• Sign the Petition To Stop Privatization of
  Social Security
• AFT Asks Congress To Reject Bush Budget Proposals
• Alliance Launches Security Truth Truck Tour
• More Americans Oppose Social Security Privatization
• Unions Challenge Schwarzenegger during
  Fundraising Tour
• Sen. Kerry Promotes Plan To Cover All Children
• U.S. Life Expectancy Climbs to 77.6 Years
• Wal-Mart Draws Flak on Health Benefits
• Union PLUS Offers Online Tax-Prep Service
• Quote of Note
• Web site of the Week: http://www.aarp.org/health/comparedurgs/
• Retiree E-news Survey

SIGN THE PETITION TO STOP PRIVATIZATION OF
SOCIAL SECURITY
AFT members are invited to sign an online petition opposing any efforts to privatize Social Security. The petition, sponsored by the AFL-CIO, will be submitted to your representative and senators in Congress, with a copy to President Bush. The AFT believes that the president's Social Security privatization plan would devastate working families—while handing billions of dollars to rich Wall Street investment companies. Privatization plans to replace guaranteed benefits with risky private accounts would fatally undermine Social Security, cut benefits drastically, most likely raise workers' retirement age—and saddle our children with $2 trillion in debt. To sign the petition, go to http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/m1zFMV61Puf0/social.

AFT ASKS CONGRESS TO REJECT BUSH
BUDGET PROPOSALS
The AFT is calling on members of Congress to reject the Bush administration's proposals for the fiscal year 2006 budget, which would reduce funding significantly for education, Medicaid, job training and numerous other domestic programs "critical to helping millions of Americans become productive members of society." In a March 3 letter to Congress, AFT president Edward J. McElroy notes that at the same time the administration is calling for sharp cuts, it also is advocating additional unpaid-for tax cuts "at the expense of disadvantaged Americans least able to endure these program reductions." The president's budget claims to reduce the rapidly expanding federal deficit, but many of the costs associated with the war in Iraq, the administration's proposal to privatize Social Security, and new tax reductions are not reflected in the budget. Together, these omissions "only serve to mask the true size of the public debt," says McElroy. "An honest budget must be based on realistic assessments, and any cuts must be fair and balanced. It should also take into consideration the current and future needs of all Americans—not just the beneficiaries of the administration's tax giveaways."

ALLIANCE LAUNCHES SECURITY TRUTH TRUCK TOUR
Over recent months, the Alliance for Retired Americans has collected 1.2 million messages calling on members of Congress to reject any plan that will cut benefits or divert money from the Social Security Trust Fund. During the congressional spring recess, starting on March 21, the Alliance will load these messages on a truck and then visit—in person—more than 20 members of Congress in their own backyards. The Alliance's Social Security Truth Truck: 3000 Miles, 1 Million Voices will begin in Florida with stops in North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, New York, and end in Pennsylvania on April 1. This two-week tour is designed to apply pressure to swing members of Congress where it matters most—at home. Retirees in each state and congressional district will provide personal voices testifying about what Social Security means to them and their families. More info: http://www.retiredamericans.org/truthtruck.

MORE AMERICANS OPPOSE SOCIAL SECURITY PRIVATIZATION
It's still too early to tell what will happen with Social Security, but by most measures President George Bush's drive to carve private accounts out of Social Security seems to be "sinking like a rock," to quote Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). Several polls released in early March reveal support for private accounts is tumbling. Most Americans agree Social Security faces insolvency. Almost 70 percent of those polled, however, thought private accounts, which would lead to cuts in guaranteed benefits, were a "bad idea," according to The New York Times/CBS poll. Despite weeks of presidential campaigning on Mr. Bush's top domestic priority, a USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll revealed that support for the president on Social Security has dropped in three weeks from 43 percent to 35 percent. Four months after Mr. Bush won a solid re-election over Sen. John Kerry, 63 percent of respondents to the Times/CBS poll say the president has different priorities on domestic issues than most Americans. President Bush, with his Cabinet's help, launched an intense 60-day, multi-state campaign to promote his plans to privatize Social Security last week. According to the White House, the primary target is Americans age 55 and over.

UNIONS CHALLENGE SCHWARZENEGGER DURING FUNDRAISING TOUR
Before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger could fall into the warm embrace of his corporate supporters at the upscale St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C., on March 8, he had to pass through a lunchtime demonstration of angry union members. Two hundred labor activists, called up by the AFL-CIO, turned out for the protest—despite a freezing snow shower and 30-mph wind gusts—to chant "Hey hey, ho ho, Schwarzenegger has got to go." The California governor was in D.C. this week on the third leg of a national fundraising tour. He is attempting to raise $50 million, mostly from corporate donors, to fund a statewide program of privatization and deregulation that could prove to be a dangerous national model. At risk is California's defined-benefit retirement plan, one of the most stable in the nation, which the governor seeks to transform into a defined- contribution plan with no employer contribution from the state. Also on Schwarzenegger's agenda is a rollback of hospital safety standards. Just last week, a California trial judge ruled that the administration could not delay implementing hard-fought new regulations on nurse-to-patient staff ratios at hospitals.

SEN. KERRY PROMOTES PLAN TO COVER
ALL CHILDREN
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) March 7 promised to campaign against Republicans who oppose his legislation (S.114) to fund universal healthcare for children by repealing tax cuts for U.S. residents who earn more than $319,100 annually. At a news conference, Kerry said that if the bill stalls, he would mobilize his network of grassroots activists -- including 500,000 citizen sponsors who signed up on Kerry's Web site in support of the bill -- to work with lobbying groups to campaign against Republican incumbents in 2006. Under Kerry's bill, which drew strong support from the AFT, all residents younger than 21 with family incomes below the federal poverty level would receive health insurance funded jointly by states and the federal government. Children in families with annual incomes between 100 percent and 300 percent of the federal poverty level would receive benefits funded by states. Estimated program costs would be more than $100 billion over five years and $264 billion over 10 years, according to Kenneth Thorpe of Emory University.

U.S. LIFE EXPECTANCY CLIMBS TO 77.6 YEARS
Some good news for a change: Life expectancy for U.S. residents increased to a record 77.6 years, and mortality rates for most leading causes of death declined in 2003, according to the preliminary annual mortality report released in February by the Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics. Researchers found that from 2002 to 2003, mortality rates for heart disease declined by 3.6 percent; cancer declined by 2.2 percent, and stroke decreased by 4.6 percent. On the downside, the death rate for Alzheimer's disease jumped 5.9 percent, and Parkinson’s disease deaths rose 3.4 percent compared to the year before. The report found that in 2003 there were about seven infant deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with 6.9 per 1,000 live births in 2002; the first time the U.S. infant mortality rate had increased in 44 years.

WAL-MART DRAWS FLAK ON HEALTH BENEFITS
Pressure is growing on Wal-Mart to change its miserly approach to employee healthcare, which critics say forces many employees to rely on public health insurance programs or charity care. Full-time employees at Wal-Mart have salaries of about $1,200 per month, or between $8 and $10 per hour. Wal-Mart health plans have monthly premiums for family coverage ranging as high as $264 and out-of-pocket expenses as high as $13,000 annually in some cases, and such costs make health coverage unaffordable for many employees. The company requires employees to cover 33 percent of the cost of benefits. Under company rules, full-time employees must wait six months before they are eligible for health coverage, and part-time workers must wait at least two years. Because of high turnover at the company, many employees do not work long enough to become eligible for coverage. A survey by Georgia officials found that more than 10,000 children of Wal-Mart employees were enrolled in the state's Children’s Health Insurance Program at a cost to taxpayers of nearly $10 million annually. Similarly, a North Carolina hospital found that 31 percent of 1,900 patients who said they were Wal-Mart employees were enrolled in Medicaid, and an additional 16 percent were uninsured. California last year passed a law that will require most employers to provide health coverage to employees or pay into a state insurance pool that would do so. Backers of the law say Wal-Mart employees cost California health insurance programs some $32 million annually. The company claims it covers 58 percent of its eligible work force. Wal-Mart competitor Costco provides health insurance to 96 percent of eligible employees.

UNION PLUS OFFERS ONLINE TAX-PREP SERVICE
April 15 is fast approaching. This year, the AFL-CIO’s Union PLUS is offering an online tax preparation service and e-filing tool to help you prepare and file your federal and state taxes at half the cost of commercial preparers.  E-filing means a quicker return without high cost rapid-refund service fees.  This tax tool calculates your taxes, saves information if you start and complete your tax filing at different times, saves year-to-year information and has a built-in customer service component. The cost of the online tax service, which covers both federal and state tax, is $21.95--half the cost of similar services from H&R Block and Quicken. You are not charged until you either file or print your return. If your adjusted gross income is $28,500 or less, however, you can use the Union PLUS Tax Service at no cost. The service is provided through CCH Inc., the leading provider of tax and business law information and software for tax-preparation professionals. CCH offers help every step of the way. If you have a question not covered by the online help, you can either e-mail the company and receive a response within 24 hours or chat directly online with a CCH customer service representative for $4.95 per session. Go to http://www.unionplus.org/taxes/ for more information and access to the online tax service.

QUOTE OF NOTE
“We've now got this huge fight over a sideshow [private accounts in Social Security]….It's always been a sideshow, but we sold it as the main event….Set the accounts aside for a moment. Let's see if we can find solvency.”

—U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

WEB SITE OF THE WEEK: http://www.aarp.org/health/comparedrugs/
Are the newest and most expensive drugs always the best? AARP has developed this online consumer guide to help you find effective and affordable prescription drugs. Read about comparable drugs, compare their prices, and then consult with your doctor to choose the right drug for you at the right price.

RETIREE E-NEWS SURVEY: LAST CHANCE TO
SHARE YOUR VIEWS
Thanks to everyone who gave us feedback in a survey response. For those who have not had an opportunity, here’s your last chance to tell us what you think about the AFT Retiree e-news. We are interested in getting feedback from you. Please take a moment to fill out our short survey. Thank you.

Survey: http://leadernet.aft.org/surveymaker/take/survey.cfm?id=53c8fc84-c801-974e-bfd1-2ea44c04e6bf