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Social Security: A detailed look at what's going on, posted by a Social Security Administration worker In the Advocate August 2025: Social Security: A detailed behind-the-curtain look at what's going on, posted by a Social Security Administration worker I have not posted about my federal agency in a while. Here is why: we lost 94% of the staff in my regional office in the last two and half months. An office of 550 is now less than 2 dozen. One group of folks retired or quit. Another group were given directed reassignments to headquarters components (but did not have to physically move). A third (largest) group was bullied and pressured into “volunteering” to take front-line, public-facing jobs. Many of these folks had never worked in direct service before, and others took significant downgrades to positions from which they were promoted years or even decades before. So basically we’ve been in an inadvertent devolution exercise for the past 3 months. It’s exhausting and traumatic. I’m simultaneously enraged and grieving all of the time. All of my energy is spent on – I don’t even know what. Survival? Putting out fires? Offloading work? Responding to emails that 550 staff used to respond to? Here is a long catch-up post. The Trump administration continues to assert that Social Security is not being touched and that there have been no field office closures. While it is true that there have not been field office closures recently, there are closures and these are completely destroying the infrastructure of the agency. In order to be invisible to the public, the cuts are happening at regional and national offices that provide support to our front line staff. The destruction at SSA is designed to be off the public radar. What is happening at SSA is happening to other agencies as well – like NPS, HUD, EPA, etc. Here is some granular info: SSA used to have 10 regional offices. We are now down to 4. The 4 remaining are in hospice care. We no longer have enough staff to even triage. In my newly consolidated region, we had 550 employees in March. We now have less than 24. The remaining two dozen staff are trying to support the operations of 10,000 employees in 20 states. The other three remaining regional offices are similarly gutted. What do employees in regional offices do? These mission critical employees support the front lines; we provide computer hardware and software support, provide policy advice and guidance, train new employees, train journey level employees on new or changing policies and regulations, work with landlords and GSA, contract with guards, hire new staff, oversee labor and employee relations, allocate budget, overtime, and staffing, monitor spending, monitor for fraud, etc. We will not properly function without regional offices. We are being dismantled, physically and organizationally. Employees are psychologically gutted. Deep grief, anger, distrust. Russel Vought's plan to traumatize the workforce is working. Everyday there is an employee on the other end of the phone or video call that is crying, or telling me about their sky-rocketing blood pressure, about new anti-depressants and anti-anxiety prescriptions or increasing dosages, about their family begging them to quit or retire because it is not worth their health. It is frustrating that both the media and congressional staff keep asking only about how cuts are impacting the public. They are missing the bigger picture. It’s hard to explain what Social Security regional offices do as a lot of it is behind the scenes. We don’t interview the public or process claims, but here are some things we (used to) do that directly impacted payments and prevented fraud. As a result they are not getting done at all. Troubleshoot W2s and FICA tax issues with employers – these are both mom & pop small businesses as well as large employers like Boeing and Amazon. Interface with the state governments on Food Stamps, SNAP, WASHCAP, etc. Coordinate with state child support enforcement on garnishments. Field inquiries from state L&I on worker’s comp issues. Manage Section 218 agreements that state and local entities use to with- hold Social Security taxes from wages. Work with fisheries, farmers, and advocate groups on special Social Security number applications and non-work number cases. Liaison with state vocational rehabilitation. Work with states on Medicaid pass- along agreements. Interface with CMS and state healthcare entities on Medicare. Work with jails to support pre-release agreements as well as to obtain info when individuals are incarcerated and not entitled to benefits. Negotiate with state and local governments to obtain safe and protected data exchange agreements. Resolve attorney fee issues with disability attorneys. Ensure that Social Security over- payments are not discharged and are recouped in bankruptcy cases. Respond to FOIA requests. Headquarters components are also being hollowed out. Not only have they also lost employees to DRP, VSIP, and reassignments, they have been massively reorganized to the extent that there is no longer structural integrity. Staff have been scattered. Workloads are likewise scattered but have not always followed the staff that were scattered. We no longer know who “owns” what. Workload X used to be Department A’s responsibility but Department A is now Department Omega and the group who used to run it in Department A are no longer there. The work may still be in Department Omega or it could have moved to Department B except Department B is now gone too and maybe it’s in Department Beta? The regional offices are trying to move work to headquarters since there is no one left in regional offices but we don’t know who is left and where anything remains in headquarters either. All of this is invisible to the public because field offices continue to function at the moment. It is insidious. We are still in a freefall and haven’t hit bottom yet. There is no talk of rebuilding. We are not there. Elon may have left, but DOGE has not. BACK TO THE ADVOCATE

PSARA Officers PSARA Officers Mike Andrew Executive Director/Editor Advocate Mike Andrew, PSARA’s Executive Director and Editor of The Retiree Advocate, is a journalist by trade. He came to PSARA as Associate Editor of The Retiree Advocate in April 2011, became a part-time and then a full-time PSARA organizer, and was hired as Executive Director in December 2018. Prior to coming on board with PSARA, Mike was a full-time reporter for Seattle Gay News. Before that, he was a fishmonger. He is capable of breaking down a salmon in 90 seconds and then turning around and writing a story about it. Mike has managed two political campaigns, one win and one loss. He’s proudest of the loss, however, because his candidate spent only 60 cents per vote and still came in at 46%. He is a member of the National Writers Union, and Pride At Work, an LGBTQ labor organization affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Mike was born in San Francisco, went to UC Berkeley, and then came to Seattle for grad school. Mike currently lives in Seattle with his husband, Simon, and their cat, Noel. Email: organizer@psara.org Karen Richter Co-President/Fund Raising Chair Karen Richter is a retired public servant, who worked as a transportation planner in Tucson, Chicago and Seattle and is a retired AFSCME member. She is a co founder of the Chicago chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar. Currently she is the Co-President of the Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action and the Vice President of the PSARA Education Fund. She also is the chair of the PSARA Fundraising Committee, and is an active member of the 34th Legislative District Democrats. She also works with the Social Security Works, Wa Coalition. Karen is an avid birder, organic gardener and loves spending time in her home and neighborhood in wonderful West Seattle. Tom Lux Treasurer Tom Lux is a 35 year member of the Machinists Union and was on the staff of the union for eight years and serves as a member of the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee. He is on the Visiting Committee of the Harry Bridges Chair at the UW and is the President of the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association. Richard Burton Co-Outreach Vice President I have been a PSARA member for approximately 10 years. I was a philosophy teacher at Seattle Central [Community!] College from 1992 till 2007 and served on the executive board of my faculty union local there, AFT Seattle 1789, from 1995 till 2007. I was involved with the Seattle King County organizing committee of Jobs with Justice, and was a delegate to the Martin Luther King County Labor Council through much of that time. I started working as a political organizer with AFT Washington then and have worked for several other unions since then (in New York and Maryland). I am now happily back working at AFT Washington. Lynne Dodson Secretary Lynne Dodson is back in the PNW after a stint on the east coast. She’s moving toward retirement, working three days a week with UFCW 3000 and WeTrain as a Workforce Development Director. Back east, she was the dean of the Harry Van Arsdale School for Labor Studies in NYC, before moving to the DC area to work with UFCW international. Lynne was the Secretary Treasurer of the WA State Labor Council, AFL-CIO for two terms prior to that. She came to that position after serving the faculty of the Seattle Colleges as president for AFT 1789 for many years. Besides being a union activist, leader, and trainer, she loved teaching Psychology in Seattle’s community college system. Lynne and her delightful husband, Richard Burton, are building a family home in Gig Harbor because Joey Sanger (with Briony DeKlerk) and Kia Sanger (with Bernard Rodriguez) recently bore grand-daughters!!! Willow-Rain DeKlerk Sanger; and Helena Lluvia Rodriquez Sanger (and their parents) will eventually all return from far off lands to live in lovely Pierce County. Lynne has a passion for justice and building the beloved community and is delighted to be joining the PSARA Executive Board to fight for a more just, equitable, and sustainable world. Jeff Johnson Co-President Jeff Johnson is the former President of the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) which represents more than 500,000 employees in the state of Washington. Formerly the research Director of the WSLC, Jeff in his former life was a college professor. He is currently on the board of the Labor Network for Sustainability where he focuses on the intersection between labor, climate change and climate justice including a “Just Transition”. Email: president@psara.org Jessica Bonebright Administrative Vice President Retired from Boeing and SPEEA, IFPTE 2001 staff. PSARA delegate to WA Senior Lobby, Former President of Martin Luther King Jr, County Labor Council, MLKCLC ending in 2015. Active with 11th district democrats. Past KCLS Library Trustee and Past United Way KC Board. Angie Bartels Membership Vice-President Angie Bartels comes from a large working-class family and was born and raised on the southern shores of the Ohio River in 1956. College was out of reach, so she devoted those years to the United Farm Workers Union and raising her daughter. She worked with the UFW’s boycott from KY to Ohio and finally in the San Joaquin Valley of CA where she learned Spanish. She came to Seattle in 1978 and while working as a legal assistant, volunteered for many years in the sanctuary movement for Central American refugees. Finally, at the age of 37, she earned her bachelor’s in nursing at the UW. She devoted her nursing career to low income, uninsured patients at the 45 th St. Clinic where she was the diabetes educator for nearly 20 years. She also worked for 13 years in HIV and other infectious diseases at Bailey Boushay and the Madison Clinic at Harborview. She retired at the age of 58 in 2014 due to her own health issues and her husband’s ALS diagnosis. She nursed Tony through his battle with ALS for seven years until his death in November 2020. As well as Membership VP for PSARA, she serves as the surrogate grandmother or “auntie” for the baby of a low-income immigrant family. “It was the height of the pandemic and Tony was gone. I didn’t have anything to do and they needed child care so why not help a family in need? After all, I was a single mom for all those years so I understand some of the struggles that young families go through. It just seemed to make sense and indeed it has brought happiness and purpose to my life once again.” Lisa Dekker Co-Outreach Vice-President After 25 years in Seattle, Lisa and her husband retired to the North Olympic Peninsula in 2016. Her activism began by volunteering with the Seattle Sierra Club. While working for Washington Community Action Network on healthcare and social justice issues, she learned about PSARA and became a member. She is now part of a small but mighty Clallam County/PSARA team working to grow support on the Peninsula. She is also, in orca costume, a part of the North Olympic Orca Pod educating the public about our Southern Resident orca. Cindy Domingo Co-Outreach Vice President Cindy Domingo has been an activist for 50 years using her skills as an organizer, writer, political strategist, mentor, public servant and speaker to create social and radical change in the world. She is currently the Board Chair of LELO, A Legacy of Equality Leadership and Organizing, an organization led by people of color and whose mission is to empower low-income workers of color, recent immigrants and women workers to assert their rights, improve their working conditions and gain their voice in their workplaces, trade unions and communities in the US and across the globe. Cindy is also in leadership of the Seattle Chapter of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and has also served on numerous boards locally including International Examiner Newspaper, Church Council of Greater Seattle and Community to Community. Nationally, she has served on the boards of National Asian Pacific Women’s Forum, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and is in the leadership of Akbayan North America. Cindy has focused her work on the liberation of women and girls and building international solidarity between the peoples of the Philippines and the US and ending the 60 years old US blockade of Cuba.

PSARA Oral Histories Project: Thursten Muskelly Return to Oral Histories Main Page Thurston Muskelly Interview PSARA Advocate Archives November 2022 Page 9 Part I December 2022 Page 9 Part II “My Greatest Thing is Helping People” An Interview with Thurston Muskelly By Angie Bartels If you ask Thurston Muskelly what he likes to do most in the world, he’ll tell you it’s reaching out and helping others. He’s been doing this ever since childhood when he worked on the family farm. Thurston was born in Union, SC, in 1933, and grew up in Salisbury, NC. His mother, Eloise Robinson Muskelly, was an English teacher and taught middle school through college. She was full Cherokee, 6’6” tall and weighed 250 pounds. His father, Edward, was Native American, African American, Italian, and Caucasian, and 6’1” tall. He was an engineer for Southern Railway and ran Engine No. 34. He would be gone working a few days at a time so the Muskelly kids learned to take responsibility. At the age of 7, Thurston cared for the family’s 13 dairy cows and calves, feeding, milking, watering, and laying fresh straw for their beds. All the Muskelly children had chores to do “because my father pressed us into thinking that we help the family by doing these chores. And it was easy, but it was great responsibility.” When a cow or pig was slaughtered, Edward made sure that everyone in the community was given a share of the meat. “He believed in sharing, he just couldn't get around it. My mother would say, carry this piece of meat down to so-and-so. Everybody got a piece of joy.” Edward took Thurston to the railroad yard from the time he was quite young, where Thurston learned mechanics and how to fix the engines and other railroad equipment. Learning engineering came naturally to Thurston. Edward wept the day Thurston left for the US Navy in 1950. After boot camp, he was assigned to an aircraft carrier, the USS Albany. While serving in Pensacola, FL, Thurston met the love of his life, Joyce Williams. Joyce was working as a car hop at a BBQ joint, and he gently flirted with her. She talked with him, and soon Thurston was making frequent trips to the BBQ place to get his sandwiches and begin his courtship with Joyce. She was the eldest of five children and had the responsibility of raising her younger siblings. After a short while, they were married in 1954 in Lucedale, Mississippi, and made their home in Salisbury, NC, with his parents while Thurston served out his time in the Navy. Thurston had an accident on the ship where his arm was caught up in a winch. He received months of treatment but was permanently partially disabled. Upon discharge, he worked at the VA Hospital in Salisbury, NC. He and Joyce relocated to Youngstown, OH, upon the invitation of his uncle, who got him a job as a crane operator in a steel mill. “I was a part of the Steel Workers Union, and I worked off of the blast furnace. That's where you poured the ore into a furnace and the overrun went into a water well. The crane ran over the water well, and I would get that overrun ore that went into the water, lift it out, and put it in railroad cars. There were frequent national strikes, and one lasted six months.” In the meantime, Joyce visited her brother in Seattle, fell in love with the area, and told Thurston they should move there. Thurston was laid off at the time, so they came to Seattle in 1958. “After we got here, the family said they wanted me to work for Boeing, and I said no, I'm not going to work for Boeing because Boeing lays off too much. And I just come off a big layoff. So my brother-in-law took me to the US Public Health Service Hospital. And they only had one job available, which was a janitor's job. And I had to be a disabled veteran to get it. I was both. When I took the job, everybody laughed. With my resume and experience, I was overqualified. But I took the job because I had a wife and a young baby. I started off at $1.73 an hour. “ “There was an old German guy by the name of Mr. Monks. Monks came to me and said, ‘Thurston, if you stay here eight months, I’ll have an opening in engineering for you.' So I stayed there eight months and sure enough, I got a job in engineering with much higher pay. The job was repairman for blood pressure equipment, operating equipment, boiler room, all of this fell under engineering. They kept me in mechanics and I worked in that position for 25 years.” Thurston was instrumental in the formation of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1170 at the USPHSH in 1970. “The employees at the hospital felt that the union was not representing what the needs of the employees were to the hospital administration. A lot of folks encouraged me to run for president, but a friend told me, ‘Thurston you could be jeopardizing your job.’ So, I went home and talked to the wife, and she said, ‘Well, you can always find another job’. So, I ran for president, and I won." It was during this time that Thurston’s natural ability to win people’s trust, to represent them fairly, and to bring them together in solidarity fully bloomed. “My father taught me leadership and responsibility, and that’s why the workers at USPHSH wanted me to be the president. It was my first time being the chief spokesman for employees in the union. We had an exciting executive board! I had people who worked together really hard. There was no animosity or division in the union. We were very together on issues that concerned employees and employees’ education, safety on the job, promotions, etc. We worked with the administration and Dr. Willard Johnson, the outstanding new director of the hospital. “Willard was out of Texas, and he was a very humble and good man who understood human needs. Dr. Johnson understood the problems that the employees faced, and he took it to heart. The employees were not treated fairly at the hospital until they elected the AFGE as the union spokesman for the group. We represented professionals and non-professionals alike. In fact, one of the doctors that we represented was Jim McDermott. He went on to be a State Senator” Dr. Johnson also began to understand the needs of the community at large. “He called me into his office one day and said, ‘Thurston, I know that you’re in charge of the union here at the hospital and I want to ask you for your help.’ He discussed that he had been in a meeting with the free clinics, and he had 5% of his hospital budget that he could donate to health care for people who didn’t have health care and couldn’t afford it. He wanted to use the US Public Health Service Hospital as a back-up for X-rays, lab work and treating people who didn’t have money. I told him that I would help him. Dr. Johnson put me in touch with David Loud, Tommy Byers, and a whole lot more people. My job with Dr. Johnson and the group was to keep all of the people and groups informed, keep them up to date what was going on and how they could help to sustain this fight.” The fight was against the federal policy to get out of the business of directly providing health care. Twenty USPHS hospitals had been closed under Republican and Democratic administrations, and the Nixon administration wanted to close the 8 remaining USPHS hospitals. However, the question of how to provide the health care of the legislated beneficiaries of the system - merchant mariners, commercial fishers, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, military retirees and dependents – had not been resolved. Dr. Johnson, who opposed closure, interpreted an obscure regulation in the Public Health Service Act which allowed 5% of the hospital's budget to be used for care of special cases of rare diseases for medical education purposes. He used this 5% of his budget to provide care to uninsured free clinic patients, care that the clinics were unable to offer (i.e., lab, radiology, specialities, acute inpatient care, surgery) and declared them to be special study patients. Thus, the free clinics' patients became beneficiaries of the USPHS, giving the community at large a stake in the preservation of the USPHS Hospital. This led to the formation of the Public Health Care Coalition, the group that would lead the fight against closure. Thurston got to know numerous elected officials throughout his time working at USPHSH with the union and the health care coalition. “Senator Warren G. Magnuson, Maggie, is the greatest in my time, the greatest senator of all times. He had feeling, charisma, patience, and he could work with anyone. He was also head of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He figured that the employees at the hospital would go the extra mile for people who couldn’t afford health care. He set up a program called Upward Mobility which was funded by the federal government. Hospital employees would apply and the executive board would select individuals blindly, without knowing their names. Everyone was assigned a letter such as A, B, C, etc. These individuals would attend college or technical school to advance their education and career. Many started as LPN or RN and got higher degrees including PhD. A lot of them went from nursing assistants to LPNs. The federal government, Maggie, set up the program so that the employees would work their jobs during the day and go to school at night. I also lobbied in Congress to save the USPHSH and although we didn’t save it, we were able to have the building transferred in 1981 from the USPHS, to the Pacific Hospital Preservation and Development Authority, created by the City of Seattle. That was the year I retired.” Although Thurston retired from his job at USPHSH, he did not retreat from work in the community. “For 10 years I was president of the Leschi Community Council. The city gave us 2.4 million dollars to rehab parks, so I did Powell Barnett Park, Flo Ware Park, and Peppi’s Playground. I was also president of the Central Area Senior Center for 10 years where I worked with Will Parry. Will was one of my executive board members at Central Area Senior Center. He was a very outstanding man and did a remarkable job. He would tell you right quick that he didn’t have a lot of money to spend, but he was willing to give his time and efforts to a cause. He and his son raised over $5,000 for the Senior Center. He was very persistent and went after things that people needed. I was grateful to work with him on issues concerning seniors. “I also brought in the Seattle Girls School to Jackson and MLK. I convinced the Leschi Community Council that this is what we need. We wanted the young ladies to be competitive with the young men. In other words, if a man got a degree in mechanical engineering so could a young lady. She could stand as tall as he.” “I was also president of the Central Area Development Association, which helped seniors maintain their homes by painting, doing repair work, and yard maintenance. People on Social Security can’t afford to keep up their homes, so CADA helped with that.” Thurston held these three positions simultaneously. Thurston lost Joyce, his wife of 64 years, to cancer in 2019. “Joyce was an outstanding person and a wonderful wife. She was a lady that loved responsibility. She worked for Frederick and Nelson, in handbags, for 26 years. She didn't like to see children that couldn’t read and didn't know how to do math so she volunteered down at the school. She also volunteered at the Central Area Senior Center working in the kitchen and serving food to other seniors. She could get along with anyone. She could make you feel welcome when you thought that you were all alone. She always had a smile, and she was a real people's person. My greatest thing is helping people, seeing that they enjoy life as well as anybody. I really get disturbed when people in power can do something for others and don't do it. I don't like individuals that prey on others and feel that others are less than they are. I think everyone is entitled to justice and care. If people can’t afford to pay forward, they shouldn’t be mistreated, and they should receive good care. My greatest hope is that people will look upon others with love and peace, not hate, and that everyone will reach out and help someone. Angie Bartels is PSARA's membership VP. This is one in a series of interviews she's conducting with members of PSARA. Dr. Johnson also began to understand the needs of the community at large. “He called me into his office one day and said, ‘Thurston, I know that you’re in charge of the union here at the hospital and I want to ask you for your help.’ He discussed that he had been in a meeting with the free clinics, and he had 5% of his hospital budget that he could donate to health care for people who didn’t have health care and couldn’t afford it. He wanted to use the US Public Health Service Hospital as a back-up for X-rays, lab work and treating people who didn’t have money. I told him that I would help him. Dr. Johnson put me in touch with David Loud, Tommy Byers, and a whole lot more people. My job with Dr. Johnson and the group was to keep all of the people and groups informed, keep them up to date what was going on and how they could help to sustain this fight.” The fight was against the federal policy to get out of the business of directly providing health care. Twenty USPHS hospitals had been closed under Republican and Democratic administrations, and the Nixon administration wanted to close the 8 remaining USPHS hospitals. However, the question of how to provide the health care of the legislated beneficiaries of the system - merchant mariners, commercial fishers, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, military retirees and dependents – had not been resolved. Dr. Johnson, who opposed closure, interpreted an obscure regulation in the Public Health Service Act which allowed 5% of the hospital's budget to be used for care of special cases of rare diseases for medical education purposes. He used this 5% of his budget to provide care to uninsured free clinic patients, care that the clinics were unable to offer (i.e., lab, radiology, specialities, acute inpatient care, surgery) and declared them to be special study patients. Thus, the free clinics' patients became beneficiaries of the USPHS, giving the community at large a stake in the preservation of the USPHS Hospital. This led to the formation of the Public Health Care Coalition, the group that would lead the fight against closure. Thurston got to know numerous elected officials throughout his time working at USPHSH with the union and the health care coalition. “Senator Warren G. Magnuson, Maggie, is the greatest in my time, the greatest senator of all times. He had feeling, charisma, patience, and he could work with anyone. He was also head of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He figured that the employees at the hospital would go the extra mile for people who couldn’t afford health care. He set up a program called Upward Mobility which was funded by the federal government. Hospital employees would apply and the executive board would select individuals blindly, without knowing their names. Everyone was assigned a letter such as A, B, C, etc. These individuals would attend college or technical school to advance their education and career. Many started as LPN or RN and got higher degrees including PhD. A lot of them went from nursing assistants to LPNs. The federal government, Maggie, set up the program so that the employees would work their jobs during the day and go to school at night. I also lobbied in Congress to save the USPHSH and although we didn’t save it, we were able to have the building transferred in 1981 from the USPHS, to the Pacific Hospital Preservation and Development Authority, created by the City of Seattle. That was the year I retired.” Although Thurston retired from his job at USPHSH, he did not retreat from work in the community. “For 10 years I was president of the Leschi Community Council. The city gave us 2.4 million dollars to rehab parks, so I did Powell Barnett Park, Flo Ware Park, and Peppi’s Playground. I was also president of the Central Area Senior Center for 10 years where I worked with Will Parry. Will was one of my executive board members at Central Area Senior Center. He was a very outstanding man and did a remarkable job. He would tell you right quick that he didn’t have a lot of money to spend, but he was willing to give his time and efforts to a cause. He and his son raised over $5,000 for the Senior Center. He was very persistent and went after things that people needed. I was grateful to work with him on issues concerning seniors. “I also brought in the Seattle Girls School to Jackson and MLK. I convinced the Leschi Community Council that this is what we need. We wanted the young ladies to be competitive with the young men. In other words, if a man got a degree in mechanical engineering so could a young lady. She could stand as tall as he.” “I was also president of the Central Area Development Association, which helped seniors maintain their homes by painting, doing repair work, and yard maintenance. People on Social Security can’t afford to keep up their homes, so CADA helped with that.” Thurston held these three positions simultaneously. Thurston lost Joyce, his wife of 64 years, to cancer in 2019. “Joyce was an outstanding person and a wonderful wife. She was a lady that loved responsibility. She worked for Frederick and Nelson, in handbags, for 26 years. She didn't like to see children that couldn’t read and didn't know how to do math so she volunteered down at the school. She also volunteered at the Central Area Senior Center working in the kitchen and serving food to other seniors. She could get along with anyone. She could make you feel welcome when you thought that you were all alone. She always had a smile, and she was a real people's person. My greatest thing is helping people, seeing that they enjoy life as well as anybody. I really get disturbed when people in power can do something for others and don't do it. I don't like individuals that prey on others and feel that others are less than they are. I think everyone is entitled to justice and care. If people can’t afford to pay forward, they shouldn’t be mistreated, and they should receive good care. My greatest hope is that people will look upon others with love and peace, not hate, and that everyone will reach out and help someone. Angie Bartels is PSARA's membership VP. This is one in a series of interviews she's conducting with members of PSARA.

PSARA Oral Histories Project: Gary Owens Return to Oral Histories Main Page Gary Owens Interview PSARA Advocate Archives September 2019 Page 5 Members Matter: PSARA’s Oral History Project An Interview with Garry Owens By Karen Richter and Angie Bartels PSARA’s Oral History project is underway. Our second interviewee was Garry Owens, PSARA member and longtime activist. His interview lasted about an hour and a half and is excerpted here. Where were you born? I was born in Seattle on October 31, 1944. My mother’s family was from Ellensburg, and they moved to Seattle during the Depression. Irony about her family -- her grandmother, her mother, as well as she all had their first kid at age 16. They were all young moms, which created closeness between them. My Dad’s family was from Louisiana, and they moved here when he was 19 for work. I never really knew him. The man I knew as my father was Sylvester Owens, who adopted me when I was one, so I have his name. I was an only child until I was 12. So the public library became my best friend. I could access information and books, sometimes 10 to 15 at a time. Words do matter, and it helped me be a critical reader. Where did you live and go to school? I was born in the International District and lived there until we had to move to Stadium Homes in Southeast Seattle, then to Rainier Vista, and I went to school there. My Mom taught me to read before I started school so I would have a head start. We moved to Beacon Hill when I was 12 and I got a new brother. Two years later, a sister. I finished high school and got drafted as soon as I graduated. This was the Vietnam era, and I didn’t want to go. I went to the Coast Guard Center and was inducted into service and was told I was being taken to Fort Ord, so when all the new privates turned left to be shipped out, I went right and went home. I ran into my Mom and told her everything went OK. Then a knock on the door and the military police came looking for Private Garry Wade Owens. I was handcuffed and sent to Fort Lawton. My sense of rebellion was alive and kicking. I got into a fight with a bunkmate who dumped cigarette ashes in my coffee. Monday morning I hitchhiked back to my godmother’s house in Seattle who turned me in. I was sent to Fort Lewis for a week then to Fort Ord. I was given a choice -- spend two years in service and be done with it or spend two years in military prison then do two more in active service. I did the two years in military service. I was sent to Fort Bragg and became a radio operator. During this time my Mom died. She was 37. After a month of bereavement leave, there was not enough time [in my required service] to deploy me to Nam so I always say my Mom saved my life. How did you become an activist? I went to school at Franklin High with Larry Gossett. He asked me to go to the University of Washington. I wasn’t sure. But one day while I was at the Coffee Corral, an English professor read some of my journal. Turned out he was an assistant dean at UW. He gave me his card and asked me to see him. I did, and he sent me to the enrollment office with some paperwork. The person there asked me if I wanted to be a fully matriculated student. I did, and then I was. While I was at UW I helped form the Black Student Union and helped start the Black Panthers with Larry. Crucial issues for us were health, children and poverty, and food. So many kids were going to school hungry. What could we do about it? We started a free breakfast program for kids, and we opened up several community clinics. We were the first Black Panther Party outside California. It wasn’t just about defiance with the police but about people’s needs, empty stomachs, health needs, and shaming larger institutions that caused these conditions. What contributions did the Black Panthers give us? Our clinics and free breakfast programs were some. We were not afraid to resist! That word is big even now. We had compassion for our community, and we still need to work on that, and we still need to talk more about human rights. We are not eachothers' enemies, not combatants. The system pits us against each other and makes money from it. We should be using our resources to make sure no one is left behind. How did you meet your wife, Cindy Domingo? I met Cindy at CAMP, the Central Area Motivation Program, headed by Larry Gossett. We both worked there. Cindy worked in the Minor Home Repair Program, and I was the Treasurer. We dated about four years, then we got married and had two kids. The rest is history. I’ve known her for 31 years. What keeps you involved and active at this point in your life? I believe we are all put here for a special reason. I know what I do well and what I don’t. I don’t want accolades. My grandmother had an apartment building filled with tenants, some who were alone. On holidays she would leave our table and go feed them. She wanted them to know that they were family too, not just tenants. She had a big heart and was kind to others. She knew who needed help. If she could do that I, could too. To be charitable you don’t have to ask permission. You just do it. How did you get involved with PSARA? That’s easy. I went to school with Robby Stern at UW. He was out there pushing it with the Students for a Democratic Society when I was with the Black Panthers. When he was President of PSARA he kept asking me to join the Board. For four years he kept asking me, and I couldn’t commit during those times. I retired after 25 years with the City of Seattle. I was on my way to a funeral when he asked me again, and I finally said yes. Glad I did. PSARA people have passion and a lot of good energy flow. It makes me feel good to go to meetings because it reminds me that age doesn’t matter. It’s not about how old we are, it’s that we care about ourselves. We don’t want to be dissed because we are older. If we don’t stand up, we get placed in a category – that we are obsolete and don’t matter. Age does matter. We are seniors, and we are here and know our contributions to society. Thank you, Garry. You inspire us, and we are very glad you belong to PSARA and serve on our Executive Board. Karen Richter is PSARA's Membership Co-VP. Angie Bartels and Garry Owens are PSARA members.

2025 PSARA Washington State Legislative Agenda (updated 03/13/2025 ) Click here for shareable pdf of PSARA’s 2024 Legislative Agenda Click here for PSARA’s most Current WA Legislative Report Lobby Day Training Page PSARA is a multi-generational grass roots organization advocating for all people and seniors, in particular, being able to live their lives with economic security, dignity, and respect. Healthcare PSARA believes that comprehensive, affordable, accessible, and culturally appropriate health care is a fundamental human right. Promote Leveling the Playing Field in Medicare SJM 8002 Status: Passed Senate 30-19. House Healthcare and Wellness Hearing March 21, 8:00 a.m. Protect against healthcare program cuts and advance immigrant health equity Status: Budget Support efforts to advance universal healthcare SJM 8004 Status: Passed Senate 30-19 House Healthcare and Wellness Hearing March 21, 8:00 a.m. Ensure quality affordable healthcare for nursing home workers (WA Essential Worker Healthcare Program) HB 1523/SB 5344 Status: Dead 2025 Strengthen and protect WA Cares SB 5291 Status: Passed Senate 38-11. Housing and Homelessness PSARA supports keeping people housed, building more low-income housing, and preventing homelessness in the first place. Ensure reasonable and more predictable rent increases by passing rent stabilization HB 1217/SB 5222 Status: HB 1217 Passed House 53-42 Senate Hearing Housing 3-19 1:30 p.m. Invest $500 million in the Housing Trust Fund Status: Budget Preserve supportive services and prevent cuts to homelessness programs Status: Budget Create affordable housing close to transit HB 1491 Status: Passed House 58-39 Senate Hearing Housing 3-14 1:30 p.m. Workers Rights and Economic Justice PSARA supports legislation that promotes healthy families and workplaces. Extend job protection in the Family & Medical Leave Program to ensure low wage earners can return to their jobs after leave to care for themselves or family members HB 1213/SB 5539 Status: HB 1213 Passed House 55-41 . Extend unemployment benefits to striking workers SB 5041 Status: Passed Senate 28-21 House Hearing Labor 3-18 10:30. Extend unemployment benefits to undocumented workers SB 5626 Status: Dead 2025. Build economic security for low-income families by creating the Washington Future Fund Pilot Program (Baby bonds) HB 1661/SB 5541 Status: SB 5541 Dead 2025. Working Families Tax Credit HB 1214/SB 5768 Status: SB 5768 Dead 2025. Climate and Environmental Justice PSARA supports the right of all people to live and work in a clean and healthy environment. Divest Washington State Investment Board (“WSIB”) funds from fossil fuels (No Coal Act) SB 5439 Status: Dead 2025. Add a Green Amendment to the Washington State Constitution Improve solid waste management outcomes by reducing use of plastic wrap and containers HB 1150/SB 5284 Status: SB 5284 Passed the Senate 27-22 House Hearing Energy 3-17 1:30 p.m. Curb Act Increasing environmental justice by improving government decisions HB 1303 Status: Dead 2025 . Fiscal Reform and Revenue PSARA supports a state budget that is transparent, pays a living wage to state workers, and provides services that help our people, economy, and environment thrive. Prevent devastating budget cuts by providing new progressive revenues such as a wealth tax that taxes extraordinary financial assets

PSARA advocates on a range of issues. Our committees work in the areas of Social Equity, Environment, Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security. We also publish a monthly newsletter: The Advocate. We welcome New Members and Volunteers. PSARA Committees Calendar Here Race and Gender Equity (RAGE) Committee Typically meets the 3rd Thursday of the month Contact: organizer@psara.org The Race and Gender Equity Committee works to highlight issues of racial and gender equity and to advocate for diverse and marginalized communities in the Puget Sound region and beyond. Current topics include Black Reparations, immigrant rights, and the impacts of environmental and land use decisions on communities of color. Government Relations Committee Typically meets the 1st Thursday of the month Contact: organizer@psara.org The Government Relations Committee is an active and engaged committee of volunteers that believes PSARA’s advocacy will make a difference in forming our state’s policies and priorities. We meet year around and are open to all PSARA members. Our work helps to center PSARA’s advocacy priorities and lead our members to greater activism in making Washington a healthier and more equitable place to live and thrive. We advocate for the quality of life and well-being of all Washingtonians and particularly seniors emphasizing retirement security, economic and social justice, revenue reform, climate justice, healthcare and housing affordability. Click here for more information. Climate & Environmental Justice Committee Typically meets the 1st Thursday of the month Contact: tplux@comcast.net PSARA's Climate & Environmental Justice Committee was formed out of the urgency of the escalating global climate crisis. We engage with Labor, environmental organizations and indigenous allies to help build a political movement to transition to clean energy and keep the world livable for future generations. We demand a just transition and livable wages for workers displaced by the move to clean energy and we advocate for justice and compensation for low income, communities of color and other communities adversely affected by fossil fuels and inequality. The threat of climate change requires education, advocacy, and direct action now! Fund Raising Committee Typically meets the 2nd Monday of the month Contact: organizer@psara.org The Fundraising Committee raises funds to support the great work of PSARA. Members conduct two major fundraising campaigns annually including Give Big in the spring and an End of Year solicitation. It also sponsors events such as concerts, storytellers, book reading by local authors and more. We reach out to other organizations for annual donations and apply for grants as the opportunity presents itself. Members also support agency events such as organizing our general membership meetings and PSARA’s anniversary celebration. Our work results in significant resources for PSARA and the PSARA Education Fund. We welcome all who want to help and we have fun planning and organizing our events and activities.

One Big Beautiful Bill, One Big Beautiful Billionaires Act, Rick Timmins In the Advocate August 2025: Rick Timmins The One Big Beautiful Billionaire Act: Tax Breaks for the Wealthy Paid for by the Rest of Us Rick Timmins The recently passed Republican budget plan is touted as a reduction in government spending and in taxes, and indeed it succeeds. It drastically reduces spending on social programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and education and sets the stage for major cuts in Social Security. The tax reductions significantly benefit wealthy individuals and corporations. The bill is said to be the largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the wealthy in American history. So how exactly are we paying to increase the wealth of the American kakistocracy? The bill has hundreds of provisions, stretching over approximately 900 pages, but this article will focus on the most malevolent aspects that will have the greatest impact on healthcare, the environment, and the economy. Healthcare takes a big hit. Sixteen million people will lose their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act or Medicaid, according to the Congressional Budget Office. There will be an increase of 51,000 preventable deaths due to loss of insurance and other aspects of the legislation. Those with the lowest incomes and the greatest needs will suffer the most. Medicaid spending will be reduced by $793 billion over 10 years, and there will be 10.3 million fewer enrollees. A total of 2.3 million Medicaid enrollees, including 1.3 million dual-eligible individuals (those with limited resources who qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare), will lose benefits due to delayed implementation of two Biden-era rules designed to reduce administrative barriers. The loss of coverage cascades into the loss of access to the Medical Savings Program and the Low Income Subsidy, which help pay for copays and drugs. Preventable deaths occur when healthcare and medication are inaccessible. Five and a half million people will suffer increased food insecurity by losing SNAP benefits due to reduction in spending for food aid by $300 billion, more stringent rules regarding work requirements, citizenship, and shifting program costs to states. Medicaid cuts of $465 million in 2026 will result in average yearly losses of 56 percent of hospitals’ net income which, in addition to the loss of Medicaid coverage by rural residents, will put 300-500 rural hospitals at risk of closure. The American Hospital Association (AHA) and state-level hospital groups have warned that the act could destabilize access to care in dozens of states, especially in regions already struggling with physician shortages. Medicare does not escape the Republican wrath. Legislative rules mandate that if a bill increases the budget deficit, it must be made up through automatic “sequestration” cuts. The budget increases the deficit by over $3.3 trillion. There is a limitation on Medicare cuts of four percent, amounting to $45 billion in 2026. The CBO estimates the total 10-year cuts would equal $490 billion, which will shorten the viability of the Trust Fund. Our health, of course, is interconnected with the environment, and this bill is dedicated to making it unhealthy. It repeals or phases out most clean energy tax credits introduced under the Inflation Reduction Act, including those for electric vehicles (EVs), solar panels, wind farms, and battery storage. It also introduces new taxes on renewable energy infrastructure, while expanding fossil fuel incentives, including credits for domestic coal and oil production. This undermines grid reliability and will increase electricity prices by 19% by 2030 and more than 60% by 2035. This disproportionately affects lower- income Americans. The Billionaire Bill will also result in more forest fires by eliminating $50 million for the management and protection of old-growth forests on National Forest System land. The intent is to cut the funding protecting the forests, open the areas for logging and development, and eliminate the environmental reviews. It is well-established that uncontrolled logging increases fire risk. This bill will reverse recent environmental progress, increase US carbon emissions by up to 574 million metric tons by 2035, potentially lead to the extensive destruction of carbon-sequestering forests, increase pollution from smoke and gas-powered vehicles, and contribute to atmospheric warming, all of which are devastating to health. The Billionaire Bill will also bring us an unhealthy economy. These provisions deliver substantial tax savings for high-income earners and corporations. Analyses show that 70% of the tax benefits flow to the top 20% of earners, with the top 1% alone receiving nearly 20% of the overall relief. Meanwhile, middle-class families see modest gains, and many lower-income households actually lose net benefits due to cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP. Increasing medical expenses due to loss of insurance or access to medicalcare will further decrease the economic resilience of the majority of Americans. The financial inequity in the country will expand. Because Trump’s budget will add between $3.3 trillion and $4.5 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, debt-to-GDP is now projected to reach 126% by 2034, raising concerns among fiscal conservatives and global investors. Job losses are expected in both the healthcare and clean energy sectors, with estimates suggesting up to one million jobs lost by 2030 due to program cuts and reduced investment. Only the greediest of the top 20% of earners (and the Trump cultists) will consider this bill “Beautiful.” Keep in mind that the crumbs tossed to the rest of us, like eliminating tax on tips or overtime pay, car loan interest deduction, “Trump accounts for kids,” the “bonus deduction” of $6,000 for those over 65 years, are all restricted and phase out in 2028. In conclusion, the Big Billionaire Bill increases the wealth of the richest Americans, takes away healthcare and other essential services from the rest of us, destroys the environment, increases pollution and global warming, and raises the national debt, thereby putting the national economy at risk of inflation and/or recession. Rick Timmins is a member of PSARA's Level the Playing Field Task Force. BACK TO THE ADVOCATE

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are Under Attack Social Security* Closing of SSA offices across the country. Announced plans to cut 7,000 employees. Reduction in phone customer support services. Increases in wait times for services. requiring in-person interviews for many recipients Data security has become a major concern at SSA, Medicare* The Trump administration is introducing a new control on Traditional Medicare in a six state demonstration program, which includes Washington State. This program, called WISeR, is an attempt to control your medicare benefits by requiring prior authorization before you and your doctor can make certain medical decisions. Threats to Social Security staffing may spill over to Medicare impacting customer service. Privatization of Medicare (Medicare Advantage) is expected to expand. In 2025. Medicare is expected to pay $84 billion more for Medicare Advantage, or about 20 percent higher, than if Medicare Advantage enrollees were enrolled in Traditional Medicare. Medicaid* Discussions are underway to significantly reduce or eliminate Medicaid. As part of its overall service to the low Income Community Medicaid assists Medicare patients in the following ways: Click here to see what the impacts to Medicaid will be for the State of Washington. One in five Medicare enrollees relies on Medicaid to help pay Medicare premiums and cost sharing. Nearly 30% of Medicaid funding goes to people with Medicare. Medicaid is the primary payer for 63% of nursing facility residents. Without Medicaid, over 12 million Medicare enrollees would experience gaps in care that jeopardize their health and well-being. * Click here to review our source documents What you can do: Alert your friends and family to challenges faced by Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Read Ann Widger’s Letter to Federal Employees and add your Experience in dealing with Social Security Sign the Social Security Works Letter: Tell Congress: Stop Musk and Trump from Destroying Social Security! Or separately write your U.S. Representative and your U.S. Senators. Even if you know that they support Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid make sure that they know how much you care about these entitlements and benefits and the importance of maintaining them for future generations. Participate in the Friday Rallies at the Seattle Federal Building Join PSARA Rallies to defend attacks on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid Click here for our Calendar page Click here for our resources page which further documents the attacks on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid

In the Advocate July 2025: Anne Shields Are You Considering Residential Solar? Resources and Tools to Help You Get Started Anne Shields Are There Still Financial Incentives for Installing Solar? Yes! State sales tax exemption: Washington provides a sales tax exemption for solar energy systems, including rooftop solar panels,other materials and their installation. The exemption is available through 2029 and is usually provided through your contractor. You can request a refund if you are charged sales tax on eligible materials. Residential renewable energy tax credit: The federal government first enacted a solar investment tax credit in 2006, which allows people who install solar panels on their homes or businesses to claim a reduction in the income taxes that they would normally pay to the IRS. The amount of this reduction is capped at 30% of the amount invested in the solar array. WA’s Community Solar Program Might Save You Money Olympia Community Solar’s non-profit group purchasing model might reduce your costs and help simplify the installation process. The Solarize program is currently open to enrollment by residents of Island, Mason, Lewis, East King, Skagit, Thurstonand Whatcom counties and the cities of Bellevue, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Redmond, Sammamish, Kirkland, and Kenmore. What about the Tariffs on Solar Panels? The Trump administration tariffs on solar imports are unlikely to slow the rollout of solar power in the US. Even if it becomes a little more expensive, solar remains one of the cheapest clean energy sources. The good news is that Washington State’s solar panel manufacturing industry is growing rapidly and now supplies many local installers. Where Can I Learn More? The Dept. of Energy online Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar is a great resource for learning the basics of residential solar installation. Olympia Community Solar’s 11-minute video, Five Steps to Going Solar, might also be a useful starting point. These resources and tools will help you get started, but make sure to work with solar installers for custom estimates of how much power your own system would be likely togenerate. Getting Bids and Choosing a Contractor The non-profit Solar Washington recommends getting at least three bids and checking references on all contractors that you decide to consider. Solar WA also recommends finding vetted local installers through the Washington Solar Energy Industries Association (WASEIA). You will be able to find a wide range of reputable, local solar installers through the WASEIA online tool foridentifying installers in your region. Comparing Installation Bids Solar WA offers a detailed list of Questions for Solar Shoppers and advice on comparing bids that you may find useful. Many factors go into an installer’s bid and cost structure, including labor required, the equipment used, the amount of power generated, warranties, and financing options. Overhead costs: Some solar equipment suppliers have high overhead costs, resulting in higher bid amounts. However, homeowners should be wary of bids significantly lower than other bids, as this may signal that an installer is cutting corners. Equipment costs: The number, type and quality of panels installed can be a significant factor in the estimates you receive. Different types of solar panels produce varying amounts of electricity, and some panels last longer than others. Warranties and production guarantees: Many installers provide warranties, but what those warranties include and do not include will vary. Generally, higher solar bids may include better warranties that could save you money in the long run. Some companies provide additional guarantees, such as production guarantees and coverage for any potential damage to your roof. When reviewing your bids, you should always read through warranty information carefully and check if the information you receive is clear about its coverage, process, and coverage amounts. Permits and policies: Your bids should include state or local permit costs for solar panel installation or usage. Be sure to review and compare these costs across all your bids. Anne Shields is a member of PSARA's Climate and Environmental Justice Committee and Third Act Washington. BACK TO THE ADVOCATE

Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied PSARA Oral Histories Project: Frank Irigon Return to Oral Histories Main Page Frank Irigon Biography PSARA Advocate Archives July 2022 Page 5 (Part I) August 2022 Page 10 (Part II) Mud on Their Hands, An Interview With Frank Irigon By Angie Bartels It never ceases to amaze me how much newly arrived immigrants know about and give to our country. They work hard for the ideal of democracy and to improve their lives and the general welfare of the US. People like Frank Irigon have taught me more about the US than I had learned in school. His knowledge goes back generations and I believe is innate. Frank’s grandfather and father served in the Philippine Scouts, a military unit and remnant of colonialism. Frank was born on a US military base in the Philippines in 1947. His father was captured by the Japanese and spent time as a prisoner of war. After WWII, his father took advantage of an offer to join the US Army and shipped off to the USA. He sent for the family in 1950, when Frank, his mother, and two siblings boarded a ship bound for San Francisco. Frank’s mother did not speak English, and she didn’t realize that the fare for the voyage included meals. She brought what food she could carry, along with the children and their belongings, but then ran out of food mid-voyage. A Filipino passenger in a nearby berth heard the cries of the hungry children and asked if she could help. The friendly passenger led the family to the ship’s cafeteria where there was bounty. When they reached San Francisco, once again they relied on the kindness of strangers to help them find the train to Fort Riley, Kansas, where Frank’s dad was stationed. Frank was raised on US military bases and learned the signs of racism early on. He remembers growing up in North Ft. Lewis where there was an old military hospital that was converted into family housing. Most of the families living in that complex were Latino or Filipino. Newer complexes were built, but those were occupied mostly by white families. His fourth-grade teacher was African American, and her husband was a military pilot. She and her family were not permitted to live with the white officers, so they lived in an area set off by themselves. Frank himself enlisted in the US Army before high school graduation. He remembers training in Baltimore in the summer of 1965 and the civil unrest in that city. His sergeant called the soldiers of color into one room and began his lecture, “I know we got a lot of n------ troops.” Stunned, the Black soldiers stared at one another. The sergeant went on, “But we’ve got only one color here and that’s green.” But everyone in the room knew that he had made a grave error as soon as he said the N word. The soldiers stared at the sergeant as he too realized the mistake he had made. Per Frank, “It really lost its effect when he tried to tell us we were all one color, green, our military fatigues. He already knew that we were different because of our race.” Frank went on, “And I saw other things – an African American lieutenant not being given the respect that he deserved because of his rank, white soldiers talking behind his back, things like that. This wasn’t the first time I heard the word racism, but I remember we had a Black clerk and he wanted to go on leave. But he was denied it while many other soldiers were granted leave. The clerk claimed it was because of racism.” Frank spoke for some time with the clerk about the incident. The saving grace during Frank’s military years was his thirst for knowledge, which he quenched through reading. While stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, he happened upon an anti-Vietnam War protest where the marchers had occupied the streets. He then began reading about US involvement in Vietnam and its tragic effects. But for Frank, it was deeper and more complex than that. His mother wrote to him of his childhood friend, Eddie Caceres, who died in battle in Vietnam. Frank considered putting in a form 1049, a request to go to Vietnam, so that he could get revenge for Eddie’s death. But the more he thought and read about it, the more he felt that he really didn’t want to do that. And since he had less than a year left in the service, he wouldn’t be sent. The military had the draft to replenish troops that were discharged, or who deserted, or died. After discharge, Frank came to Seattle and attended Seattle Central Community College, and later, the University of Washington, majoring in history. His wife, Felicita, was working with the Asian Counseling and Referral Services as a social worker, and he was envious of her work and skill at helping people. Frank had been working for DSHS and was offered the opportunity to study for a master’s degree, along with a stipend, all while continuing employment and accrual of benefits. He decided to become a social worker and eventually earned his master’s degree. Frank became increasingly aware of the issues facing Asian and other families of color in the CID (Chinatown- International District) of Seattle. He remembers the fire at the Ozark Hotel, located near Westlake and Lenora, in 1970. The Ozark was six floors of low-rate rooms and SRO (single room occupancy) units, inhabited by low-income, disabled, and elderly residents. The hotel was not retrofitted with sprinklers, and twenty-one people died, some while trying to jump to safety from windows. As a result, a huge displacement of low-income residents citywide took place as the City closed down 6,000 low-rate rooms and SROs for failure to meet fire safety codes. Frank says the homeless problem in Seattle began at that point. Frank was working with the Asian Student Coalition at the UW in 1972, when it was announced that the King Dome would be built south of King Street Station. This sent shock waves through the CID, as affordable housing and businesses would be impacted by displacement and gentrification. Frank had co-founded the Asian Family Affair, the first pan-Asian community newspaper in Seattle, and they reported about the negative impact of the proposed King Dome on the community. He and Felicita were driving north on I-5 in their “hippie wagon,” a VW camper, when they heard an announcement on the radio about a groundbreaking ceremony. Frank felt like enough was enough as he looked at Felicita and said, “Fuck that shit!” His anger mounted as he started thinking about ways to demonstrate, to disrupt the ceremony, to show that “they” weren’t going to get the King Dome without a fight. Al Sugiyama noticed the sign Frank had placed on his office door at the HUB (UW Student Union building) stating “I will be going to the King Dome site to protest the groundbreaking ceremony.” Al called Frank and asked how many people would be going with him. Frank replied, “You, me, and Felicita.” Al laughed, but set himself in motion. He was a former president of the Oriental Student Union at Seattle Central and had a history of activism, lots of contacts, and years of organizing experience. By the day of the groundbreaking ceremony, when Al, Frank, and Felicita met up at the International District Drop-In Center, 50-75 people had joined them. The group marched from the CID to the King Dome site, a muddy rain-soaked field south of King Street Station. No presentation was planned; the protesters were there to disrupt. The former NFL great, Hugh McElhenny, was standing beside John Spellman, then King County Executive, and the group heard him say, “Just give me a football and I can run through that crowd.” A lively chant went up amongst the protestors. “We dare you! We dare you!!” A group of protesters then tried to occupy the dais that was set up on a stage. A King County sheriff’s deputy turned pleadingly to Frank and said, “Can you stop this?” Frank was reluctant but also concerned about the safety of the protesters, so he began herding people together and asked everyone to leave the stage. Then a friend from the School of Social Work picked up a piece of mud and threw it at the groundbreaking plaque. In a split second, other protestors began throwing mud at the plaque. About this time the Seattle Police Dept. (SPD) arrived, “. . . looking like Roman soldiers with their shields and combat gear,” and marched towards the protesters. Frank said, “We decided it was time to go!” Al felt that they needed to leave all together as a group. Al, Frank, Nemesio Domingo, and a few others picked up the rear to ensure that no one was left behind. Nemesio had been appointed to ensure that no one in the group was arrested. But the SPD intended to arrest anyone with mud on their hands because, according to their thinking, they were guilty of throwing mud balls. Frank said, “This made no sense because the site was very muddy, and if anyone slipped or touched anything, such as a football, there would be mud on their hands.” As the protesters left the site, two officers followed them. Nemesio turned to the officers and said, “Why are you following us? We’re leaving!” The officer unzipped his jacket, placed his hand on his gun, and said to Nemesio, “What are you going to do about it?” Nemesio, looked him straight in the eye, flipped him the bird, and said, “Fuck you!” Suddenly, a sister protester yelled, “Run Nemesio, run!” Nemesio took off running with the police officers right behind him. The chase lasted only a block or two when the officers caught up with Nemesio. One of the protesters was a law student, and he convinced the police to release Nemesio on the spot, without charges. The demo was over, and the officers decided it wasn’t worth their while to arrest anyone. If this incident had happened today, it’s frightening to think of the consequences. Over the next few days and weeks, it became apparent that the protest wasn’t merely a mud fight. It had put the City and County on notice that the people of the CID were ready to stand up for their homes and livelihoods. Frank and the group used this as an opportunity to get a meeting with King County Executive John Spellman and present a list of demands, one of which was a community health center for the CID. It wasn’t a novel idea, since other community clinics were starting up as well. Frank and his group had learned that the Filipino and Chinese elderly were using the Pioneer Square Health Station (PSHS) for medical care. PSHS was there to treat the homeless and Indigenous people who lived in the area. A doctor there told them that it wasn’t a good mix, Filipino and Chinese elderly waiting for care alongside people being treated for drug and alcohol addiction and problems related to homelessness. Also, PSHS was not culturally or language accessible for these Asian patients. When Frank presented the demand for a culturally appropriate clinic for the Asian elderly, Spellman responded, “Why should I fund a community health center that is in the city of Seattle and not serving all of King County? How do I know that you guys even need this? Frank responded that the health care center would be open to anyone who wanted to use it and added, “Prove to us that we don’t need it.” Spellman assigned a nursing student working on her master’s degree to do a community assessment. She worked with activist and journalist Doug Chin on an epidemiological study to assess the health care needs of the elderly living in the CID. She came to Frank and Doug and said, “You guys have a problem with your elderly. They’ve got diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and a myriad of health problems, so they need good primary care. This will help you prove that you do need a clinic.” The study findings were presented to Spellman and he, along with King County Councilwoman and restaurateur Ruby Chow, got the International District Community Health Center funded as a brick-and-mortar facility, not the mobile unit that was originally proposed by the County. Frank became Executive Director of the IDCHC in 1980 and served in that capacity for about two years. Frank is modest when talking about this achievement, as well as his many others. He credits the hundreds of people he’s worked with, from all walks of life, for the contributions they made in the struggle for racial equality and health and social equity. I did volunteer work at the ID Clinic in the late 1980’s as a prerequisite for nursing school. Back then, it was a small clinic on the second floor of an old building on Maynard Street. It was impressive then and even more so today, with new buildings in multiple locations and services for its mostly Asian American clientele. Before speaking with Frank, I did not know that the IDCHC grew out of a mud-splattered disruption of the commemoration of the first of several sports facilities built in Seattle, facilities that continue to disrupt and displace residents of the CID. Nor did I know of the tremendous contribution that Frank had made. Frank spends less time looking back over the many years of service he has given to us, our city, state, and country, and more time on the challenges that lie ahead. City planners and developers continue to draw up plans for more building and development in the CID, completely overlooking the impact on the community, its character, its residents, and its viability. But now, just like then, Frank will tell you, “They’re not getting it without a fight and without consideration for the people affected.” Angie Bartels is PSARA's Membership VP. This story is one of a series of interviews she's doing with PSARA members.

PSARA Oral Histories Project: Bob Barnes Interview Pvt. E-2 Bob Barnes Return to Oral Histories Main Page Bob Barnes Interview PSARA Advocate Archives May 2022 Page 5 (Part I) June 2022 Page 6 (Part II) Swimming Against the Current, Interview with Bob Barnes By Angie Bartels When he enlisted into the US Army in 1968, Bob Barnes intended to join a branch of the service where he wouldn’t see combat. “I wasn’t opposed to combat in principle, but I was in a pretty unformed way opposed to the Vietnam war.” In college, Bob played bass in rock and roll and jug bands where they played Country Joe and the Fish’s Fixen’ To Die Rag, their anti-Vietnam war anthem, sentiments which he himself felt. He had also met members of SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) out of Austin, TX, who tried to talk him out of enlisting. But Bob’s opposition in those days was theoretical. It hadn’t yet taken form in reality. Enlisting in the armed services after college just seemed like the next thing to do. Bob came from a hard-working middle-class family whose members enjoyed hunting. Guns did not intimidate him. He wasn’t part of the resistance in those days, and he didn’t want to go to graduate school just to get a deferment. Besides, he had talked with his friendly Army recruiter and was told that he could join the Adjutant General’s Corps and go to Embassy parties in DC for four years. “I thought that sounded marvelous, and being dumb as an East Texan rock, I bought it hook, line, and sinker.” He was shipped off to Fort Polk, LA, and ended up in the Infantry. But that didn’t worry him – he was going to embassy parties for the next four years. Ft. Polk, LA, was where most infantry troops were trained before going to Vietnam. The Army called it “Tigerland,” as its climate and geographical conditions were like those of the jungles of Vietnam. As Bob settled into his barracks, he started to feel that something was very wrong. He found that most of the other guys were kids, 3, 4, 5 years younger than himself. “Most of them were not white. Most of them did not join. They were either drafted or they were given a choice by some judge – enlist in the Army or go to jail. So they joined the Army.” “It was a whole different world than I had ever been exposed to, not just military life in the barracks, but a whole different bunch of people that had not been part of my frame of reference. I had gone to a segregated high school and the color lines in my privileged life were pretty much invisible. But they were sure as hell there in retrospect.” Once he got over the disorientation, he cruised along on automatic pilot knowing that this was something he had to get through but wouldn’t have to worry about once he was out of training. “So we got through Basic Training and then onto Advanced Infantry Training where, during target practice, what were once just targets were now human silhouettes that had the letters ‘VC’ (Viet Cong) printed on them. That was done to acclimate us to shooting enemy combatants. And that’s when I really started questioning (1) Is this something I really wanted to participate in? And (2) did I want to be in a leadership position over anybody in this war, particularly kids whom I knew were not there out of any commitment on their part? They were strictly cannon fodder and they knew it. And I said to myself, I ain’t going to do that.” Soon the new soldiers were confronted with a crisis that did not directly affect Bob. Graduation from Advanced Infantry Training was to take place a few weeks after Christmas. Everyone was sent home on leave for the holidays with the promise that at the end of graduation, they would be allowed to go home again before they received their orders and shipped out to their assignments. The holiday happened and everybody came back to the base. They were then told, “No, sorry, we’re going to have to cut your orders right now, as soon as you graduate, and you’re going to wherever you’re assigned.” Most of them were going to Vietnam. “There was this spontaneous, all-encompassing, ‘We can’t believe this is happening, this can’t be happening.’ When we marched in formation we counted, about 200 people, ‘1-2-3-4, 1-2- AWOL.’ It was just crazy.” After graduation, Bob spent that night shuttling people into Leesville, Louisiana, where the bus station was located. He was not at risk of going to Vietnam right then. He was waiting for orders to Officers Candidate School (OCS). Yet he wanted to help these guys who were very upset. He didn’t know what to do. Bob estimates a couple hundred men took off that night for home. The Army put the word out instantly, “If you took off and then reported back within two weeks, there would be no consequences.” He’s unsure how many folks came back, but he suspects most of them did and accepted their orders. He remembers that a few went to Canada. Bob had begun researching the implications of going AWOL. He called his friends from SDS and explained the situation, about the guys who were being ordered to go to Vietnam without a chance to say goodbye to their loved ones. What could they do? Bob was told they had three options: they could go AWOL, they could go to Canada, or they could file as conscientious objectors (CO). SDS folks provided articles about why the US was in Vietnam, something to do with oil, tungsten, and resources. They also provided a copy of the Army’s handbook and contacts for conscientious objector counselors. That’s when Bob learned that one could file as a CO for discharge from within the service. He compiled this information and shared it with the guys in his unit, who in turn shared it with others. “The anti-war movement within the military was at that point vibrant. The army was in rebellion. What we were doing was just a microcosm. There were air force pilots refusing to fly their B-52 bombers on bombing sorties, and hundreds of active-duty soldiers signed a letter published in the New York Times denouncing the war.” “I was left at Ft. Polk awaiting my assignment to Officer Candidate School (OCS), and I started thinking, what am I going to do? At that point, I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I was not going to Vietnam.” Bob entertained fantasies of going through OCS, which was a six-month program, and “then at graduation, when I was given my little gold bars, throwing them on the stage and denouncing the war. I thought, wow, that’s a big waste of my time, going six months just to do that? Instead, I dropped out of OCS and filed as a conscientious objector. I marched the application into my commanding officer’s office, and he tore it up. Then I handed him a copy of the army regulation, which they didn’t have in their books, and he tore that up too. What I was doing was outside of his and the army’s frame of reference. No one in anyone’s memory had filed for CO status from within the service. When I look back on this, I think, how in the hell did I think that I could pull something like this off? I was not a political activist. I had no one but my then wife, Peggy, who stood by me as an ally. I had a copy of the application and the regulation, and I was finally able to convince the officers that they had to accept my application.” Bob did a lot of KP for a while. He was the first person at Ft. Polk to file as a CO since WWII. And the Army literally did not know how to deal with him. The regulation wasn’t even in the book, as they had removed it. Bob had to carry it around with him, and one commanding officer ripped it up when Bob handed it to him. But they couldn’t stop him. “It was army regulation 635-20 which said clearly that one had the right to file as a CO from within the military. So I did, and I wasn’t alone in this. I gave others the information, and I shared it as far and wide and with as many people as I possibly could. I was assigned to drive around the base and deliver mail and by a certain point, I was distributing The Ally, which was a national underground newspaper. It was not put out by active-duty people, but it was for them, and there were articles written by soldiers. I could see what bad shape the army was in. It was already in a state of crumble when I joined. There was a guy I went through Basic with who talked way over my head. He had joined the army with the intent of organizing against the war. That was brave. Another guy was trying to unionize soldiers. I’m not sure how successful they were, but this was the lake I was swimming in. The resistance was growing.” Bob was finally kicked out of Ft. Polk upon the denial of his second application for discharge, on the grounds that he did not sincerely hold the beliefs that he professed. “The base commander told me that I could punch him in the face and he would not bring charges because he wanted me ‘off his fucking base!’ I had my third set of orders for Vietnam, and I wasn’t going to get away with staying around Ft. Polk any longer.” So Bob and Peggy flew out to Ft. Lewis in Washington State, and he wrote his third application on the plane ride out here. When he turned his paperwork in at the Overseas Replacement Station at Ft. Lewis, he was assigned to a barracks with 50 other CO applicants. By the fourth night, Bob and company had made contact with the antiwar movement in Tacoma. They began sneaking off base and making and distributing leaflets on the base. Finally, their commanders decided they had to assign the CO applicants somewhere while their applications were pending. “It took them over a year to process my first application. It took a lot less time for the second. So I knew a decision on the third application would come back quickly.” In the meantime, the leadership assessed their skills and assigned them to different units. “Several of us had what they considered office skills so they put five of us in the company’s office.” Soon the five soldiers were running the office, where they had access to phones and long-distance calls. They were in touch with all of the US Senators from around the country who were in any way anti-war. They used the office mimeo machine to print their leaflets. The leadership didn’t catch on for a couple of months, but finally they did. There was a heated rebuke of all that Bob and company had done and an instant assignment to other places. “We were scattered out around the base. But there was no disciplinary action. I had less than six months left in the Army, so they couldn’t send me overseas. The worst they could do was throw me in the back of a delivery truck, which they did. I spent the last several weeks doing KP as part of a delivery crew, delivering potatoes to different kitchens. And then my time was up, and I was discharged honorably with full benefits. Since my interview with Bob, I’ve thought a lot about his story and what he might have been feeling. It takes a lot of courage and strength to swim against the current. Life is sometimes easier if we do what “authority” expects of us. But Bob took the high road “and that has made all the difference.” In my eyes, he is truly a hero. Angie Bartels is PSARA's Membership VP. This story is one of a series of interviews she's doing with PSARA members.

In the Advocate July 2025: Tim Wheeler Tim Wheeler No Kings Day” Draws 2,600 in Sequim; 2,600 in Port Angeles! Tim Wheeler Holding a tally counter and click- ing away as fast as his finger could press the button, Jim Stoffer, one of the “NO KINGs DAY” organizers here, walked from one end to the other of the anti- Trump mass rally on Washington Ave. on the west sideof Sequim, Saturday, June 14. Even though the crowds were thick, I ran into him several times. “What’s the latest count, Jim?” “I just counted everyone from the traffic circle out there to the intersec- tion of Washington and Priest Road. Six hundred sixty-three.” He disappeared in the crowd walking east on the south side of Washington clicking away. Half an hour later I ran into him again, this time across the street. “Two thousand four hundred sixty-four,” he told me. “I’ve stopped counting, rounding it off at 2500 and more coming!” A marshall told us a drone outfitted with a camera would soon arrive to photo the crowd from the air to ensure an accurate count. Sure enough, a drone appeared hovering about 30 feet overhead. So the final estimate is 2,600 and an equal number at the County Court- house in Port Angeles. Well over 5000 folks in Clallam County and probably that many in Port Townsend as well. Probably the largest ever protest dem- onstrations in both Sequim and Port Angeles. CNN reported that “millions” joined vigils in more than 2,000 towns and cities across the U.S. We were waving thousands of signs like, “OVERTHROW- ING KINGS SINCE 1776,” and “DRAIN THE SWAMP.” The traffic was bumper-to-bumper with hundreds of motorists greeting us with honking horns, waves, and thumbs-up salutes. It was a deafening din. In the afternoon I spent there may- be one or two motorists scowled, gave us thumbs down or flicked a finger at us. I would estimate that well over 95% of motorists were with us and against the dictator. Many expressed out- rage against ICE (Im- migration & Customs Enforcement). “ICE IS AMERICA’S GESTAPO” read one sign. “MELT ICE,” read another handwritten by Clare Mannis Hatler, one of the eldest in the crowd at age 94. "WHO WILL PICK THE LETTUCE?" read a sign reminding us that immigrant workers are a vital part of our nation's workforce, putting food on the tables for our entire nation. "IMMIGRATION MAKES AMERICA GREAT," said a message on a scrap of cardboard. Others blasted Trump’s $45 mil- lion military parade in Washington D.C. celebrating his own birthday: “If There’s Money for a Parade, There’s Money for Medicaid,” said a sign car- ried by a woman. She linked Trump’s self-glorification with his drive to slash Medicaid by $715 billion, cuts so vicious it will strip 13.7 million people of health care and drive many rural and public hospitals---like OMC---into bankruptcy. He and his departed crony, Elon Musk, are inflicting over a TRILLION dollars in cuts to human needs programs to pay for $4.5 TRILLION in tax cuts mostly for themselves and their fellow billionaires over the coming decade. There were Army, Navy, and Coast Guard veterans in the crowd who face vicious cuts to the Veterans Administration by Trump and his MAGA minions in Congress. One sign proclaimed, “Hitler Threw Himself a Birthday Party Too.” One Special Forces vet was wearing his Green Beret. He told me he was there, in uniform, to defend the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and full funding for the VA and for veterans benefits. There was Steve Koehler who strolled along the sidewalk picking his banjo and singing the late Bob Marley song: “Get Up! Stand Up! Stand up For Your Rights!” And at the corner a very tall union electrician, IBEW retiree, Sam Woods, holding a sign he made, “NO WAY IN THE USA!” Sam told me I have been assigned to paint the signs on the side of his pickup for the Clallam County Democrats in time for the Old Time 4th of July Parade in Forks and later that same day in Port Angeles. His pickup will also lead us when we march in the Joyce Daze parade and the Makah Days celebration in Neah Bay. “Bring me the plywood and I will paint them,” I said. “But get them to me soon. July 4th will be here in no time. We need a message against Trump tyranny, against all the cuts in human need to feed billionaire greed! And also to get out the vote to defeat them!” There were also signs reminding us that "King Donald" does not have any of the pomp that conveys the majesty of a monarch. He scowls, smirks, sneers, rants and raves like the convicted crook he is, at best a mobster, a Godfather. "PUT THE CONVICTED FELON IN JAIL” said one sign. Instead, the MAGAs put him in the White House for a second time! Isn't this proof we are of an empire in sharp decline? Ninety million people eligible to vote did not cast a ballot when Trump stole his way into the Executive Mansion. That is our challenge. To awaken all those who are sleeping through the Trump dictatorship. Convince them to register and vote. I was holding one of three signs I made: “THIS YANK SAYS NO BILLION- AIRE KING!” read one. “REMEMBER VAL- LEY FORGE, BULL RUN, BATTLE OF THE BULGE…NO FASCIST TYRANNY!” And the third: “A REPUBLIC, IF WE CAN KEEP IT!” (A quote from Benjamin Franklin, a very wise founding father who understood we can take nothing for granted, that fascists are constantly scheming against democracy). As I mingled with all these “winter soldiers” fighting back against “sunshine patriots,” I was thinking of my friend, Macy, who put herself in harms way, flying to Cairo to join 10,000 people. Yesterday, she sent me a very short video of a night rally with 15,000 or 20,000 people gathered somewhere in Egypt in solidarity with the Palestinian people. By now, Macy must be across the Suez Canal, trekking in 120 degree heat across the Sinai in the “Freedom March to Gaza.” They seek to end the genocide that has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians. Meanwhile, Netanyahu launched a drone blitz against Iran and Iran retaliated. We must all work to prevent escalation into a regional or even a world war. Warmonger Trump may drag us into all-out war in the Middle East. We must stop him! BACK TO THE ADVOCATE