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Robert Hardesty
This is my first report to you as your new president. I want you all to know how very honored and humbled I am to be chosen by the Federation membership to lead this organization in West Virginia. I know that I will make mistakes, and I might not always do things the way each of you may feel is best, but I want you to know that I truly welcome comments---both positive and negative---and want you to know that I will always consider your comments or suggestions before any decision is made. I also want to offer my sincere gratitude to John Sheely and all of the former Federation Officers who have sacrificed so much of their time and effort to make the West Virginia Federation the vibrant organization that it is. And I also want to thank the current officers who have stepped up and offered their services to the Federation for the future service of our membership. An organization is only as strong as its membership, and just as I am proud to be a retired Federal employee, I am also proud to represent the West Virginia Federation.
I have two items which I would like to discuss with you. The first is the forthcoming Referendum on NARFE dues, which is discussed by National President Margaret Baptiste in the June edition of your NARFE magazine; if you have not already read this, I urge you to do so. Materials on this subject have been sent to each chapter, and I hope that each chapter will distribute this material to as many members as possible, as soon as possible. This information is also available on-line at the NARFE web site. Later in the year, all members will be given an opportunity to vote on this issue. In fact, the August issue of your NARFE magazine will have a voter coupon next to a copy of the Referendum, so that all members will have an opportunity to vote.
The second item I want to discuss is “NARFE Grass-Roots Advocacy Month”. This is the new name given to the period of the Congressional recess---which this year is expected to run from August 1through September 7---during which we have traditionally been urged to visit with our Congressman and Senators to discuss issues near and dear to NARFE. Materials on this issue have also been distributed to all chapters, and I encourage this information to be distributed to the membership as soon as possible. This information is also available on-line in the legislative section of the NARFE web site. With the current economic crisis facing this nation, federal retiree benefits are a tempting target for those who are looking for costs to trim. In past years, particularly during the Reagan and first Bush administrations, the delayed or canceled cost-of living (COLA) benefits denied federal retirees has resulted in a loss of $50 billion over the years to those retirees, while Social Security beneficiaries went unscathed. We want to emphasize those items which are high on our agenda, such as the repeal of WEP and GPO, as well as Premium Conversion, and by our presence make it known to our Congresspersons and Senators that we are active, voting constituents. Because there are often more than one chapter within an area served by your individual representative’s offices, it is encouraged that more than one chapter be represented during these visits. Moreover, in West Virginia, we have a unique opportunity to make our involvement known. Senator Rockefeller is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, and his committee will be dealing with a number of issues concerning the economic stimulus program. It is most important to make sure that our issue, particularly Premium Conversion, be discussed in the next few weeks before Congress adjourns for their summer recess. Therefore, start now to ask Senator Rockefeller to urge Senator Max Baucus, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, to make certain that Premium Conversion, health care reform, WEP, and GPO are all put on the agenda as soon as possible. In addition to making your contacts and visits to your Congresspersons and Senators, I ask that each chapter notify your respective District Vice Presidents of your efforts, and that they in turn report those activities to me.
Copyright 2005