Age Spots by Ruth Dockins

On June 14th, Silver Haired Legislature (SHL) board members met in Jefferson City to establish their area of  concern and support for the 1,000,000 senior citizens of Missouri.  Board Members from Region two are Connie Larrew of Poplar Bluff and Doug Austin of Cape Girardeau.

From a list of 54 items, the Bills Committee selected 24 specific proposals to present to the 150 Silver Haired Legislators at their October meeting.  The final list of five priorities and two alternates will then be presented to our Missouri State Representatives, Senators and Lt. Governor and published to all Senior Centers across the state.

Missouri’s Silver Haired Legislature was founded in 1973, the first such organization in the nation.  SHL is composed of fifteen volunteers from each of the ten statewide Area Agencies on Aging.  These 150 senior advocates, elected by their peers, identify and advocate for issues critical to older Missourians. 

SHL member Doug Austin of Cape Girardeau says : "The age of our senior citizens does not automatically eliminate our ability to remain an active contributing member of society. We may drive a little slower but we get where we're going and in the Great State of Missouri, 77% of our seniors go to the polls!”

Anyone interested in learning further details about the priorities of the Silver Haired Legislature, or serving as a SHL delegate, is encouraged to contact 

Doug Austin -  ldaustin1@charter.net or Connie Larrew - cjlarrew@yahoo.com

 

Dear 151st District Constituents,

The summer heat is finally in full drive and August is just around the corner!  School is getting ready to start in a few weeks and last minute vacation plans are being made!  Everyone is very busy this time of year.  Even with all the hustle and bustle that is going on with summer winding down, please remember to take a moment and check on your elderly family, friends and neighbors.  The heat can be very hard on the elderly and many times adverse effects of the heat can come upon a person before they realize what is happening.
 
I have been surprised as a freshman legislator at how busy I am even during this interim period.  We, in Missouri, are set up in a matter that is considered a “part-time legislature”.  I am very much enjoying this time of being home in the district and the opportunities that are being afforded to me from our being set up in this manner.  I am getting to meet with various state department leaders to learn more about how each state department is structured and the duties that fall under each.  I had developed quite a list of questions regarding this during the legislative session and having this time to use learning the answers to these questions will be very helpful this next legislative session.  During session we are called upon to make decisions on funding, rules and regulations concerning each of the departments, having a limited knowledge of these made it very difficult to make these decisions with a great amount of confidence.
 
My office has been receiving quite a lot of calls regarding healthcare related issues.  We are working through these issues as well as looking at possible legislative action for the upcoming session.  We are hoping to resolve these issues with the help of the various departments and will be prepared to offer legislation that will allow these departments to conduct their work with great efficiency while being aware of the duties to the taxpayers in spending state money wisely.

I have noticed in the local papers recently, that quite a few people have celebrated retirements after a long and dedicated career in our local communities and businesses.  If you or someone you know, has or will be retiring, please contact my office, (573) 751-1494, we will be happy to get a resolution or certificate ready for this event to honor all that the retiree has accomplished throughout their career.     

Work is still ongoing regarding the Unclaimed Property List.  If you think you may have unclaimed property, please go to www.ShowMeMoney.com.  This website has all the items you will need to begin the process to claim your property.

If you would like to talk with me or set up a meeting, please call the Jefferson City office, 573-751-1494.

8th Congressional District - Missouri - Last week, Secretary of State John Kerry and the Obama Administration, along with China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and Germany, negotiated a deal to lift economic sanctions on Iran, a deal that makes a dangerous area more volatile. When it comes to the interests of America, a bad deal with Iran is worse than no deal, and this is a very bad deal.

The weak deal the Obama Administration negotiated is based on the hope that in 10 or 15 years the world is dealing with a kinder, gentler Iran; that is not reality. The government of Iran is still a leading sponsor of terrorism and violator of human rights, and until these situations change, we must keep economic sanctions in place. Instead of forcing Iran to abandon nuclear ambitions and their sponsorship of terrorism, we are giving Iran access to $150 billion in relief, money they are going to use to fund the next generation of terrorists.

The short timeframe for stipulations will allow Iran to quickly cultivate the technology required for a nuclear weapon. Many of the deal’s provisions expire in ten years or earlier. Iran is allowed access to arms in five years if they adhere to the arms embargo, and in just eight years, the missile ban will be removed. All the while, Iran is allowed to enrich massive amounts of uranium. Even more, the deal allows two Iranian atomic scientists previously under sanctions – including one who admitted to lying about Iran’s nuclear program – to get back to work.

With the stakes so high, America needs “anytime, anywhere” short-notice inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites. This deal only includes “managed” inspections which might as well be called “manipulated” inspections. It could take 24 days to get access to nuclear sites, and by then Iran will have had all the time they need to cover up their deceitful actions. America requires surprise inspections on farms and in manufacturing plants and restaurants; we should definitely require it of our enemy’s nuclear sites.

Furthermore, all Americans should be outraged that this deal does not free the four Americans being held in Iran. Refusing the freedom of Americans being held unjustly should be a deal-breaker for the Obama Administration on lifting sanctions on Iran and letting them return to business as usual.

We cannot give Iran the benefit of the doubt on nuclear weapons; the safety of American citizens and our allies, such as Israel, is too important. Iran has a history of breaking its international obligations, and this deal is not strong enough. The president has the authority to decide our vote in the United Nations, but Congress does not have to agree. I will not be supporting this disastrous deal.

8th Congressional District - In 1970, Ronald Reagan said, “Welfare’s purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.” Now, more than four decades later, we have over 80 federal programs designed to help lower-income Americans, at a cost of $800 billion. These programs do not always incentivize people to become independent through work. Instead, in many cases, they encourage people to stay on assistance. That’s why I introduced the Reducing Poverty through Employment Act to make fighting poverty through work a priority of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. A federal program does not make people’s lives better, a job does.

The poverty trap happens when people on government assistance don’t have an incentive to work or earn more money. For single parents earning minimum wage and utilizing a few government programs to make ends meet, a raise at their job could bump them off assistance. Because of the way the government taxes that additional income, they wouldn’t take home enough to overcome what they lost in government benefits. In certain cases, the person paying the highest marginal tax rate in the U.S. is not the extremely wealthy like Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, it is the single parent making $30,000 with two kids who loses around 80 cents on the dollar in benefits by taking a job and working more. Even after a raise, they could be worse off than before.

Fighting poverty is especially important for our district and across the country. The gap between rich and poor is growing and hardworking families are doing all they can just to pay the bills and put food on the table. My legislation will help reform the welfare system to reduce poverty and promote work. When it is signed into law, it will help propel folks from government dependency to financial independence.

We need to be promoting work not discouraging it. Government programs should be judged a success by how many people are transitioned off of assistance, not by the number of new sign-ups. My bill is one step toward making sure we focus on addressing the root causes of poverty by promoting work, not trapping people in the system.

Dear 151st District Constituents,

From my family to yours, I wish you a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday. I know for many this is a time for friends, food, fun and fireworks, but I urge you to also keep in mind the significance of our Independence Day that commemorates the moment in time when our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. It has now been more than two centuries that the American people have enjoyed the freedoms and rights that have made this the greatest nation on the planet , and I think it’s important that we take a moment to remember and appreciate all that we have been given.
 
At the same time, I ask us to remember the words of President Dwight Eisenhower, who once said, “Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed.” His words serve as a reminder that we must continue to fight for and earn the freedoms made possible by the struggles and sacrifices of Americans throughout history. On this Independence Day I hope you will refresh your own commitment to preserving the freedoms we hold dear. We are truly blessed to live here in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
 
Let us all appreciate the significance of these freedoms and work together to ensure they are still in place for our children, grandchildren, and all the generations of Americans who will follow us. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

I have noticed in the local papers recently, that quite a few people have recently celebrated retirements after a long and dedicated career in our local communities and businesses.  If you or someone you know, has or will be retiring, please contact my office, we will be happy to get a resolution or certificate ready for this event to honor all that the retiree has accomplished throughout their career.  If you would like for me to present this to the retiree at the celebration, we will do our best to arrange my schedule so that I will be available to do this.    

We are still working on the Unclaimed Property List.  If you think you may have some unclaimed property, please go to www.ShowMeMoney.com.  This website as all the information there.  Just in our district, the total of Unclaimed Property is $1,059,893.27.  That is a lot of property! It is taking us awhile to get through this list but we will work on it until we have contacted as many people as we can.  Please feel free to check out the website to make sure you are not on this list!!

If you would like to talk with me or set up a meeting, please call the Jefferson City office, 573-751-1494, and leave a voice message, I will be checking these throughout the week.

Until next week,
Tila

The new law will go into effect January 1 of next year.
 
Increasing Compensation for Crime Victims (SB 141)
 
For the first time since 1981, the state will increase the cap on the amount of compensation for victims of violent crimes. Right now, victims and their families can receive up to $200 each week to help with medical and counseling expenses, and to offset the lost wages that resulted because of the crime. The bill that will now take effect as law on August 28 will raise the cap to $400 per week. In the last fiscal year, $3.8 million was disbursed through the program to provide financial assistance to more than 700 victims and their families.
 
Advocating for the Military (HB 1070)
 
With an impact of as much as $40 million in economic activity and nearly 470,000 jobs, the military has an enormous and important presence in Missouri. This session the legislature worked to ensure the vital part of Missouri’s economic engine continues to have a strong voice in the state. Recently the governor signed legislation to establish the Office of Military Advocate.
 
Located within the Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission, the sole purpose of the office will be to remain a positive voice by advocating for the military in Missouri. Appointed by the governor, the office will be administered by a military advocate and will serve a term of six years.  The Department of Economic Development will provide the administrative support and staff needed for the office.
 
Education Reform Legislation Vetoed (HB 42)

While the governor has recently signed many pieces of legislation into law, he also vetoed a bill that was hailed by supporters as a way to help young people in struggling school districts. Proponents said the bill’s system of accreditation for individual schools rather than entire districts would have alleviated some of the transfer issues and allowed kids to stay closer to home. The bill also would have given students new educational opportunities by allowing for more charter schools and providing a virtual school option.
 
In objecting to the bill, the governor sided with opponents who took issue with the expansion of charter and virtual schools, which he referred to as a voucher system. Opponents also criticized the bill for failing to provide real solutions for the failing districts that have strained financially to pay the tuition of transferring students. Those opposed to the bill also said the virtual school option failed to provide the necessary oversight and accountability for student performance.
 
Following the veto, the bill’s sponsor said he was disappointed to see the governor reject the education reform plan, but also said he does not plan to bring it up for a veto override. The issue of fixing the transfer law was partially addressed recently when 22 school districts pledged their support to help the unaccredited districts in Normandy and Riverview Gardens. The districts will provide assistance in the form of lowered tuition cost for transfer students and teacher training.

When this bill came to the floor, I had voted in favor of this bill. I had supported the bill due to the belief that once implemented, approximately $67 million dollars more would be available to the Foundation Formula.

My goal, on education bills such as this one, is to support the Foundation Formula being fully funded and to support more local control of our schools.  I am looking forward to supporting better legislation in the future that will provide a positive impact on our schools.