brynien and Region 10 Coordinator Vernetta Chesimard.They also said it provided an opportunity to take advantage of the workshops and networking that help create a collective force. —Photos by Richard Dillard


We were not the only ones supporting


Hochul. She was endorsed by both The Buffalo News and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. After the election, Hochul told local


labor leaders, “I could not have done it without you.” We proved workers, unions, middle-


class Americans and public employees are not defeated by the heavy attack we are under nationwide. We can fight back and we can win. Please join me in thanking the


following PEF Retirees and all of the PEF members and others who volunteered and voted in this election: Rosie Averion, Dennis Beagle, Jan Beutner, Jack Culkin, June Deisig, Tom Grace, Howard Henry, Ann Keller, Jim Kersten, Bonnie Marco, Barbara Milks, Steve Muscarella, Pam O’Malley, Dave Persson, Don and Sue Przybyl, Julie Radder, Rosemary Rossi- Williams, Craig Speers, Rich Sweeney, Nadia Watson, Sandy Wilkolaski, Henry Woitscheck and Bill Zhe.


Please email your updated address to jtropiano@pef.org


COMINGTOGETHER—Leaders fromPEF Regions 1- 4 gather in June for a training conference in Java Center.Shown are Region 3 Coordinator John Prince,Region 1 Coordinator Kevin Hintz,Region 4 Coordinator Peter Banks, and Region 2 Coordinator BonnieWood at the three-day event. —Photos by JohnMeloling


www.pef.org The Communicator July-August 2011—Page 11


RETIREES IN ACTION


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