National Active & Retired Federal Employees Assoc.
NARFE
Chapter 1734
7235 Procopio Circle
Columbia, Md. 21046
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 19
Columbia, MD 21045
--------------------------Time Value Mail
Next Meeting
September 19, 2012
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National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association
Serving over 1000 Federal annuitants and their families in Howard County
Howard County Chapter 1734 News & Notes September 2012
NEXT MEETING: Wed, Sept 19th
Business Meeting
President – Burdelle Dowdell
Past President – Jim McConnell
VP-Memb. – Michael Santiago
VP-Fed. Leg. – Frank Chase
VP-State Leg. – Carole Graves
Secretary – Barbara Donley
Treasurer – Jim McConnell
Sunshine – Natalie C. Yopconka
Auditor – Ed Kuespert
Program Chair – Vacant
301-596-2916
301-854-3742
410-381-1639
410-992-9304
410-312-9140
443-546-4682
301-854-3742
410-740-8837
410-465-1384
OFFICERS
10:00 a.m.
Service Officer – William Kelly
Service Officer – Stephen Huza
PR Chair – Ann Herron
Luncheon Chair – Susie Bell-Jones
Alzheimer’s Chair – Ron Laske
Welcome – Joel Turner
Telephone Tree – Joy Cohen
Newsletter Mailing – Sue Neri
Newsletter Mailing – Vacant
Newsletter Editor – Stephen Huza
IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Sen. Barbara Mikulski
Sen. Ben Cardin
Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger
Rep. John Sarbanes
Rep. Elijah Cummings
NARFE HOTLINE
East Columbia 50+ Center
410-962-4510
410-962-4436
410-628-2701
410-832-8890
410-465-8259
703-838-7780
410-465-4065
410-381-5319
410-381-6797
410-715-1936
410-730-1966
410-964-2607
410-740-0481
410-381-7140
410-381-5319
e-mail on web at: www.mikulski.senate.gov
e-mail on web at: www.cardin.senate.gov
e-mail on web at: www.dutch.house.gov
e-mail on web at: www.sarbanes.house.gov
e-mail on web at: www.cummings.house.gov
White House e-mail: [email protected]
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NATIONALACTIVE AND RETIRED
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
News & Notes
Chapter 1734
September 2012
Howard County
Maryland
CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES
Date
Time
Activity
Location
19 Sep
25 Sep
2 Oct
10:00
11:00
10:00
East Columbia 50+ Center
East Columbia 50+ Center
Comfort Inn Bowie
17 Oct
19 Oct
11:30
9:00
Business Meeting
Newsletter Folding
Fall Meeting MD Federation
of NARFE Chapters
Luncheon
Howard County Senior Expo
12 Dec
11:30
Holiday Luncheon (new date)
TBA
Wilde Lake High School
5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia, MD
Shanty Grille Ellicott City
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Burdelle Dowdell
President, NARFE Chapter 1734
I hope everyone and their families are having an enjoyable, safe and healthy summer.
The Coalition of Geriatric Services (COGS) will hold its7th Annual Fall Fest Fundraiser on November 2nd from 6-10 p.m.
More information is at www.cogsmd.org under “Events.”
Sue Neri and I attended the Senior Safety Awareness Day at the Ellicott City Senior Center. We attended presentations entitled
Fire and Safety Tips, Domestic Violence, and Driving as We Age to judge if they are suitable to present to our membership.
The Howard County Senior Expo will be held October 19th at Wilde Lake High School from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Annual Open Season for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program will be from Monday November 12th through
Monday December 10th.
We plan to change our scheduled November business meeting from the day before Thanksgiving to November 14th.
Retirement is a learning experience. The Osher Life Long Learning Institute at John Hopkins University (JHU) offers courses
Monday and Wednesday in Columbia and Tuesday and Thursday in Baltimore. The annual cost of the program is $525.00 and
you receive two semesters worth of 12-week classes. Additional information is available at http://osher.jhu.edu/generalinformation/index.html . You can also call Kathy Cooke, Academic Program Assistant, at 410-516-9719.
Because I will be on vacation, Frank Chase and Chuck Thomas will lead the September business meeting at which the speaker
will be our Third District Congressman, the Hon. John Sarbanes. More information on the September meeting follows in this
newsletter.
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Questions for Rep. Sarbanes may be
addressed to Frank Chase at (410) 992-9304
or Email: [email protected].
****************************************************
Welcome New Members! We welcome all of the
retirees, spouses, and especially current federal
employees who have recently joined NARFE. Please
attend our meetings and luncheons so that we can meet
you and you can find out more about NARFE on the local
level.
Dayna Brown is coming to Town
Meridy McCague, Director of the East Columbia
50+ Center, has invited the members of NARFE
Chapter 1734 to join Dayna Brown’s listening
session from noon to 2 p.m. after the
September 19th business meeting. Dayna
Brown is the Administrator of the Howard
County Office on Aging. She would like to hear
your thoughts on the Senior Centers, what you
like, what you don’t like, what you would like to
see in the future as you begin to age. For more
information read Dayna’s invitation at
www.howardcountyaging.org/listen
Business meetings are held the third Wednesday of
September, November, January, March, and May. They start
at 10:00 a.m. at the East Columbia 50+ Center co-located
with the East Columbia Library, 6600 Cradlerock Way,
Columbia. Luncheons are held the third Wednesday of
October, December, February, April, and June. They usually
begin at 11:30 a.m. There are no luncheons or meetings in
July and August.
If Howard County Public Schools delay
opening for weather reasons, Chapter 1734
meetings are automatically cancelled.
****************************************************
Our chapter web site is
www.narfe.org/chapter1734
Meridy invites attendees to a free lunch as part
of the listening session. For planning purposes
please call the East Columbia 50+ Center and
tell them you are coming. The phone number is
(410) 313-7680.
****************************************************
Chapter Election
****************************************************
Volunteers Needed
At the June 20th luncheon, the current office holders were all
reelected and sworn in for a year’s term. We thank them all for
their service to the Chapter.
Howard County Senior Expo
****************************************************
The most effective member recruitment tool
NARFE Chapter 1734 has is our table at the
Howard County Senior Expo at Wilde Lake High
School each year. This year we will need at least
8 volunteers to work the table in two hour shifts.
The job entails telling Federal retirees and others
about the benefits of joining NARFE.
Rep. John Sarbanes to Address Chapter in
September
NARFE Chapter 1734 resumes monthly
meetings on Wednesday, 9/19, from 10:0011:30 a.m. at the East Columbia 50+ Center.
Congressman John Sarbanes will speak and
respond to written questions.
Please contact Sue Neri at (410) 381-7140 if you
would like additional information. Sue is
coordinating the volunteers.
We have invited members of several other
NARFE chapters who are Rep. Sarbanes
constituents to join us at this meeting. It is
hoped that many current and former federal
employees who are Howard County residents
but not currently NARFE members will also
attend. BRING SUCH FRIENDS! A large crowd
is anticipated, so we urge members to arrive
early to assist in seating arrangements.
Maybe you’ll be the member who shakes hands
with Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot this
year!
Let's have a fine turnout and display of interest
in discussing matters of importance to all of us!
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STATE LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Carole Graves
Vice President for State Legislation
The Maryland General Assembly, in a special session called by Governor O’Malley, passed a proposal to expand gambling in
Maryland before the gaming provisions approved by voters in 2008 have been fully implemented. In a rushed session to
make the deadline for including the issue in a referendum in the fall election, the General Assembly measure approved a
sixth casino for Prince George’s County, increases the slot machines allowed in the state, permits live operated table games,
authorizes 24 hour operation, and reduces the state’s share of slot machine profits. The likely spot for a sixth casino is
National Harbor, for which MGM Resorts International, with its vast resources, has lobbied hard. It could open in 2016. The
Cordish Company Partner’s casino, Maryland Live!, which opened in June in Arundel Mills, has not fully installed its
authorized slot machine complement. Caesar’s Entertainment only recently was awarded the license for a downtown
Baltimore casino site. The Perryville and Ocean Downs casinos, which were the first to open based on the 2008
referendum, have not been producing the revenue projected.
The measure squeaked past the House of Delegates, with Howard County delegates voting along party lines, including
Frank Turner, who chaired the House subcommittee on gaming and had previously expressed reservations. Howard County
Democrats voted in favor of the bill (Delegate Liz Bobo was absent) and Republicans opposed it, in both the House and
Senate. It was easily passed in the Senate, under the robust guidance of President Mike Miller. The measure is being touted
as creating about $175 million in new revenue annually, which is quite a bit less than originally claimed, to be aimed at the
educational trust fund, by 2017.
You may remember the recent special session convened in May in which the General Assembly approved an income tax
increase affecting Maryland single filers reporting over $100,000 and joint filers reporting over $150,000 in income. This
contrasts sharply with the reduced tax liabilities to be enjoyed by the casino operators.
The gaming measure, in particular the authorization of live table games and the sixth casino, will come before the voters on
November 6th, along with three other likely issues: same sex marriage, the Dream Act (offering in-state tuition for
undocumented immigrants), and the redistricting of congressional districts.
The NARFE State Legislative Committee, chaired by Ed Bice, will be preparing for the 2013 legislative session by overhauling
and expanding its informational pamphlet. Long term care and equalizing the special exemption for 65+ will again be
priority issues.
FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Frank Chase
Vice President for Federal Legislation
Looks like a few more months of kick the can on major legislation that could significantly affect seniors generally
and federal employees and retirees in particular.
The Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act left it intact but limping. At least
this decision emphasized what every thinking person should have been able to recognize beforehand, i.e., when
federal, state, or local government legislation calls for a specific payment for a service and/or a financial or other
penalty for noncompliance, that payment/penalty is a tax and not a fee. Maybe both major parties at all
governmental levels can now put that bogus "fee" argument to rest.
Supposedly the Obama administration and the Congress have agreed to a continuing resolution that will extend
for six months funding to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the fiscal year, 9/30. This extension was to
be executed in September, or after this writing. We'll all be well advised, however, to fasten our seat belts for
action on bills that could impact us adversely after the November election when the political punting contest must
end. NARFE members will have only ourselves to blame if we do not respond vigorously to bills that would put
unjustified burdens on federal employees and retirees under the guise of balancing the federal budget.
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