Texas retirees reach out to more retirees

On January 7, Texas Alliance Outreach Coordinator Judy Bryant brought 8 other retirees together to mail out over 1,000 letters. The letters went out all over the state to retirees and supporters. They were asked to contribute, to invite Texas Alliance leaders to their meetings, to help us network with everybody who can help Texas retirees, and to attend the Texas Alliance convention that begins 9 AM on January 27 at the Omni Southpark Hotel in Austin.

The mailing took three hours and costs just under our budgeted $600. The mailing crew had a great time socializing while folding, labeling, stamping, and preparing a box full of letters. They discussed the most recent reatures of the general attack against retiree rights and benefits in America and in the world. They discussed the many changes that have come about in our lifetimes and concluded that we have probably seen more big changes than any generation in history. Almost all of us could remember when people still drove horse and wagons into city areas, and we had one strong activist, aged 95, who could remember when wagons were the main transportation for almost everyone! We remembered the first building-sized computers, and we remembered the dark days when African American people could hardly even vote in the South. What changes we have seen!

Fortunately for the Alliance, one of the activsts at the mailnig was Lewis Fulbright of the Amalgamated Postal Workers Union. He knows all their is to know about outreaching through the U.S. mail, and will take on the assignment of trying to get us a cheaper bulk mailing permit.

The text of our mailing is below:

Box 225822, Dallas, Texas 75222

www.texasretiredamericans.org

Facebook: Texas Alliance for Retired Americans

Gene Lantz, 214-942-4236, labordallas@sbcglobal.net

January 7, 2012
Dear friends of Texas seniors,
Texas retirees are under the worst political assault of our lifetimes. Texas needs well informed and well organized seniors in 2012. The Texas Alliance for Retired Americans, working under our excellent national office in Washington DC, is the perfect organization for them. We began 2012 with 104,000 Texas members, and we will dramatically increase this year. We will also continue to train and energize retirees so that we can stand together effectively.
Our efforts in 2011 to combat the evil designs of certain "Super Committee" members brought us new friends, publicity, and increased strength. We were proud when the committee disbanded without cutting Social Security, raising the retirement age, or cutting Medicare and Medicaid.

We are not claiming all credit for positive developments, but we certainly did our part!

Please join in!

You can be part of the historic effort to educate and organize Texas retirees. If you are not already on our growing e-mail list, please contact me at labordallas@sbcglobal.net. If your annual dues have not already been paid, you can send $10 to the address above.

Please consider affiliating your organization. The maximum annual affiliation fee for clubs is $30/year. 

Please consider joining us for our State Convention beginning at 9 AM on January 27 at the Omni Austin Hotel Southpark, 4140 Governor's Row, Austin 78744. The hotel phone is 512-448-2222. Please contact me if I can provide you any more information.. 

If your group can invite a speaker from the Alliance, please let us know. We are eager to come and shake hands with you. Before Summer, we intend to build an active statewide network of well-informed activists who can respond to every new development. We have already begun our 2012 program of traveling throughout the state to meet with retirees and anyone who might help us maintain the right to a decent retirement in America.

In Solidarity Gene Lantz, President