North Texans Lay Action Plans

In North Texas during February, retirees have targeted four congressional visits and set up to launch a fight against voter suppression. Leading activists gathered for lunch on February 11 at the Brazil Cafe in Oak Cliff to fill in the broad plans that came from our state convention January 27.


Judy Bryant (pictured at left with Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson) will take the lead in setting up congressional visits during the February 20-24 recess. First on our list, and always first among North Texas retirees, was Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. Johnson has stood strong and usually alone for the rights of seniors. The other targeted congressmen do not have good records for retirees but, as Alliance for Retired Americans political leader Rich Fiesta says, "Every visit is a good one!"


The hot topic in Texas today is voter suppression. The last legislature's efforts to dilute minority voter strength, limit voter registration, and disenfranchise many voters -- particularly seniors -- are being reviewed by the federal government, but may become law any day. The Texas Alliance is determined to fight back, and the North Texans plan to launch a press conference as soon as we know the date on the Texas primary election. For some details of the problems and solutions, see our "Voting in Texas" section.


The February 11 meeting also worked on our outreach work. The February 26 "Labor and Civil Rights Songfest" we are organizing has helped us find more ways to reach our friends and to convince them that we aren't just talkers. The Texas Alliance for Retired Americans means to take action! Contact us and join in!