RETIREES IN ACTION A message from PEF Retirees President Jim Carr Retirees make Hochul win our victory too The May victory of our PEF-endorsed candidate, Kathleen Hochul, in the special election to fill a mid-term vacancy in the 26th Congressional District is also a victory for our members, whose activism helped the Democrat score this upset that made news throughout the country. Despite conventional wisdom that the district was impossible for a Democrat to win, we were there with her from the beginning until the last vote was counted, and the once-Republican House seat was hers. Approximately 25 PEF retirees and many PEF members participated in a wide range of campaign activities to support Hochul. Hochul defeated both Republican Assembly Member Jane Corwin and Tea Party candidate Jack Davis. The 26th is a traditionally “red” district where Democrats are in a 27,000-voter minority. The Democrat, Hochul, received 48 percent of the vote. Just last November, the Democratic candidate for that seat received only 20 percent of the vote. This election was critical in sending a message to house Republicans’ who voted for the Ryan budget’s Medicare voucher program, a vote that would end Medicare as we know it! It was a steep, uphill battle and the future of Medicare was the key issue in this race. Hochul defended our Medicare and we supported her. Corwin supported the Republican budget proposal crafted by House Speaker Paul Ryan. We helped voters understand his proposal to replace Medicare coverage with health care vouchers is a thinly disguised attempt to shift costs from the government to the elderly. Additionally, this plan did nothing to control health care costs or diminish the national debt. Millions of dollars were spent in this race, as the election attracted national interest. The media was flooded with advertisements. We were not the only ones supporting Hochul. She was endorsed by both The Buffalo News and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. After the election, Hochul told local labor leaders, “I could not have done it without you.” We proved workers, unions, middle-class Americans and public employees are not defeated by the heavy attack we are under nationwide. We can fight back and we can win. Please join me in thanking the following PEF Retirees and all of the PEF members and others who volunteered and voted in this election: Rosie Averion, Dennis Beagle, Jan Beutner, Jack Culkin, June Deisig, Tom Grace, Howard Henry, Ann Keller, Jim Kersten, Bonnie Marco, Barbara Milks, Steve Muscarella, Pam O’Malley, Dave Persson, Don and Sue Przybyl, Julie Radder, Rosemary Rossi-Williams, Craig Speers, Rich Sweeney, Nadia Watson, Sandy Wilkolaski, Henry Woitscheck and Bill Zhe. Send your email address to jtropiano@pef.org to get PEF Retirees news alerts

The Communicator Letters policy We welcome letters to the editor about union issues and events relevant to PEF's diverse membership. All letters are subject to editing for space, fairness and good taste. Please keep them brief (up to one page, double-spaced or a maximum of 250 words), and please include your name and phone number for verification. Send letters to thecommunicator@pef.org: The Communicator Public Employees Federation P.O. Box 12414 Albany, N.Y. 12212-2414 Email to Sherry Halbrook, Editor or Darcy Wells, Editor-In Chief