Welcome to the AREA NEWSLETTER - June 2021

Androscoggin Retired Educators Association - Many thanks to Crystal Ward, Mona Ervin and Gina Fuller for the contributions this month.

Newsletter Notes!

Please feel free to contribute to your newsletter.  You can send contributions to me by emailing them to - rfuller@mainenet.org

This newsletter will take July off!  We will be back in August, hopefully preparing for next year! 

Please note - MEA Retired now has a Facebook page - You can follow us there. 

MEA Retired - Facebook

With Ten You Get Vaccinated??

https://www.yahoo.com/now/10-people-want-covid-19-001000067.html

by

Mona Ervin

Please be aware of scams involving purchases allegedly made on your Amazon account number or Pay Pal. If you receive an e-mail or phone call from an “Amazon” representative alerting you to a high price purchase do not respond to inquiries by phone or open the e-mail. Call Amazon customer service directly at 1-888-280-4331. The customer service representatives are very helpful in verifying the security of your account. Quote from Amazon, “ Amazon takes all security related matters very seriously and your account security is our top priority. We have policies and security measures in place to ensure that your personal information remains secure… Amazon will never ask that you disclose or verify your Amazon account password, credit card, or banking number. If you receive a suspicious call, or encounter any other uses of the Amazon.com name that you think may be fraudulent, please do not hesitate to report it. Again, call the Customer Service phone line or go to the Help Page: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeld=201909130. Personally I prefer the phone call. It is fast and easy.

Similarly, if you suspect that someone has made purchases using your Pay Pal account call 402-935-7733 to report your suspicions. If the report is made within 60 days and the purchase was an unauthorized transaction you will not be liable. But, the contact with Pay Pal must be made within 60 days. These scams are making the rounds. I was called by an “Amazon” representative asking for confirmation of a $900 + purchase. I hung up and contacted the Amazon Customer Service Department. My account was not charged with a purchase.

Monthly Trivia Quiz

How well do you know these old time western television shows?

1. Sponsored by Boraxo and was hosted by Ronald Reagan.

2. Masked hero who opposed cruel tyrants in Spanish California.

3. This program showcased the life on the cattle drive. This show launched the career of Clint Eastwood.

4. This show was the first hour long long western. It main character was a large, gentle cowboy raised by Indians hence the name of the program.

5. Dramatic western show with comedic overtones about an accomplished card shark who was joined by his “brother” in later episodes. James Garner starred as one of the brothers.

6. Western set on a ranch in Stockton, California. The family was headed by a woman supported in her efforts to maintain the ranch by her three biological children and the illegitimate child of her late husband.

7. He rode Silver and was accompanied by Tonto.

8. Aided by his sidekick Pancho, these two rode through the west correcting wrongs and fighting evil doers while eluding the law,

9. Set in the Wyoming Territory, this 90 minute western starred James Drury as foreman of the ranch owned by Judge Henry.

10. Western series about frontier life in the New Mexico Territory in the 1880. Our hero, Lucas McCain was one of the first TV characters to portray a single parent raising a son. Lucas was an expert marksman.

11. This was the second longest running western on TV. Set in the vicinity of Carson City, Nevada it showcased a father and his sons running their large ranch The Ponderosa.

12. This was the longest running western on TV. It takes place in Dodge City, Kansas. Characters included Miss Kitty, Chester, and Festus as well as our heroic marshal.

13. Paladin was an investigator/gunfighter who traveled the west working as a mercenary for hire to the rich and free for the poor.

14. Stared Hugh O’Brien as a real, not fictional famous frontier marshal.

15. Western set in the 1920’s and featured singing cowboys and cowgirls, automobiles, telephones and electric lights. Series plots were typically western, featuring cattle rustling, claim jumping and bank robberies.

16. Stared Steve McQueen as a bounty hunter.

17. Stared Fess Parker as our hero along with Ed Ames as his native American friend Mingo.

18. Western about two secret service agents during the administration of President U. Grant. The agents base of operations was a train.

Answers:

1. Death Valley Days

2. Zorro

3. Rawhide

4. Cheyenne

5. Maverick

6. The Big Valley

7. The Lone Ranger

8. The Cisco Kid

9. The Virginian

10. The Rifleman

11. Bonanza

12. Gunsmoke

13. Have Gun, Will Travel

14. Wyatt Earp

15. The Roy Rogers Show

16. Wanted: Dead or Alive

17. Daniel Boone

18. The Wild Wild West

Legislative Update

by

Crystal Ward

If you have Anthems’Medicare Advantage plan here is the rate DECREASE for next year !!

The rate went down slightly because the Affordable Care Act (ACA) fee was suspended for this year, but it could come back with the new administration which would impact the rate next year. Next year we will need to look at the experience of the plan and negotiate the rate.

Year 07-01-2020 to 06-30-2021 the rate for Medicare Advantage was $410.13 for individual. With the 45% state share of $184.56 and the 55% individual share of $225.57

The new rate for Medicare Advantage beginning July 1, 2021- 06-30-2022 is $393.32. 45% state share is $176.99; 55% individual share is $216.33


In Augusta ----LD293 is still on the Special Appropriations Table as of June 16, 2021
From John Kosinski,MEA

Any legislation with a significant fiscal impact is held by the Appropriations Committee for review and a vote before being sent to the Governor's Office. The Appropriations Committee can amend bills. These bills are held so legislators on the Appropriations Committee can get a full picture of the fiscal impact on new legislation and how it may impact future budgets.

The MEA has advocated for several bills that have made their way to the Appropriations Committee. We will continue to push these bills across the finish line and be on the lookout for calls for help with members of the Appropriations Committee.

Here are the key MEA bills on the Special Appropriations Table:

LD 293: An Act To Increase the State's Share of the Cost of Health Insurance for Retired Teachers, sponsored by Representative Ben Collings

· LD 293 will move the state contribution for retired teacher and ed tech health care from 45% to 55% beginning July 1, 2021. The bill has no additional costs to the state for the next two years due to changes in the MEABT health care program, specifically the move to a Medicare Advantage program. This issue has been a key priority for MEA for many years and we hope it will be passed this year.

In Augusta

Some of you may have worked on getting this changed !!!!

LD 52 – Planning and Prep Time and Transfer Bargaining Rights, sponsored by Representative Mike Brennan (Portland) was finally passed by the House and the Senate and went to the Governor Mills' Desk .

On Wednesday June 16 , Governor Mills signed LD 52 into law. This bill allows teachers to negotiate over planning/prep time and transfers. Currently, these are prohibited subjects of negotiations; now these will be permissive subjects. This bill is a huge step forward for our ability to improve working conditions for Maine’s teachers. Hooray for MEA and thank you to Governor Mills for signing this important legislation.

On Tuesday June 15, the Maine Senate overwhelmingly rejected a series of proposals that would make it harder for Maine citizens to exercise their right to vote. These bills — which were opposed by the Secretary of State, AARP Maine, Maine ACLU, Equality Maine, and the Attorney General — would have put unnecessary barriers between you and your ability to cast your ballot.

Make no mistake: Maine has some of the strongest voting laws in the country. We routinely rank extremely high when it comes to voter turnout. I have no interest in passing any bill to hinder that strong tradition of civic engagement.
In Washington D.C.

In April, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-MA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) reintroduced the Social Security Fairness Act (S. 1302/H.R. 82), which would fully repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) that deprive 2.5 million educators and other dedicated public servants of Social Security benefits they have earned.

In March, Chairman Neal reintroduced his WEP-only bill, HR 2337, the Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act is a bill that would start to close the WEP gap and does not address GPO at all. H.R. 2337 would give future retirees an additional $150, on average, per month and future retirees, on average, $75 more per month in benefits. No one would get less than they currently get. Previous versions of WEP-only bills would have created winners and losers by giving current retirees a bump in benefit while subjecting millions of future retirees, who currently are not impacted by WEP, to the WEP penalty. This legislation currently does not have a senate companion bill.

NEA supports both, though our goal has been and will always be to fully repeal both GPO and WEP.
No movement since March

I want to thank everyone who helped by sending e-mails, letter, phone calls this Legislative session your help is very important !!!

Crystal Ward

Treasurer's Report - From May!

Treasurer's Report

We invite you to follow us on Facebook:
MEA Retired - Facebook

OH MY - Here's a few recipes to whet your whistle.  And, I think we are all of age.

With 24 different suggestions, you won't exhaust this resource.

From Epicurious -

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes-menus/24-summer-cocktails-our-favorites-gallery

My favorite - Southside -  (Why else grow six different varieties of mint?)

Announcing some changes - and opportunities

So, I've always had my own website/server, or access to one.  Over the past several months, I've been extending and expanding my hobby - of providing a site for publications. 

I think you all have a story to tell, or a story to share, or an insight or two.  You now have a chance to publish it on-line by submitting it to PithnGrit, my publication website for essays, fiction, micro-poetry, or longer poetry.

You can check it all out - it's still a work in progress - by going to - mainenet.org.

You can submit a work or works by reading the submission guidelines and sending the email to - submit@mainenet.org

Go ahead, it's perfectly fine to share that observation, insight, or creative work.