Friday Alert  4/7/06
Alliance for Retired Americans
888 16th Street, N.W. -  Washington DC, 20006 - (202) 974-8222 - www.retiredamericans.or

Gov. Rendell Requests Release of WHCoA Materials
Governor Edward G. Rendell (D-PA) has expressed his disappointment with the limited disclosure of the materials that were produced at the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA).  In a letter to the National Governors Association (NGA), Governor Rendell asked for NGA support for advocating release of materials developed in the implementation strategy sessions, so that governors may review them prior to their response deadline of April 15, 2006.  The Governor also references the rich discussions of innovative ideas that took place at the Conference, but have not been shared.  In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, Gov. Rendell requests the strategy session materials as soon as possible.  "The White House did not allow a democratic process during the conference, but real seniors still have an opportunity to be heard," said George J. Kourpias, President of the Alliance.  "The Alliance thanks Gov. Rendell for his leadership and perseverance."

Rep. DeLay Resigns
Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX), a powerful former House majority leader, announced Tuesday that he will give up his seat in Congress rather than face a difficult re-election fight.  Just days earlier, Tony C. Rudy, his former deputy chief of staff, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy and corruption charges and confessed, according to The Washington Post, that a "criminal enterprise" was being run out of DeLay's leadership offices.  DeLay was perhaps best-known nationally for engineering President Bill Clinton's impeachment in the 1990s.  DeLay had a history of ethical and legal trouble - the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct had rebuked him in 2004 for improperly pressuring Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI) to vote for the GOP's Medicare prescription drug benefit.  More recently, in September 2005, a Texas grand jury charged DeLay with money laundering and campaign finance violations.  "Rep. DeLay has a 0% lifetime voting record with the Alliance," said Edward Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance.  "Hopefully, a new lawmaker from Texas' 22nd Congressional District will be more of an advocate for seniors."

Congress Tries to Agree on a Budget
Consideration of the Republican Budget Resolution for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 stalled until at least after the Easter recess on Thursday.  House conservatives would like to vote on a bill that matches the White House's $873 billion cap on discretionary spending; however, the measure already passed by the Senate added almost $9 billion to that number.  Under the President's budget plan, another $2.3 trillion in debt would be added over the next five years, with interest payments to foreigners growing faster than all other items.  In contrast, Ranking Budget Committee Democrat John Spratt Jr. of South Carolina presented a plan that would balance the budget by 2012.  "The President's tax policies would cost as much as $2.5 trillion over the next 10 years for permanent tax cuts for the extremely wealthy," said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance.  "I would much rather see a balanced budget."

State Chapter News
The Pennsylvania Alliance celebrated Senior Day this week with the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, as attendees participated in discussions about the 2006 mid-term elections and the critical role of senior citizens.  The Wisconsin chapter has been holding town hall meetings across the state since January as part of their Campaign to Fix the Medicare Rx Law.  In addition, in Washington, DC, Alliance members joined Americans United in calling on Congress to fix Medicare Part D and in protesting the House Republican leadership's own Capitol Hill Part D rally.  Next week, the Illinois Alliance will hold a Part D rally on Tuesday, April 11 in Springfield, IL.

Wal-Mart Uses Its Might to Block Port Security
In a special report to Congress, the AFL-CIO has found that Wal-Mart, America's largest importer, is using its clout to block new port security measures.  The company and its Washington, D.C. lobbyist, the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) have spent more than $11.2 billion since the September, 2001 attacks to kill off or water down security measures that might cut into Wal-Mart's record profits.  As part of this campaign, RILA has opposed: the introduction of anti-terrorist "smart containers" and electronic seals for cargo coming into U.S. ports; independent inspections of supply-chain security practices around the world; new container-handling fees to pay for improved port security; and tougher rules requiring Wal-Mart to report the content and origin of its shipments.  In the future, Congress could require CEOs of publicly traded companies to certify, under penalty of criminal prosecution, that their supply chains are secure.  To see the full report, visit http://www.aflcio.org/corporatewatch/walmart.

2005 Alliance Voting Record to be Released
The Alliance will release its 2005 Voting Record on Monday, April 10th.  Check the Alliance website, www.retiredamericans.org, on Monday to see immediately how your own lawmakers did! A complete summary of the findings will be available in next week's Friday Alert.

Did You Know?
The most important factor in a happy retirement is learning how to "play" again, in addition to having a happy marriage and sense of purpose.  A report, which will appear in the April issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, found that having an unhappy youth or bleak middle age has little effect on a man's contentment with retirement.  The study followed 280 socially disadvantaged men throughout their life and discovered that their happiness in retirement did not depend on health or having a large income, but instead on enjoying relationships, volunteering and having hobbies.