Military Officer - June 2006 - (Page 42)

chapteractivities Time to Act I t’s an election year, and the issue of our military retiree health care beneﬁts is coming down to the wire — again. The health care dilemma for military retirees is real. The plan to increase TRICARE fees and copayments almost threefold is no idle threat. We seem to have won at least a temporary deferral, but DoD hasn’t given up. It’s a “pocketbook issue” with potentially grave consequences for the health beneﬁts we fought so hard to earn. In March, MOAA’s state council presidents came to Washington to urge their elected representatives to reject this ill-timed, ill-conceived DoD proposal. They did their part. Meanwhile, the Government Rela- tions staff here at headquarters has been working almost nonstop for the past several months with congressional leaders, The Military Coalition, and MOAA state leaders to garner as much support as they can to beat back this DoD effort. MOAA surveys indicate your level of concern over this proposal is at an all-time high. We have tried to read 42 MILITARY OFFICER JUNE 2006 M retired military and federal civilian employees who live in the state. MOAA chapter members in Georgia have strong ties to the GFMRC. Longtime Atlanta Chapter member the tea leaves as best we can in evalu- Lt. Col. Mel Wilkerson, USA-Ret., currently is president of the GFMRC, ating what Congress will do to solve this growing crisis. We’re fully aware and 11 more MOAA members serve that money is a key factor in any con- on the board of directors. “The relationship gressional assessment between the GFMRC, of an appropriate soluGMOAA, and the tion, and we’re workYour level Georgia NARFE [Naing within the ﬁscal of concern tional Association of parameters. over this Retired Federal EmIn the ﬁnal analysis, ployees] is great,” says because it is an election proposal year and almost everyis at an all- Wilkerson. “By workwe’ve one wants to be retime high. ing together,accombeen able to elected, MOAA plish quite a bit.” members have a golden During this year’s opportunity to alert lobbying effort, members visited legislators to their health care conboth the state House and Senate and cerns. Share your thoughts with an incumbent representative, a challeng- called their legislators off the ﬂoor to brief them on their 2006 legislaer, or both, maybe at a chapter functive goals. Members also spoke with tion. But the time to act is now. This year, especially, they will listen to you! several other key state legislators, — Col. Chris Giaimo, USAF-Ret. including Rep. John Yates (R), who Director, Council and Chapter Affairs chairs the House Defense and Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Sen. John Douglas (R), a GFMRC member and chair of the Senate Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee. Lt. Col. Joe Barto Jr., USAR-Ret., Georgia Members Storm GMOAA’s legislative chair and a the Gold Dome member of the Atlanta Chapter, developed a point paper to distribute embers of the Georgia to legislators that summarized the Federal-Military Retiree coalition’s goals for 2006. These Coalition (GFMRC) and goals include: Georgia MOAA Inc. (GMOAA) joined forces Feb. 23 to lobby the ■ ensuring there are no changes state legislature in Atlanta during to the existing law that will provide their second annual “Storming state income tax exemptions of up the Gold Dome” session. to $25,000 in 2006 and $35,000 in During the one-day lobbying blitz, 2008 for all Georgia residents who patterned after national MOAA’s anare 62 or older or who are 100-pernual Storming the Hill effort, memcent disabled (regardless of age), bers lobbied on behalf of the 162,000 ■ working to exempt all Georgia Field Reports PHOTO: RHODA BAER

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - June 2006

Military Officer - June 2006 Contents From the Editor President’s Page Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities MOAA Member Services Living Well 5 Foods for Life The Kindest Cut Winning the Battle Cover Story: Choppers Pages of History Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Scholarship Donors Member Books MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - June 2006

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