Political Geek Rock Concert, Part 2

After the opening day of the Alliance Conference, I have to say, I was inspired. Now, on Wednesday, July 8, many of the speakers were of the "insider" track, such as our Executive Vice President, Jo Etta Brown. There was also a presentation by Susan Arther, who works with the FINRA Investor Protection Campaign on fighting Financial Fraud. Although she spoke about how seniors are targeted by certain scams, she also spoke about what anyone who is thinking about investing should ask questions before signing anything and making sure to practice saying, "No". I urge all of you to check out the sites above, specially the Fighting Financial Fraud. There's even a link to a free credit check and a lot of information. By the way, do you know who is the most gullible? Those of us who are optimistic, self-reliant when decision making, above average in financial knowledge, income and education...know anyone like that?
We also had Max Fine, member of President Kennedy's(and LBJ) Task Force on Health and Social Security who told the real story of the fight to get Medicare legislated. He relates that the idea behind Medicare was to first help seniors(who were failing horribly in retirement without health insurance and falling deeper and deeper into poverty). In 5 years, the next step would be dropping the age by 10 years...down until all of American Citizens would be covered, but that was thwarted by Viet Nam and the treasonous deal Nixon made to the South Vietnamese to quash the Paris peace talks.

Will Fischer and James Gilbert, laying a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Also speaking was Will Fischer, Executive Director of the Union Veterans Council, an AFL-CIO sponsored organization specifying in the union members who are also Veterans and the issues they face. And the Council also has a Facebook page. The page has a lot of good and pertinent information for anyone who is a veteran or has a family member in military service.
So after all of this, it is now 1:30 and time for our breakout sessions. Yep a lot is happening during this week and I think I need a nap! But I didn't I pushed on...for the big show on Thursday...

Potical Geek Rock Concert! part 1

From July 6, 2015 until July 12, 2015, I was in the party of political rock stars! I was at the Alliance for Retired Americans Legislative Conference(7/7-10) and the AFSCME Retirees Council (7/10-12). Although we did many work sessions (about TPP, strengthening and expanding Social Security, Medicare, Working with Coalitions to name a few), this post is just about the speakers.
What speakers they were! And, of course, I have some excerpts from their speeches, maybe not the most quotable, but I don't have that type of equipment. Also, I'm going to have to use links...cuz blogger's being mean about size....pssssshhhhhh!

We began with a bang with Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO who, as usual, knocked it outta the park. Did you know that he was the youngest person elected as President of the United Mine Workers at 33?  He spoke about raising wages for all working folks: youth, women, minorities and white men which, when wages are higher, we all live better and helps secure our retirement future and helps those already retired.
On July 7, we also heard from Nora Super, the Executive Director of the White House Conference on Aging. This conference is held every 10 years, since 1961. The last time it was held was under President Bush, who is the only president who never showed up for the conference, 'magine that? This conference was held by having town hall meetings in 5 areas: Seattle, Cleveland, Phoenix, Boston, and Tampa, along with tele-conferences(over 100). President Obama addressed the Conference on July 13. The link in this paragraph will give you more information about the conference and the President's speech.
Also, "in the house" was the Executive Director of the National Institute on Retirement Security, Diane Oakley, who spoke about it being time to change the conversation from, "baby boomers are going to bankrupt Social Security and Medicare" to one that shows the facts that Boomers offer more to America than seniors in the past due to their community activism and being involved in their community. Also, that it's time to strengthen and expand Social Security and Medicare, not cut as the Republicans in congress are always trying to do. She highlighted the savings crisis that is hurting so many older Americans who, because of no pensions, just 401K plans, lost much of their savings due to the Great Recession of 2008. She spoke about why pensions are still a better bang for the buck for all involved, both employee and employer and how the Laura and John Arnold foundation has been funding many of the pension bashing rants and legislation throughout the country. If you don't know who John Arnold is, he used to run a little energy company called Enron...he didn't ruin enough middle class retirement funds when Enron imploded so he now runs a hedge fund and tries to take down the rest of us who are still holding onto a middle class life. 
This was just the first 3 hours of our conference! Much more to come: Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, Sherrod Brown, Debbie Stabenow...and Elizabeth Warren! Yep, Rock Concert...just with talking....see you soon.

Tales from Traveling Through the Skies

Today, I travelled to Washington D. C. for the Alliance for Retired Americans Legislative Conference/AFSCME Retiree Conference. My flight, on Southwest, was at 10:25 a.m. so I scheduled a taxi at 7:15 a.m., it usually takes at least 45 minutes to get to Midway from my house and, although I had done a lot of the legwork through the interwebs, I figured I would give myself extra time, if for no reason that it was a Monday and rush hour would be starting around that time.
The taxi shows up at 7 a.m.! I go out, he tells me don't worry, very friendly and personable; he's early(and he wants to have a cigarette anyway). I tell him not to worry about the dogs, they just sound like the hounds of hell and he laughs. So, I'm ready by 7:10 a.m. and we begin our journey.
We start talking about halfway through the trip and he tells me that he has a doberman that is his baby...and then he tells me about his time living in California and a cop killed his dog. He was stopped by a cop(his dog was in the car) who decided that he was speeding and drunk...oh, forgot to tell you that my cabbie was Arab? I think the cop just did a driving while brown....anyway he tells me that the cop tells him that he was speeding, he says, no I wasn't. Cop says, I think you've been drinking. He says, I don't drink(as Muslims do not drink). He tells cop to test him. He does the breathalyzer and passes and cop makes him go through the field sobriety tests anyway....cop then grabs him by the shirt collar...and his dog jumps out of car and starts barking...and cop shoots the dog!
When he goes to court, the ticket is dismissed, the cop is admonished by the judge, but my cabbie(and I) want the cop to pay, but there was nothing he could do to make that happen.
We also discuss how it took less than 30 minutes to get to Midway! Before I leave the cab "Moh"(I'm pretty sure it's short for Mohamed) gives me his info so that if I can't find a ride when I'm back, he'll come and pick me up. I'm here before 8 a.m.! OMG, I'm here before 8 a.m.! Two long hours before my flight....
I check my bag with the sky cabs before I go in to Midway(why would I want to haul it around?) and go into the airport.
Midway is a village of its own...food, shops, even alcohol, but I did feel like Edward Snowden...stuck here until someone allows me to move. But time moved quickly and I like to wander around and see what's available...and I have my tablet and phone so both games and reading kept me occupied.
Southwest does not have assigned seats, they have assigned categories. I bought the ticket under "business select" which are the first to board...I wanted a window seat just cuz I never get a window seat. It was fun, except for the baby a couple of seats behind me...luckily I sat ahead of the wing so I also had the hum of the engine to somewhat level out crying baby. Actually, it didn't bother me and if it did, I could put on my earplugs and nothing would bother me.
One of the reasons I wanted the window seat was to take photos of the clouds from above since I thought the Diva(my 5yo granddaughter) and the neighbor kids(who are 6 & 9) would enjoy it.

 I know the Diva and I have talked about clouds and what they're made of. It's also kinda cool to see the cloud from above and the shadows they cause on the ground.

A little bit of turbulence caused a bumpy ride for about 15 minutes, but we landed early. It's really kind of neat landing at Reagan National because the approach runs over the Potomac and right by the Pentagon.
The plane lands, I pick up my luggage and off to the hotel I go by way of shuttle.

The shuttle driver and I have a nice conversation, what are gas prices in my area(about the same), he points out some of the sights that we don't know and we(the other passengers and I although I got to sit in the front seat) point out the ones we do such as the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial(or back of the Memorial). When we get to the Hilton, the driver points out a plaque that's been placed on the hotel to show? honor? the spot that Reagan was shot...yes, I'm at THAT hotel. One thing that did surprise me was how lush the Capitol is, not only trees, but forests! I look out my window and I think I see more vegetation than buildings which is pretty f**kin awesome!

The garden and driveway below my window

I check in, I'm on the 8th floor, the view is towards the Potomac and DuPont Circle, not that I can see DuPont Circle, I just know its there. Pretty cool place, tho.

The view, looking towards the Potomac.

Mark Kirk, really? "A bro with no ho"

I know this is "late", but as angry as this made me, I thought it best if I waited to complete the post.
As many have heard, Senator Kirk made an oopsie. While near an open mike he was "joking" about Lindsey Graham, John McCain's girlfriend, Ooops, did I say that out loud????

Anyways, Senator Kirk, jokingly, stated that Graham is a "bro with no ho". Whilst best, right? But then this arrogant, entitled asshat apologizes and says, "well that's what they say on the south side"! REALLY Mr. Kirk? The "south side"? When the fuck have you been on the "south side"???? What, south of Winnetka??
Now, most media outlets have identified the statement as sexist and racist, but it seems to me that the media has pounced on the sexist claim much harder than pointing out the obvious racial slur that Senator Kirk thought was so funny. Not that he's not had other issues, but those were washed away by his republicon cronies dropped by the media very quickly:
While campaigning for Senator, Kirk said he had come under enemy fire in Iraq, that he ran the war room in the Pentagon and that he was the Navy Intelligence officer of the year. He lied. His unit won the award, not him.
He took credit for ending the Alaskan "Bridge to Nowhere"...another lie.
He called, publicly for the arrest of 18,000 "Gangster Disciples" but admitted that he lied about the number just to shock people.
He also said that he saw "a guy get popped" during a ride along with Chicago's Police Superintendent....Mr. McCarthy later explained that although someone did get shot and it was gang-related, the person didn't die. Another lie.

Now, there are many other stories about Kirk's inability to either tell the truth or calling people names(he called Democratic Senate committee staffers, "little zombies" when the CIA interrogations report was released in 2014), and, now, proof positive that he has no problem with sexist and racist slurs when he thinks no one is listening. His apology was silly and, again, arrogant. I believe that what you say when you think no one is listening is the truth...so Senator Kirk? You proved to me that you're the asshole I thought you were and you will race bait when you think it serves your purpose...and you are the one that someone should yell in the Senate, "YOU LIE!"

I also saw that he and the Governor Liar were in Arlington Heights for that parade today. Funny. Most governors always hit Chicago for holidays, not small suburbs...oh, but then the two of them could lie to those people much easier.

Go Tammy Duckworth!