Articles about Social Security that may be useful to Massachusetts retirees
Association Meets With Feds
MAY 2014 VOICE: This winter, Association President Frank Valeri and Legislative Liaison Shawn Duhamel met with members of the Massachusetts’ Congressional Delegation in Washington, DC.
Valeri and Duhamel were in the nation’s capital to attend the annual Legislative Conference of the National Conference of Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS), to which the Association belongs. They met with the offices of all nine members of Congress, as well as Senior Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Triggers State/Teachers' and Local COLAs
MARCH 2014 VOICE: For some time, we’ve seen where the formula for calculating Social Security COLA (Cost-of-Living-Adjustment) benefits has been under attack as being too generous. Now there is push back against this criticism, with calls by some officials, most notably our senior US Senator Elizabeth Warren, to improve Social Security’s COLA.
FEBRUARY 21, 2014: Heeding calls from retiree advocates (including our Association) and Democratic Leaders, President Obama has dropped a provision from his federal budget proposal that would have used the chained CPI to calculate Social Security COLAs.
By REID J. EPSTEIN and EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE | 2/20/14 1:34 PM EST Updated: 2/21/14 5:36 AM EST
President Barack Obama is done pretending that he’ll get any new budget cooperation from House Republicans.
His proposed 2015 budget, due to be released next month, will stick to the economic strategy the White House has laid out without the compromise suggestion he floated last year, White House officials said Thursday.
Social Security & Medicare Central Issues
FEBRUARY 1, 2014: This past week Association President Frank Valeri and Legislative Liaison Shawn Duhamel met with members of the Massachusetts’ Congressional Delegation in Washington, DC.
Valeri and Duhamel were in the nation’s capital to attend the annual legislative conference of the National Conference of Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS), to which the Association belongs. They met with the offices of all nine members of Congress, as well as Senior Senator Elizabeth Warren.
No Increase For Medicare Part B Premium
OCTOBER 30, 2013: Today, the Social Security Administration announced that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the previous 12 months (September ’12 to Oct ’13) is 1.5%. The announcement follows recent reports by the Federal Reserve detailing historically low inflation.
To Renew WEP/GPO Efforts
SEPTEMBER 2013 VOICE: Chances are US Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are not household names to most Massachusetts public retirees. Nor is Alaska often mentioned within the group of seven primary non-Social Security states most impacted by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).
AUGUST 14, 2013: On this day in 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, marking the beginning of one of the most successful social programs in world history. Arguably, few public policies have done more to bring about positive change in quality of life in than Social Security.
Prior to Social Security, millions of elderly Americans lived in dire poverty and squalor. While the fight to combat poverty remains some 78 years later, much improvement has been made in the overall health and lives of retired Americans.
Massachusetts Retirees Not Alone
JULY 2013 VOICE: At times, Association members, affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), may feel that they are alone in the fight to repeal both dreaded laws.
WEP/GPO REPEAL Bill Filed in Senate
JUNE 21, 2013: Members impacted by either the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO) received reason for increased optimism that the two regressive federal laws days may be numbered.
Following an earlier bill (HR 1795) filed in the House, Senator Mark Begich (D-Alaska) has filed S.896. The bill now has 9 cosponsors from across the political spectrum, including Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Maine’s Susan Collins.
Since 1968 the Retired State, County and Municipal Employees Association has been the leading voice for Massachusetts public retirees and their families. Join with our 62,000 members as we continue the fight.
