August 20 PSARA Membership Meeting at 1pm on Zoom

Katie Wilson, PSARA board member and the director of the Seattle Transit Riders Union will give keynote. Details in your inbox soon.

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The Link Between Racial Justice, COVID-19, and the Green New Deal

A Webinar Presented by Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action–Whidbey Committee

Wednesday, August 12, noon – 1:30 pm

To attend email organizer@psara.org and you will be sent a link to register.

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75-80 PSARA members and supporters braved the downpour on Friday, June 12 to attend a PSARA vigil on E. Greenlake Way N. Participants expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement and opposition to systemic racism and violence embedded in the institutions of our country including the police and law enforcement agencies. 
Vigil at Green Lake, Seattle
Friday, June 12 1:30-3:00 p.m.

For too long we’ve watched with anger and disgust that police still wield the power to snuff out lives without consequence.  This time is different.  All the people, young and old, we see taking to the streets in revolt are saying enough is enough. 

Join us!
For information, email organizer@psara.org

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Is the Social Security Trust Fund Healthy?

The coronavirus recession has long-term financial implications for the trust fund, and is shining a spotlight on political challenges. Neoliberals have been trying to end Social Security and now have plans under cover of the corona virus crisis to cut the payroll deductions for this most successful of all U.S. Government programs.

It is urgent that we take action to stop this attack and keep the Trust Fund Robust.

See the article on Page 3 of the June Advocate.

Call Sen. Murray at (202) 224-2621 and Sen. Cantwell at (202) 224-3441. Thank them for their long-term support of Social Security, and ask them to show their current support by signing on to S269. It would increase the income to the fund by (eventually) scrapping the cap.

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PSARA Endorses a People’s Bailout

PSARA has joined with almost 1,000 other organizations to call for COVID-19 relief and stimulus packages to contribute to a just recovery by upholding these five principles:

1. Health is the top priority, for all people, with no exceptions.

2. Provide economic relief directly to the people.

3. Rescue workers and communities, not corporate executives.

4. Make a down payment on a regenerative economy, while preventing future crises.

5. Protect our democratic process while protecting each other.

Read more about this in the May Advocate!

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Statewide coalition to pass the national Green New Deal Resolution is demanding that our U.S. Congressional Representatives respond to the Covid-19 crisis with justice, not with bailouts for the oil and gas corporations. Read the statement sent to the Wa. congress representatives:

In a new video from The Intercept, author and activist Naomi Klein explains how the Trump administration and other governments across the globe are “exploiting” the corona virus outbreak “to push for no-strings-attached corporate bailouts and regulatory rollbacks,” and urges working people worldwide to resist such efforts and demand real support from political leaders during the ongoing crisis.

Klein, author of the 2007 book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, notes that President Donald Trump has pushed for a payroll tax cut that could bankrupt Social Security; promised help to major polluters like airlines, cruise companies, and fossil fuel firms that are driving climate disruption; and met with executives of private health insurance companies—in the words of Klein, “the very ones who have made sure that so many Americans cannot afford the care they need.”

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Trump attacks Medicare!

PSARA is a member of the Social Security works Washington Coalition. In response to Trump’s attack, the Coalition just sent the following letter to all Washington congressional representatives and senators.

Dear Representatives and Senators:
On October 3rd , 2019, President Trump issued an Executive Order(EO) entitled “Protecting and Improving Medicare for Our Nation’s Seniors.” Rather than “Protecting and Improving Medicare…” the EO threatens to do incalculable harm to present and future Medicare beneficiaries. Congress should take steps to equalize the two Medicare programs to assure that there is an end to discrimination against the Medicare recipients who choose the traditional Medicare program.

View the entire letter HERE.

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For millions of us us in Washington State, Social Security ensures security and dignity. Here is what lawmakers need to do to keep it that way: Read the Statement by Social Security Works, Washington here.

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February:  PSARA members in the House Chamber at lobby day in Olympia 2019

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