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The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents September 2025 What Do People in the US think About Climate Change? Peter Harris What do people in the US think about climate change? The large majority of people in the US see global warming and want the government to act. This holds across the country, in all states, even those run by Republicans. This has been shown for years in surveys conducted by the Climate Change Communication program at George Mason University and Yale, easily found online. This holds everywhere. A globe- spanning survey by the 89% Project of international newsrooms showed that the very large majority of people in all nations want their governments to do more to fight global warming. The 74% in the US is a lower percentage than almost every other nation. How much are people aware of these opinions? Why does this matter? People who care about global warming tend to think others don’t care. This is part of what prevents climate action. People are more willing to act when they see that others care. Per the 89% Project: “We’re sitting on an enormous potential climate movement...It’s latent. It hasn’t been activated or catalyzed. But when you break through these perception gaps, you help people under- stand that they’re not alone...Making people aware of this would help a lot and bring hope. [A lot] of people are self-censoring and not fighting or voting [for climate action] because they think that their ideas are not in the zeitgeist.” The same holds for politicians. Elected officials greatly underestimate the number of constituents who care about global warming. “You might think their political antennas are finely tuned to public opinion, but they are not – sometimes wildly underestimating public views. . . If we can make politicians more aware of what the people in their country want, they mightactually act on people’s preferences.” Why does reducing climate change have a low political priority? The lack of awareness of public opinion is one reason. Another is the misinformation skillfully produced by the fossil fuel industry. A third reason may be that the environmental impacts of climate change are often confused with environmental problems we’ve addressed before. These have mainly been things we directly created and try to directly solve, often successfully. The problems can be big or small, but they are addressed case by case. In contrast, the climate change caused by humans is an indirect result of greenhouse gas emissions and is global in its impacts. The impacts are new and growing fast and have the potential to damage life on earth. There can only be a global cure. It is easy to see this as outside the scope of government action and beyond our choices in voting. The solution may be recognizing that a global cure will come from hundreds of local actions, from individuals reducing power consumption, to states and nations replacing fossil fuels with solar and wind power. State actions can be popular. The strong political support in Washington for the Climate Commitment Act is a good example. The CCA was protected by voters in soundly rejecting I-2117. It was protected again by the state legislature in a tough bud- get process. How much are people aware of these opinions? Why does this matter? First, we can share our views with friends, neighbors and colleagues. Ask them what they think about global warming. If they care, tell them you care too, and that most others agree. Second, we can share this information with all of our elected officials. This will back up the good positions many have taken, encourage more of the same, and at least stimulate some thought by those who have not supported climate action. Third, we can move from the general to here and now. When a political issue directly or indirectly affecting the climate is on the table, tell the decision makers how many of their constituents want action on global warming. Use the data. Fourth, we can repeat this in next year’s elections. Tell all state and federal candidates the majority view of their constituents and ask for their positions on any climate actions at hand. Publish their responses or non-responses. In all this, do not be discouraged by the federal government’s insane denial of climate change. Trump and the billionaires he serves care more about putting money into their already stuffed pockets than protecting a livable world for their own grandchildren. But the public is opening its eyes. Opinions are the result of the occasions for expressing them. Every day, each of us can add a little weight. Peter Harris is a member of PSARA's Climate and Environmental Justice Committee. < Back to Table of Contents

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents February 2025 Warning: Trump's Nominees May Be Hazardous to Your Health Mike Andrew Most of Donald Trump’s high-level nominees will be confirmed by a Republican-controlled Senate. That’s not good news. For PSARA members – and anyone else who is concerned about protecting our rights to affordable, science-based health care – two are especially problematic: Dr. Mehmet Oz and Robert Kennedy, Jr. Mehmet Oz: From Respected Doctor to Snake Oil Salesman Oz has been picked to head CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), the agency that manages Medicare and works with state government to oversee Medicaid. Oz was once a respected heart surgeon and a professor at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. He then became a TV celebrity, appearing regularly on the Oprah Winfrey Show from 2004 through 2009. Winfrey then began producing Oz’s own TV show, on which he promoted so-called “alternative medicine” schemes. In 2012, Oz entered into an arrangement with Usana Health Sciences, a multi-level marketing company selling “nutrition” supplements. Oz was paid over $50 million over a five-year period to promote Usana products on his show. During the COVID epidemic, Oz falsely claimed the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment for COVID-19. What Oz did not reveal at the time was that he owns at least $630,000 of stock in two companies that manufacture or distribute hydroxychloroquine, Thermo Fisher and McKesson Corporation. Not only is the drug ineffective against the COVID virus, but it can also actively harm patients who take it to combat COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization. Along with internet entrepreneur Jeff Arnold, Oz is also a an owner of Sharec- are, Inc., an online medical “information” venue that accepts paid advertisers and promotes the use of their products. Among their advertisers: Colgate-Pal- molive; Pfizer; Unilever (Dove skin-care products); health insurer UnitedHealth- care; and Walgreens drug stores. All this naked profiteering and all these potential conflicts of interest should be disqualifying in and of themselves. But wait! There’s more. We haven’t even gotten to Oz’s views on Medicare, the public health service he’ll be overseeing in the Trump administration. You remember the old saying about the fox guarding the henhouse? Oz thinks of health care as just another commodity. If you’re rich enough to pay for good care, fine. If you’re not… Well, Oz has already told us what he foresees for low-income Americans. I In a 2012 speech to the National Governors Association, Oz declared that "(low-income people) don’t have the right to health, but they have a right to access – a chance to get that health." How do they “get that health?” Oz proposed that lawmakers host cheap 15-minute health screenings “in a festival-like setting" to help those who are uninsured. During his 2020 campaign for the US Senate, Oz announced a health care plan, which he called "Medicare Ad- vantage for All.” That’s right, Oz wants to turn all health care in the US over to private insurance companies and all the overpayments, outright fraud, de- lays, and denial of claims that go along with private Medicare Advantage plans. Oz will be a disaster in his role as head of CMS. RFK Jr.: The Worm Ate More Than We Thought Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has been nominated to be the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and therefore Dr. Oz’s boss. True, RFK Jr. has some interesting ideas about eating healthy foods and restricting artificial additives, but his views overall align with the contrarian anti-science ideology of right-wing populism. Kennedy chairs the Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine advocacy group he joined in 2015. The group claims that exposure to vaccines, certain chemicals, and radiation has caused a wide range of conditions in many American children, including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), food allergies, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Children's Health Defense has actively campaigned against vaccines, fluoridation of drinking water, acetaminophen, aluminum, and wireless communication, among other things. The group has been identified as one of two major buyers of anti- vaccine Facebook advertising in late 2018 and early 2019. Kennedy and Children's Health Defense have falsely claimed that vaccines cause autism. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy promoted multiple conspiracy theories related to COVID, including false claims that Anthony Fauci and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation were trying to profit off a vaccine, and suggesting that Bill Gates would cut off access to money of people who do not get vaccinated, allowing them to starve. In August 2020, Kennedy appeared in an hour-long interview with Alec Baldwin on Instagram and touted a number of incorrect and misleading claims about vac- cines and public health measures related to the pandemic. Public health officials and scientists criticized Baldwin for letting Kennedy's claims go unchallenged. In addition, Kennedy has spread the false HIV/AIDS denialist claim that no one has isolated the HIV virion and "No one has been able to point to a study that demonstrates their hypothesis using accepted scientific proofs." He has also asserted that anti-HIV drugs, which have saved millions of HIV-positive patients, are toxic and should be banned. The Kennedy-Oz team managing HHS and CMS would be a one-two punch to the gut for affordable, science-based health care in the US. Mike Andrew is the Editor of the Advocate and Executive Director of PSARA < Back to Table of Contents

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents March 2026 Kaiser Permanente’s Hand in the Cookie Jar Robby Stern In February 17, 1971, President Nixon’s domestic advisor, John Erlichman, briefed President Nixon on a conversation he had with Edgar Kaiser, the founder of Kaiser Permanente (KP). Erlichman was describing KP to the President as an example of the newly emerging Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO). They were considering whether the HMO model was a possible alternative to the call for nationalized healthcare. Erlichman told the President, “All the incentives are toward less medical care, because…the less care they give them the more money they make.” Nixon responded, “Fine." Flash forward 50-plus years. A New York Times (NYT) article written by Reed Abelson and Margot Sanger-Katz, published on January 14, 2026, revealed that KP had reached a very large settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) concerning Medicare fraud claims amounting to an estimated one billion dollars. The settlement was for $556 million to be paid to the federal government and two whistle blowers for overbilling by KP’s Medicare Advantage plan. The lawsuit dated back more than 12 years and asserted that KP affiliates in California and Colorado reported their patients were sicker than they actually were. Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers are paid a certain amount per patient (capitated payment) based on the individual’s health-related risk factors rather than Original Medicare’s fee for service. The NYT article explains what the whistleblowers exposed. “One of the whistleblowers, Dr. James Taylor, a physician and coding expert, who worked for Kaiser in Colorado, described meetings in which he was told to find additional diagnoses that could be worth millions of dollars. ‘The cash monster was insatiable,’ he said." According to the NYT article, “In the Kaiser case, executives routinely pressured doctors to add thousands of diagnoses, sometimes weeks or months after the patients had been treated, according to the Justice Department, which joined the lawsuits in 2021. The extra diagnoses helped the company earn bonus funds from the government. MA insurers are paid higher insurance premiums when plans cover sicker patients.” The NYT article went on to say “The Justice Department lawsuit stated ‘The doctors would sometimes sit together at lunch or after work, with food and drinks provided by Kaiser, to code their visits with additional diagnoses...the insurer linked doctor and facility pay bonuses to adding more diagnoses.' “According to the lawsuit, the government estimated that Kaiser received one billion dollars from 2009 to 2018 from additional diagnoses, including roughly 100,000 findings of aortic atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. But because its doctors would be forced to follow up on too many people, the organization stopped automatically enrolling those patients in a heart attack prevention program.” KP indicated. when they reached this settlement, that they decided to settle the lawsuit “to avoid prolonged litigation.” The settlement allowed KP to state that they never did anything wrong. Had the settlement required KP to admit wrongdoing, they could have been excluded from the MA program. KP is not alone in this practice. MedPAC, an independent congressional agency, created in 1997, analyzes and provides policy advice to Congress regarding the Medicare program. They issued reports in March, 2025, and January, 2026, indicating that MA insurers were overcharging the Medicare Trust Fund by $85 billion in 2025 and are projected to overcharge by $76 billion in 2026. Instead of profits (because KP is a “nonprofit”), Kaiser has extensive “reserves," supposedly to cover times when costs exceed revenues. As of the beginning of 2026, KP’s estimated financial reserves were estimated at $67 billion held in cash and investments. Here is an example of KP’s investments. Innovaccer, Inc. is the company that has been selected by CMS/CMMI to implement the WISeR program in Ohio. WISeR is the newest privatization attack on Original Medicare. Created and overseen by CMS/CMMI, WISeR expands the use of prior authorization in Original Medicare, using artificial intelligence as a tool for determining if certain procedures recommended by a Medicare beneficiary’s physician will be covered by Medicare. Innovaccer receives a higher reimbursement rate for denying coverage for these procedures. A leading investor in the funding of Innovaccer Corporation is Kaiser Permanente. Evidently, they hope to receive significant returns from the reserve funds invested in Innovaccer. In 2024, KP’s top nine executives were paid, according to their Form 990 filed with the IRS, approximately $56 million in salaries, with CEO Greg Adams’ salary close to $13 million (one million+ per month)! The salary numbers do not include additional perks that add significantly to the total compensation package. While Kaiser’s executives may earn less than executives of for-profit Medicare Advantage corporations, KP executives and the KP system are a part of overcharging our worker-funded Medicare Trust Fund by Medicare Advantage. We, the people who paid into the Medicare Trust Fund, are learning that our hard-earned wages are being fleeced by both for-profit and not-for-profit insurance corporations. After knowledge comes action. CMS has issued a 2027 Advanced Rate Notice related to reimbursement rates for MA insurers. There is an opportunity for public comment with a deadline of February 25th. The CMS proposal of an increase of 0.9 of 1% is meeting stiff resistance from the insurers who received an outrageous 5% increase in 2026. Our voices will need to weigh in. Please look for a PSARA email with instructions on how to register a comment and suggested language for a message. Robby Stern is President of the PSARA Education Fund and a member of PSARA's Executive Board. < Back to Table of Contents

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents February 2025 PSARA 2025 Legislative Agenda PSARA Board PSARA is a multi-generational grass roots organization advocating for all people, and seniors in particular, to be able to live their lives with economic security, dignity, and respect. Health Care 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 Protect against healthcare program cuts and advance immigrant health equity Support efforts to advance universal healthcare SJM 8004 Ensure quality affordable health care for nursing home workers (WA Essential Worker Healthcare Program) Strengthen and protect WA Cares 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 Invest $500 million in the Housing Trust Fund RA 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 Extend unemployment benefits to striking workers and undocumented workers Build economic security for low-income families by creating the Washington Future Fund Program (Baby bonds) 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) Add a Green Amendment to the Washington State Constitution Improve solid waste management outcomes by reducing use of plastic wrap and containers 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 < Back to Table of Contents

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents October 2025 Some Developments in the Effort to Stop WISeR Robby Stern In the last month the effort to educate elected leaders and as many people as possible about the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction Model (WISeR) has intensified. Washington is one of 6 states in the WISeR program. The pilot program expands prior authorization in original Medicare and reimburses AI contractors based on how much money they save the Medicare Trust Fund, i.e. denials of care. Here are a couple of examples of how the educational work is having an impact. On September 3rd, PSARA was invited to provide a presentation at Aljoya senior living facility in the Northgate area in Seattle. Over 50 residents attended. The presentation was about the general attack on Medicare through privatization and an explanation of WISeR. The first question we asked was how many people in attendance had heard of WISEeR. Only two residents raised their hands, and they were PSARA members. After the presentation, the residents decided to send a letter signed by as many residents that they could recruit. Ninety-two residents signed the letter. The letter will go to our two US Senators, their Representative, the Office of the Insurance Com- missioner, the Governor, and their state representatives and state senator. It requests their support in the effort to cancel WISeR. This presentation is one of a number PSARA has done, and more are on the calendar. We met with the Deputy Commissioner and other officials with the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner. We had sent them, in advance, information about WISeR. After a discussion they indicated they would brief Insurance Commissioner Kuderer. Since that meeting, Insurance Commissioner Kuderer stated her opposition to WISeR at a public presentation one of our members attended. She and her staff will be reaching out to Insurance Commissioners from other states to build opposition to WISeR and the expansion of prior authorization. On September 11, Rep. Pocan(WI) and Rep. Schakowsky(IL) introduced a Resolution in the House of Representatives condemning the expanded use of prior authorization in Medicare. The Resolution states in part that WISeR undermines beneficiary access to health care and should not be implemented. There is a national effort to get as many House members as possible to sign as co-sponsors of the Resolution. PSARA is asking our members and people attending our presentations to please call your Representative and request they sign the Pocan/Schakowsky resolution. Also, please call our Senators and ask them to publicly speak out against WISeR. Feel free to call more than once. The WISeR model is just another example of private corporations reaping profits from Medicare. PSARA opposes the privatization of Medicare. We sup- port leveling the playing field between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage. It will give Medicare beneficiaries a genuine choice between Medicare Advantage and public Medicare. The creation of Medicare was a democratic victory for the people. Resistance to WISeR and the corporate takeover of Medicare is part and parcel of our fight against autocracy and for democracy. Please engage with us as we work to save and improve our Medicare. The Pocan-Schakowsky Resolution Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction Model undermines beneficiary access to healthcare and should not be implemented… Resolved, That the House of Representatives— (1) expresses disapproval of the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model (2) finds that expanding prior authorization processes used in Medicare Advantage into the publicly administered traditional Medicare Program undermines beneficiary access to timely and necessary medical care; and (3) strongly requests that the Centers for Medicare and Med- icaid Services terminate the WISeR Model. Robby Stern is President of the PSARA Education Fund and a member of PSARA's Executive Board. < Back to Table of Contents

Local and National Resources for Seniors Resources Labor Organizations Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO Statewide coalition of labor unions for political action and education on workers’ issues Seattle: (206) 281-8901, Olympia: (360) 943-0608 http://www.wslc.org/ County Labor Councils County coalitions of labor unions for collective political and job action: Martin Luther King County Labor Council (206) 441-8510 http://www.mlklabor.org/ Snohomish County Labor Council (425) 259-7922 http://www.snolabor.org/ Pierce County Labor Council (253) 473-3810 http://www.wa.aflcio.org/pcclc/ AFL-CIO America’s Union Movement, national coalition of labor unions http://www.aflcio.org/ Labor Constituency Groups Worker advocates within the labor movement: Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) http://www.apala.org/ A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) http://apri.org/ Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) http://www.cbtu.org/ Labor Alliance for Latin American Advancement (LACLA) https://www.lclaa.org/ Legacy of Equality, Leadership and Organizing (LELO) http://www.lelo.org/ , 206-860-1400 PRIDE at Work http://www.prideatwork.org/ Labor Archives of Washington State Funded by the Washington State Labor Council, the ILWU Longshore Division, the Harry Bridges Labor Center at the University of Washington, and many more labor unions and and individuals. http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/laws/ Senior Services and Information Advisory Council on Aging and Disability Services King County (206) 448-3110 or 1-(888) 435-3377 http://www.agingkingcounty.org/advisory-council/ Pierce County (253) 798-4600 or 1-(800) 562-0332 Snohomish County (425) 513-1900 or 1-(800) 422-2024 https://snohomishcountywa.gov/961/Council-on-Aging Washington Association of Area Agencies on Aging http://www.agingwashington.org/ National Alliance for the Mentally Ill 1-(800) 950-6264 http://www.nami.org/ National Council on Aging (NCOA) Nonprofit service and advocacy organization and a voice for older Americans – especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged 1-(800) 950-6264 http://www.ncoa.org/ Alzheimers Association Patricia.Hunter@alz.org http://www.alz.org/alzwa/ Crisis Clinic (206) 461-3222 http://www.crisisclinic.org/ Home Doctor Visits Tacoma-based doctors provide home visits in Tacoma and Seattle for homebound patients. Take Medicare allotments. (253) 589-6484 National Advocates Social Security Works National Organization that PSARA works with in the areas of Social Security and Mediare https://socialsecurityworks.org/about/ Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) PSARA works with PNHP on a range of Healthcare issues including Medicare, Medicaid and working for a single payer solution for all. PNHP has a local Chapter. National: https://pnhp.org/ Seattle: www.pnhpwashington.org Community Advocates Washington Community Action Network https://www.washingtoncan.org/ Transit Riders Union https://transitriders.org/ Washington Senior Lobby http://www.waseniorlobby.org/ Tenants Union Support for renters in housing justice (206) 723-0500 http://www.tenantsunion.org/ Government Washington State Toll-free Legislative Hotline Messages to Governor and Legislators 1-(800) 562-6000 Governor Jay Inslee (360) 902-4111 http://www.governor.wa.gov/ Washington State Insurance Commissioner (SHIBA), State Health Insurance Benefits Advisor and Consumer Advocacy 1-(800) 562-6900 cad@oic.wa.gov Washington State Attorney General, Consumer Protection 1-(800) 551-4636 http://www.atg.wa.gov/ City of Seattle Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens (206) 684-0500 Senior Information and Assistance (206) 448-3110 or 1-(888) 324-2277 Federal Senator Maria Cantwell 511 Dirksen Senate Office Building: (202) 224-3441 Local phone: (206) 220-6400 Maria_cantwell@cantwell.senate.gov http://www.cantwell.senate.gov/ Senator Patty Murray 173 Russell Senate Office Building: (202) 224-2721 Local phone (206) 553-5545 http://murray.senate.gov United States Representatives Susan DelBene - District 1 (202) 225-6311 www.house.gov/delbene Pramila Jayapal - District 7 (202) 225-3106 https://jayapal.house.gov/ Kim Schrier - District 8 Phone: (509) 850-5340 http://schrier.house.gov/ Adam Smith - District 9 (253) -896-3775 www.house.gov/adamsmith Marilyn Strickland - District 10 Phone: (360) 459-8514 For other Representatives, search by zip code at http://www.congress.org/news/ Regional Offices King County Information http://metro.kingcounty.gov/ Puget Sound Regional Council http://www.psrc.org/ Sound Transit Information http://www.soundtransit.org/ Port of Seattle Information http://www.portseattle.org/ Medicare 1-(800) 522-31177 Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services http://www.cms.gov/ Social Security Online http://www.ssa.gov/ Senior Centers Central Area Senior Center (206) 726-4926 North Shore Senior Center (206) 487-24411 Ballard NW Senior Center (206) 297-0403 Senior Center of West Seattle (206) 932-4044 Shoreline Senior Center (206) 365-1536 Southeast Senior Center (206) 722-2768 Other Useful Resources Seattle Housing Authority (206) 615-3300 http://www.seattlehousing.org/ Seattle Senior Housing Program (SSHP) Judith Anderson; Senior Property Manager (206) 615-3347 janderson@seattlehousing.org Noel House Programs (206) 441-3210 http://www.ccsww.org/ New Beginnings (206) 783-4520 or (206) 522-9472 (Crisis Line) http://www.newbegin.org/ WomenHeart http://www.womenheart.org/ Black Women’s Health Imperative http://www.bwhi.org “They Represent You” A nonpartisan resource published by The League of Women Voters http://www.lwv.org/

In the Advocate May 2025: Michael Righi Chaos Monkey Goes After the Federal Reserve Michael Righi Trump wants lower interest rates. Probably so he and his family can borrow cheap money to pump up the value of their crypto coins, then dump them and leave ordinary investors with the losses. Maybe he needs money to build a golf course in Dubai. Or wait, maybe that’s going to be a “gift.” So call me cynical. He is also worried that his tariff chaos is going to slow production and the economy. Lower interest rates might encourage more spending and support the economy he is effectively tanking. Trump the autocrat wants the same power over interest rates that he has over tariffs. So he is threatening the Federal Reserve and its chair, Jerome Powell. Firing Powell would be illegal; his term is not up, but this is Trump, right? And the Federal Reserve system was created to function independently of the president and Congress, on purpose, supposedly to insulate the Fed from political pressure. The Fed was initially created in 1913 to stop the financial crises private banks kept causing. Bankers would make riskier and riskier loans to pump up profit, some loans would go bad, banks would collapse and production and jobs would disappear. The Fed, once created, then lent money to bail the banks (and depositors) out, and prevent depressions. How to Make Money That is a crucial understanding – the Federal Reserve Bank creates money, out of thin air. You write a check, you draw down your account. The Fed writes a check by changing some numbers on a computer – only based on their authority as the country’s central bank. The Fed works through the private banking system. The Fed buys financial assets, Treasury bonds, or lately even mortgage-backed securities. That money winds up in the banking system, enabling banks to make loans. That’s more money in the economy. So the Fed enables banks to create our money supply. The Humphrey-Hawkins law passed by Congress mandates that the Fed keep both inflation and unemployment low. The Fed does this by controlling short-term interest rates. Those are often conflicting goals. Low interest rates (“easy money”) encourage borrowing and spending and so more jobs. But that also allows businesses to raise prices. High interest rates (“tight money”) have the opposite effect, slowing the economy. This all sounds technical and value- neutral. That’s what the Fed and Wall Street and financial elites want us to think, that Fed policy is apolitical and technocratic. Tell that to homeowners who lost their homes in the 2008 financial crisis while the Fed bailed out big insurance and bank corporations. Or to cardholders and small businesses now as the Powell Fed allows Capital One and Dis- cover to merge and raise their charges. The Fed Is Not Independent The Fed is run by bankers and Wall Street financiers, and influenced by what the corporate elite wants. High interest rates protect the assets of the financial elite from inflation, reducing their value. High rates also keep the economy from creating jobs, because then workers’ wages and willingness to organize might interfere with corporate profit. But financial crisis might call for extended periods of low interest rates, to keep Wall Street afloat, as after 2008. As wages have stagnated or fallen for decades, low rates also encouraged families to run up debt to maintain living standards. Whatever the capitalists in power need, the Fed tries to provide. Its power is relatively easy to access for the wealthy, easier than going through the somewhat more democratic legislative process. With Trump going after him, it is tempting to defend Powell and the Fed. That just puts us back into the space of bad choices. Neither represents what the working class needs. The Fed itself is soon likely to face both inflation and unemployment, a result of Trumpian chaos and uncertainty. If leaving it to the Fed is not the answer, then what is? That also should be up for discussion. There are ideas out there. Regional and local public banks could loan money for public infrastructure, such as transit and clean energy. Postal banking would enable those shut out of banks to borrow and make transactions. Put representatives of labor and communities on the decision-making bodies of the Fed. Use the Fed’s power to support states and cities and localities, to prevent the austerity budgets we are being battered with. It is important for us all to debate, popularly, monetary policy, and not leave it to so-called experts. Money and interest rates are political; they are determined by government policies. We don’t need to be defending Powell from Trump’s attacks. That’s a choice between autocracy and the status quo. Michael Righi is a retired economics professor and a member of the Retiree Advocate Editorial Board. BACK TO THE ADVOCATE

Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA) Legislative Priorities List and Status for the Washington State Legislature 25/26 Biennium. Final Status of 2025 PSARA Washington State Legislative Agenda (updated 04/29/2025 ) 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. With the close of the session we have updated the bill status. For those bills that have passed we have included a link for more information on the bill. We will make one more update later in May to confirm the Governor’s acceptance or rejection of each of the bills passed through the WA State Legislature. All of this work has been carried out by PSARA’s Government Relations Committee, click here for more information on the Committee. 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. Did not pass the House. Will be reintroduced next year. Protect against healthcare program cuts and advance immigrant health equity Status: Budget Support efforts to advance universal healthcare SJM 8004 Status: Passed the House and the Senate and filed with Secretary of State. 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 & House awaiting Governor ’ s signature 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: 1217 Passed Senate & House awaiting Governor ’ s signature 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 Senate & House awaiting Governor ’ s signature The final rent stabilization bill passed the legislature on Sunday, April 27. The conference budget, unfortunately, did not cap residential rent increases at 7%. That is a disappointment, but housing advocates still count the final bill as a win and are urging Governor Ferguson to sign the bill. Caps rent increases for manufactured homeowners at 5% per year; Caps residential rent increases at 7% plus the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 10% per year, whichever is lower; Covers apartments and single-family homes; with some exceptions (including subsidized housing owned by nonprofits or public housing authorities; homes developed with low-income Housing Tax Credits regulated by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, and duplexes through fourplexes when the owner lives on site); Exempts newly-built homes for the first 12 years; Ends the caps for residential tenants after 15 years. The manufactured housing cap does not expire. The agreed upon capital budget includes $605 million for the Housing Trust Fund. 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: 1213 Passed Senate & House awaiting Governor ’ s signature Extend unemployment benefits to striking workers SB 5041 Status: Passed Senate & House awaiting Governor ’ s signature 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 Status: No Action Improve solid waste management outcomes by reducing use of plastic wrap and containers HB 1150/SB 5284 Status: 5284 Passed Senate & House awaiting Governor ’ s signature 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 Current Status: The final legislative operating budget includes nearly $6 billion in cuts and close to $9 billion in new revenue over the four-year outlook — significantly less revenue than legislative Democrats had initially sought. Governor Ferguson previously rejected each version of the revenue plan, citing concerns that the proposals were “too risky.” Governor Ferguson has partial and line item veto power. The final signed budget must be balanced. The Governor can’t add items or move money around. If his vetos are significant, a special session could be needed to produce a balanced final budget.

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents January 2025 20 Lessons from the 20th Century on How to Survive in Trump’s America Timothy Snyder Editor's Note: We distributed this article at PSARA's Winter Membership Meeting in 2016 to help our members prepare for the first Donald Trump administration. The suggestions are still good. Thanks to Bobby Righi for rediscovering it. Americans are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience. Now is a good time to do so. Here are 20 lessons from across the fearful 20th century, adapted to the circumstances of today. Do not obey in advance . Much of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then start to do it without being asked. You've already done this, haven't you? Stop. Anticipatory obedience teaches authorities what is possible and accelerates unfreedom. Defend an institution . Follow the courts or the media, or a court or a newspaper. Do not speak of “our institutions” unless you are making them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions don't protect themselves. They go down like dominoes unless each is defended from the beginning. Recall professional ethics . When the leaders of state set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become much more important. It is hard to break a rule-of-law state without lawyers, and it is hard to have show trials without judges. When listening to politicians, distinguish certain words. Look out for the expansive use of “terrorism” and “extremism.” Be alive to the fatal notions of “exception” and “emergency.” Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic vocabulary. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives . When the terrorist attack comes, remember that all authoritarians at all times either await or plan such events in order to consolidate power. Think of the Reichstag fire. The sudden disaster that requires the end of the balance of power, the end of opposition par- ties, and so on, is the oldest trick in the Hitlerian book. Don't fall for it. Be kind to our language . Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. (Don't use the Internet before bed. Charge your gadgets away from your bedroom, and read.) What to read? Perhaps The Power of the Powerless by Václav Havel, 1984 by George Orwell, The Captive Mind by Czesław Milosz, The Rebel by Albert Camus, The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt, or Nothing is True and Everything is Possible by Peter Pomerantsev. Stand out. Someone has to . It is easy, in words and deeds, to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. And the moment you set an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow. Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights. Investigate. Figure things out for yourself. Spend more time with long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by subscribing to print media. Realize that some of what is on your screen is there to harm you. Bookmark PropOrNot and other sites that investigate foreign propaganda pushes. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them. Make eye contact and small talk. This is not just polite. It is a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down unnecessary social barriers, and come to understand whom you should and should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know the psychological landscape of your daily life. Take responsibility for the face of the world. Notice the swastikas and the other signs of hate. Do not look away and do not get used to them. Remove them yourself and set an example for others to do so. Hinder the one-party state. The parties that took over states were once something else. They exploited a historical moment to make political life impossible for their rivals. Vote in local and state elections while you can Give regularly to good causes, if you can. Pick a charity and set up autopay. Then you will know that you have made a free choice that is supporting civil society helping others doing something good. Establish a private life. Nastier rulers will use what they know about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of malware. Remember that email is skywriting. Consider using alternative forms of the Internet, or simply using it less. Have personal exchanges in person. For the same reason, resolve any legal trouble. Authoritarianism works as a blackmail state, looking for the hook on which to hang you. Try not to have too many hooks. Learn from others in other countries. Keep up your friendships abroad, or make new friends abroad. The present difficulties here are an element of a general trend. And no country is going to find a solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports. Watch out for the paramilitaries . When the men with guns who have al- ways claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching around with torches and pictures of a Leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-Leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the game is over. Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, God bless you and keep you. But know that evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding them- selves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say no. (If you do not know what this means, contact the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and ask about training in professional ethics.) Be as courageous as you can. If none of us is prepared to die for free- dom, then all of us will die in unfree- dom. Be a patriot. The incoming president is not. Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They will need it. A history professor looks to the past to remind us to do what we can in the face of the unthinkable. (This article first appeared as a post on the author’s Facebook page) < 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

The Retire Advocate < Back to Table of Contents May 2025 It’s A Stew: Part 2 the Almost Final 2025 Legislative Report Pam Crone Long sessions are just that… long. As of this writing, 10 days remain in the 2025 legislative session. Cut-offs have come and gone, and we are now in the final stretch. So, what’s not left to do, rather than what is? The Elephant in the Room In short, Washington faces a daunting revenue deficit of $15–$16 billion over the next four years. Legislators have one constitutional duty during odd numbered years: to pass a budget for the state’s operations over the two-year cycle. Everything else is “fluff,” so to speak. That’s not to say policy doesn’t matter – it does. But without the revenue to run government operations, there will be no new programs. And in this cycle, we could see significant cuts to essential services. Revenue bills were not subject to the April 16 cut-off because they are considered NTIB – “necessary to implement the budget.” Over the next 10 days, both chambers will hear and vote on a package of bills aimed at easing the budget shortfall. The final mix of cuts and new revenue that both the House and Senate can agree on – and that Governor Ferguson will sign – is still uncertain. Governor Ferguson first ruled out a wealth tax, and with business lobbying hard against a payroll tax, House and Senate budget leaders went back to the drawing board and cobbled together a new set of taxes. As of this writing, the governor finds that plan “too risky.” He didn’t rule out all progressive revenue options, but finding enough revenue to offset the deepest cuts remains a daunting task. As of April 18, a resolution has yet to emerge, so ending on time April 27 is not a slam-dunk. The 2025 Washington State legislative session has unfolded in a bleak national context. The federal landscape is in disarray, and we are only four months into this administration. I won’t rehash the endless stream of “terribles.” We are all acutely aware of the federal government’s ongoing assaults on people, the environment, and the rule of law. Our state leaders don’t have a crystal ball. Whatever budget they finalize in these closing days won’t fully capture the effects of the broader federal economic and social turmoil – on-again, off-again tariffs; mass layoffs; and more. And then there are the looming Medicaid cuts. In Washington State, 1.8 million residents rely on Medicaid for health care– ourselves, our families, our neighbors. In fiscal year 2023, the state received $12.5 billion in federal Medicaid funding. If that funding disappears, the state cannot close the gap. The suffering will be immense. This is not a rosy picture. We are organizing now to advocate with our federal congressional delegation to stop these cuts. If they go through, the state legislature may have to reconvene in a special session to address the budget crisis. Some Wins Despite the tough climate, we’ve made good progress on our legislative priorities. Our April midway report outlined the bills still alive – and a few that didn’t make it. A high priority was SJM 8002, Protecting Medicare by Leveling the Playing Field. It did not make It out of the second house by cut-off April 16, but will be reintroduced, hopefully, in 2026. It goes back to the Senate where it must be passed again. The following PSARA priority bills passed both houses and are big wins: SJM 8004 – Supporting efforts to advance Universal Healthcare SB 5291 – Strengthening and protecting WA Cares HB 1491 – Creating affordable housing near transit HB 1213 – Extending job protection in the Family & Medical Leave program SB 5041 – Extending unemployment benefits to striking workers SB 5284 – Reducing plastic waste through better solid waste management SJM 8004 bypasses the Governor’s Office and is transmitted directly to Congress, the President, and the Secre- taries of Labor and Health and Human Services. The other bills are headed to Governor Ferguson. He can sign them, veto them, or let them pass into law without a signature. Depending on when the bills land on his desk, he has either 5 or 20 days to act. Note: He has section veto power on these bills, un- like the line-item veto he holds for the budget. HB 1217, the rent stabilization bill, is still in limbo as of this writing. Originally a House bill, it was significantly weakened in the Senate. The House is expected to reject those amendments, sending the bill to a conference committee. The conference committee, made up of Senators and Representatives, will hash out a compromise for an up or down vote by the two chambers. We are hoping for a strong bill that keeps renters housed by stabilizing rent increases. 2026 Revival Bills that didn’t make it this year can be reintroduced during the 2026 short session (60 days). They’ll retain the same bill numbers and hopefully see better results. As always, stay tuned. Pam Crone is a retired lobbyist and Chair of PSARA's Government Relations Committee (GRC). < Back to Table of Contents