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The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents February 2025 Medicare Advantage Gaming the System Diane Archer UnitedHealth now employs or contracts with about 10 percent of the physicians in the US. It’s one way UnitedHealth maximizes Medicare Advantage profits, report Anna Wilde Mathews, Christopher Weaver, and Tom McGinty for the Wall Street Journal. UnitedHealth incentivizes its physicians to include additional diagnoses codes on Medicare Advantage patient records, which enables UnitedHealth to receive higher Medicare payments. UnitedHealth advises its physicians to check their Medicare Advantage patients for certain diagnoses. So, in Eu- gene, Oregon, one physician explained that before he could move from one patient to another, he must enter into a software system whether his patient had any of a list of diagnoses. In many cases, the diagnoses had nothing to do with the patient, such as hyperaldosteronism, which is a hormone condition related to high blood pressure. Rather than ensuring their doctors focus on treating Medicare Advantage patients for the conditions these patients are reporting, UnitedHealth is focused on having its doctors document as many conditions as possible that will increase the company’s Medicare payments. UnitedHealth does nothing to ensure its doctors document additional conditions for their patients in traditional Medicare. That’s not surprising. Because of the way Medicare pays insurers in Medicare Advantage, adding diagnoses codes to traditional Medicare patient records would hurt UnitedHealth financially. The Wall Street Journal found that patients leaving traditional Medicare for Medicare Advantage in the three years ending 2022 had many more diagnoses in their medical records once they were in Medicare Advantage. Their “sickness scores” typically increased 55 percent. To put it succinctly, once in Medicare Advantage, from a sickness perspective, patients effectively had HIV and breast cancer. While UnitedHealth does more than other insurers to raise sickness scores for its Medicare Advantage patients, other insurers raised scores by 30 percent for new patients in Medicare Advantage. There is no evidence what- soever that entering more diagnoses into Medicare Advantage enrollees’ medical records benefits patients in any way. In fact, UnitedHealth doctors do not use the company’s diagnoses software for patients outside of Medicare Advantage. By the Wall Street Journal’s calculations, United’s Medicare Advantage enrollees who saw UnitedHealth physicians had such high sickness scores that UnitedHealth benefited financially to the tune of $4.6 billion over three years. This insurer gaming of the Medicare payment system must end. Among other things, it is gouging taxpayers, depleting the Medicare Trust Fund, and driving up Medicare Part B premiums. This article summarizes an investigative piece first published in the Wall Street Journal. This article appeared in Diane Archer’s January 11 Just Care weekly newsletter. Diane Archer is the founder and President of Just Care USA, and a senior advisor to Social Security Works for Medicare policy. < Back to Table of Contents

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents August 2025 PSARA Signs an Open Letter Rejecting the House Homeland Security Committee’s Unfounded Inquiries into 200+ Nonprofit Organizations PSARA Board We, the undersigned more than [...] nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations and community leaders, stand united inopposition to the House Homeland Security Committee’s and Senator Josh Hawley’s unfounded demands for information from hundreds of nonprofit organizations. These charities and organizations have done nothing but carry out their work, including what is outlined in the federal grants some of them were awarded, and include religious organizations and groups working on advocacy and services for immigrants, workers, youth, and a vast array of other organizations serving their communities. These letters of inquiry target civic organizations that have provided services under valid federal contracts that were authorized and appropriated by Congress, filling a need the government cannot perform itself. No allegations of wrongdoing, or evidence is provided for these extraordinary and burdensome inquiries. This effort appears to be an attempt to weaponize Congressional power and create the appearance of wrongdoing against those who the signers believe disagree with their political agenda. The process these lawmakers intend to drag these law abiding, community serving organizations through is the punishment. As nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations and community leaders, we work in communities across the country to feed the hungry; house those without shelter; protect our air and water, our rights to vote, worship, and organize; we fight for consumers, workers, and our children; we advocate for civil and human rights at home and abroad; we have made it safer to drive on our roads, easier to start a business, and healthier to live in our cities. We span the full ideological spectrum. And today, we stand together for our democracy and in solidarity with those nonprofit organizations unjustly targeted by these Congressional letters. Let us be clear – this investigation is Congress weaponizing its powers to target and intimidate nonprofit organizations that are fulfilling the guidelines of federal grants, simply because they disagree with the policy those grants advance. This unfounded inquiry is not about protecting Americans, rooting out waste and fraud, or defending the public interest. It is about using un- checked power to chill constitutionally protected activity, community activism, and voices those sending the letters may disagree with. That is un-American and flies in the face of the Constitution. This specific attack on nonprofits is not happening in a vacuum. Rather, this attack exists in the context of a wholesale offensive against organizations and individuals the administration and its allies find objectionable. We are standing in solidarity with the organizations targeted in this unfounded investigation because nonprofits of all types, members of the clergy and religious groups, advocates, and community serving organizations should not be punished for their work – even if those in power find it threatening to their policy agenda. Our government is meant to serve the people, not those in office. Efforts by members of Congress to attack nonprofit groups they disagree with are reprehensible, dangerous, and a violation offundamental American freedoms. Speaking out for the voice- less is, and has always been, our collective mission. As such,we stand with those organizations wrongly targeted, and with one another. < Back to Table of Contents

Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA) 2024 Washington State Legislative Agenda. PSARA Government Relations Committee 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 to see PSARA’s 2026 Legislative Agenda Here is a breakdown of the key activities and functions of the GRC. Meetings: We meet the first Thursday of every month at 12:30 by zoom (Please contact organizer@pasara.org to attend). In addition, during the legislative session we meet weekly with our lobbyist for timely updates that guide our advocacy for the next week. Membership : While the GRC includes members with specific issue expertise, we are open to any member interested in advocacy. Preparation for Legislative Session: As the legislative session approaches, the GRC doubles down in its work, creating and finalizing our legislative agenda, planning our fall conference, and organizing for Lobby Day. Crafting the Legislative Agenda: The GRC leads the work in creating a comprehensive state legislative agenda that reflects the priorities and concerns of PSARA members. We do this by consulting other PSARA committees, polling our members and meeting with allies. Legislative Conference in the fall: The conference is open to all members, where we introduce the legislative agenda, build excitement and strategize. Relationships with Legislators and Lobby Day: We engage with legislators throughout the year building relationships and bridges to better meet our advocacy goals. On Lobby Day during the session, we meet in Olympia with our legislators to advocate for our legislative agenda. Action Alerts: The committee uses action alerts to mobilize PSARA members to contact their legislators about specific bills. In summary, we encourage interested PSARA members to join us and help make change happen.

PSARA monthly newsletter, The Advocate.(PSARA): A monthly publication on current issues in the areas of Social and Economic Equity, Environment, Labor Justice. The Retiree ADVOCATE Our Retire Advocate newsletters are sent to our current members but we also provide the current print edition below. Click here to read the Advocate Online Please consider joining PSARA or donating to support our work. Looking for past newsletters? Click here for the Advocate Archives.

Join Us for Our Summer BBQ Tuesday August 19th, 12:30– 3:00 pm Seward Park, Shelter #3 5900 Lake Washington Blvd S, Seattle All PSARA members, families and friends are invited to our August potluck barbeque in Seward Park along the shores of LakeWashington. Come and relax in the presence of old growth trees and visit with friends and make new ones. PSARA will provide some veggie, beef and chicken burgers, sausages and drinks. Members should bring a pot- luck dish to share. If you would like to drink something other than carbonated and plain water please bring it along. But note that alcoholic beverages are not permitted. Also not permitted is amplified sound but you can bring along your acoustic guitars and other musical instruments if you would like to play and sing. Tim Wheeler is bringing copies of his new book No Power Greater, the Life and Times of George A. Meyers (see Mike Andrew’s book review in the May Advocate.) He may also bring his autoharp and lead us in a few songs. Robby Stern has offered to lead a walk through trails in Seward Park’s forest which contains some old growth trees. So, bring walking shoes and binoculars. Seward Park is filled with a variety of birds. Perhaps we can encourage some of PSARA’s birders to go along for the walk and identify some for us. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone in person for a relaxing, fun- filled afternoon in the park. Directions for finding Shelter #3 are below: BACK TO THE ADVOCATE

2025 PSARA WA State Legislative Agenda Activity Report (week of April 20 , 2025 ) Listed below are the Bills that PSARA is following that will have hearings in the coming week. In Washington State you do not need to attend the hearing to express your support for a specific bill, you can sign in to the Legislative Committee page and express your support or opposition. Legislators have repeatedly told us that signing in and indicating your support or opposition to a bill is very important for a bill ’ s success. Che ck out TVW.org to watc h both live and archived hearings. I highly recommend the legislative review that you can watch daily for highlights from hearings and floor action (if the links are not working please paste into your browser: https://tvw.org/shows/legislative-review/ ) Please see below for PSARA’s Weekly Legislative Report: PSARA Weekly WA Legislative Update April 20, 2025 Pam Crone, Chair Government Relations Committee Dear PSARA Executive Board and Activists, Below is a description of the new revenue package the House and Senate drafted after Governor Ferguson stated he would not support the wealth tax. The compilation was created by a former lobbying colleague Majken Ryherd I have also included the Governor’s statement characterizing the package as “unsustainable" and “too risky.” The regular session ends April 27. If no agreement is reached by then, further action will have to occur in a special session. This will be my last weekend update. Thank you for reading it each week, signing in on PSARA priorities at committee hearings, and contacting your legislators. Please see the May Retiree Advocate for an almost final legislative wrap-up. Do note that session will not have ended when the Advocate went to press. Thank you all. Best, Pam New Revenue Package Capital Gains and Estate Taxes - SB 5813 (Wilson, D-30) / HB 2082 (Street, D-37) Adds a 2.9% excise tax on capital gains over $1 million, on top of the current 7% tax applied to gains over $270,000 (adjusted annually for inflation). Increases estate tax rates for individuals who pass away after January 1, 2025. Raises the estate tax exclusion from $2.1 million to $3 million. Revenue from this bill would go to the Education Legacy Trust Account. Passed Senate Ways & Means on 4/18. Business and Occupation (B&O) Tax Surcharges - SB 5815 (Saldaña, D-37) / HB 2081 (Fitzgibbon, D-34) Increases B&O tax rates on sectors such as manufacturing, retail, child care, and gambling. Imposes a 0.5% surcharge on businesses with state income over $250 million. Raises rates on existing B&O surcharges. Funds would support public schools, higher education, healthcare, and social services. Was not considered in Senate Ways & Means on 4/18. Scheduled for executive session in House Finance on 4/19. Property Tax Cap Adjustment - SB 5812 (Wellman, D-41) / HB 2049 (Bergquist, D-11) Adjusts the annual 1% cap on property tax increases to allow for growth tied to inflation and population, capped at 3%. Revenue would support K–12 education, including special education. Was not considered in Senate Ways & Means on 4/18. Scheduled for executive session in House Finance on 4/19. Sales Tax on Services and Nicotine Products - SB 5814 (Frame, D-36) / HB 2083 (Stonier, D-49) Expands the state’s sales and use tax to cover services like IT consulting and advertising. Includes all nicotine products, whether synthetic or tobacco-derived, under the tobacco products tax. Requires a one-time prepayment of state sales tax from businesses with $3 million+ in taxable retail sales in 2026. The revenue would support education, healthcare, social services, and other programs. Passed Senate Ways & Means on 4/18. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Brionna Aho, Governor's Communications Director, Brionna.aho@gov.wa.gov, 360-628-3843 Governor Bob Ferguson comment on proposed $12B in taxes Trump Administration cuts and chaos continue to cast shadow over state budget OLYMPIA — Governor Bob Ferguson offered the following statement on the Legislature’s proposal for $12 billion in taxes: “I thank legislators for their hard work as we balance a budget with a $16 billion shortfall. While our budget situation is currently challenging, it may soon become dire with additional cuts and chaos from the Trump Administration. We must defend Washington in the face of that. “Federal funds make up 28 percent of our state budget. That includes billions of dollars for Medicaid, K-12 education, child welfare and early learning, disaster recovery and response, unemployment insurance and more. Every day, funding is canceled, frozen or denied by the Trump Administration and Elon Musk. Last week, FEMA denied our request for emergency relief funds for November’s bomb cyclone. We don’t know exactly why — they did not offer a reason — but we know we met the criteria set out for this funding. The administration is attempting to cut $160 million in public health funding . “Significant federal cuts loom for Medicaid, early learning , K-12 education , scientific research , health care and emergency response . “Families are also bearing the burden of the Trump Administration’s tariffs, making everything from groceries to car repairs more expensive. Tariffs will hit Washington — one of the most trade dependent states in the nation — especially hard. Nearly $120 billion in exports and imports flowed through Washington state ports last year. Approximately 40 percent of our jobs are tied to trade. Tariffs on our biggest trading partners will be damaging to our economy, and particularly hurt our farmers. “We must ensure Washington is in the best possible financial position to weather more cuts and damaging economic policies from a Trump Administration that weaponizes funding to punish those it disagrees with and forces them into compromising their values. “We need a balanced approach, using a reasonable amount of progressive revenue and adopting solutions to reduce our spending. “At a time of great economic uncertainty and assaults by the Trump Administration on core state services for working families, raising $12 billion in taxes is unsustainable, too risky and fails to adequately prepare Washington state for the crisis that looms ahead. “That said, the Legislature has made progress on key issues in its updated revenue proposals. Legislators are working hard and putting in long hours. They have moved away from their reliance on an untested wealth tax and made progress on addressing our regressive tax system. “We will continue to work together to produce a budget that supports a strong economy, and the people of Washington.” ###

August 2025 Original Medicare Prior Authorization Requirement In the Advocate August 2025: Robby Stern CMS Expands Prior Authorization in Original Medicare Washington One of Six Designated States Robby Stern The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on June 27, “The CMS Launches New Model to Target Wasteful, Inappropriate Services in Original Medicare.” We know from a study by the Medical Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) that Medicare Advantage (MA) overcharges the Medicare Trust Fund annually at least $80 billion per year. One would think wasteful inappropriate services must exceed that number or why would they be prioritizing expanding prior authorization in Original Medicare? (A PNHP study estimates overcharges are much higher, up to $140 billion annually.) MEDPAC estimates that up to $5.8 billion in Medicare spending in 2022 was spent on services with minimal benefit. Five billion eight hundred thousand is a lot of money, but it is approximately 7 percent of $80 billion overpayments to MA. We don’t know why they chose to focus on the much smaller amount possibly lost to "fraud, waste, and abuse.” Maybe they are trying to level the playing field in the wrong direction. Maybe they secretly want more of us in Medicare Advantage so they plan to add more prior authorizations into Original Medicare. We don’t know their motives, but below are excerpts from what they did say. "The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing a new Innovation Center model aimed at helping ensure people with Original Medicare receive safe, effective, and necessary care. Through the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model, CMS will partner with companies specializing in enhanced technologies to test ways to provide an improved and expedited prior authorization process relative to Original Medicare’s existing processes, helping patients and providers avoid unnecessary or inappropriate care and safe- guarding federal taxpayer dollars… “'CMS is committed to crushing fraud, waste, and abuse, and the WISeR Model will help root out waste in Original Medicare,' said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. 'Combining the speed of technology and the experienced clinicians, this new model helps bring Medicare into the 21st century by testing a streamlined prior authorization process, while protecting Medicare beneficiaries from being given unnecessary and often costly procedures…. “'Low-value services, such as those of focus in WISeR, offer patients minimal benefit and, in some cases, can result in physical harm and psychological stress,' said Abe Sutton, Director of the CMS Innovation Center. 'They also increase patient costs, while inflating health care spending.' "The WISeR Model will test a new process on whether enhanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can expedite the prior authorization processes for select items and services that have been identified as particularly vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse, or inappropriate use. These items and services include, but are not limited to, skin and tissue substitutes, electrical nerve stimulator implants, and knee arthroscopy for knee osteo- arthritis. The model excludes inpatient- only services, emergency services, and services that would pose a substantial risk to patients if significantly delayed. "Companies selected to participate in the model will operate in assigned geographic regions and must have clinicians with appropriate expertise to conduct medical reviews and validate coverage determinations. Importantly, while technology will support the review process, final decisions that a request for one of the selected services does not meet Medicare coverage requirements will be made by licensed clinicians, not machines. "Model participants will receive payments based on their ability to reduce unnecessary or non- covered services (inappropriate utilization) and lower spending in Original Medicare. … "The WISeR Model will not change Medicare coverage or payment criteria. Health care coverage for Original Medi- care beneficiaries remains the same, and beneficiaries retain the freedom to seek care from their provider or sup- plier of choice… The WISeR Model does not impact people enrolled in Medicare Advantage." Trying to cut through the bureaucratic writing, what they are saying is CMS is changing Original Medicare coverage(which they deny) by expanding the list of medical treatments recommended by our providers subject to prior authorization beginning in 2026. CMS will contract with private, no doubt for-profit companies that will determine if the recommended treatment is unnecessary or inappropriate and/or constitutes waste, fraud, and abuse. The contractor may utilize AI to make the determination subject to a final decision by a licensed clinician that works for the contractor. These companies are essentially “bounty hunters." They are compensated based on their record of denying care and reducing spending in original Medicare despite the data that shows Original Medicare spends 22% less per patient than Medicare Advantage. Introducing “bounty hunters” into Original Medicare... what could possibly go wrong?! On June 23, HHS Secretary Kennedy and CMS Administrator Oz announced an insurance industry voluntary pledge to fix what they termed the broken prior authorization system in Medicare Advantage and Medicaid. The voluntary agreement with Medicare Advantage and Medicaid insurers addressed time limits for decisions on prior authorization. Standard decisions are to be made within seven days. Urgent medical requests are to be made within 72 hours. The appeals process for denials, if necessary, extends the time before the Medicare/Medicaid beneficiary receives the treatment the provider has recommended. This is a voluntary program for insurers participating in Medicare Advantage. The WISeR Model, which expands prior authorization in Original Medicare, is mandatory in the six designated states. Neither beneficiaries nor providers can opt out. PSARA will launch an effort, with our national allies, to stop WISeR before it starts in 2026. Robby Stern is President of the PSARA Education Fund and serves on the PSARA Executive Board. BACK TO THE ADVOCATE

This page outlines why privatization of Medicare is bad for the Medicare Trust Fund and for all Americans. Stop Privatization of Medicare Watch PSARA Co President Jeff Johnson lay out PSARA’s Plans for getting Medicare out of the Hands of Private Equity by Leveling the Playing Field Resources on preventing privatization of Medicare: PSARA’s Level the playing field resources page Read and Download PSARA’s Primer on Leveling the Playing Field Traditional Medicare was created in 1965 as a public good to provide a national health care system for seniors and the disabled in the United States and has proven to be our most efficient and effective public health care program with administrative costs accounting for only 2-3% of Medicare spending. However over the last 20 years the federal government has created various for-profit privatized health care programs within Medicare including Medicare Part D (prescription drugs), MediGap (Part B) (supplemental plans to cover Medicare’s 20% copays), and Medicare Advantage (Part C) which is permitted to take up to 15% of every Medicare dollar for administration and profits for managing Medicare claims. Additionally, the Trump administration doubled down on privatizing Medicare through the Direct Contracting Pilot, rebranded under the Biden Administration as ACO-REACH, which allows private equity firms and Wall Street companies to take up to 25% or more of every Medicare dollar for administration and profits for managing Medicare claims. Recent reports by the HHS Inspector General, academic researchers, and investigative journalists have uncovered wide-ranging fraudulent practices, confirming that upcoding, delaying medically necessary care, and the denial of claims by insurers and other private businesses managing Medicare claims, together account for defrauding the Medicare Trust Fund and Medicare beneficiaries of many billions of dollars annually. PSARA is working with groups across the nation that recognize privatization of Medicare is unacceptable and are fighting for major changes to fix it. Our campaign to terminate Medicare privatization and to protect and strengthen traditional Medicare is grounded in the following seven goals: 1. Expose and educate PSARA members, policy makers, and the wider public on how Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Shared Savings plans, and other “innovative” reimbursement plans are undermining traditional Medicare, fleecing the Medicare Trust Fund and taxpayers, and delaying and denying critical care to seniors. 2. Level the playing field by allowing Medicare to offer the same level of benefits to beneficiaries as the Medicare Advantage plans. 3. Require private insurers and companies to pay back to the Medicare Trust Fund, with interest, the money they stole and make restitution to the Medicare beneficiaries to whom they delayed or denied care. 4. Remove fraudulent actors from the Medicare system. 5. The DCE/ACO REACH pilot can and should be terminated immediately. Until then, no further corporate participants should be allowed into the pilot. 6. Allow Medicare beneficiaries to move from Medicare Advantage plans to traditional Medicare during the annual open enrollment periods seamlessly. 7. Support Reps. Pocan and Khanna’s bill, the Save Medicare Act, relabeling Medicare Advantage plans “alternative private health plans” and fining private insurers that use Medicare in plan titles or advertisements. PSARA’s goal is to create a movement around protecting and strengthening traditional Medicare, ending Medicare as a profit center for private enterprise, and building a sound foundation for Medicare for All. We hope you will join us in this fight. More Resources Here

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. On December 6th PSARA Board Members Robby Stern and Anne Watanabe (hosted by Dan Grey and Evegreen State College ) discuss the attacks on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Please listen to the interview and share with your friends: Click here to hear the interview 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

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.

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.

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