OH-16: Put More "Boots On The Ground" For John Boccieri

Team,


Thank you for voting in Round One of 21st Century Democrats' Vote08 Contest. John Boccieri was one of the top six candidates and has moved on to Round Two - but now he needs your support again. Vote in Round Two now!

Round One was extremely competitive, with barely 300 votes separating the top six candidates. Round Two includes:

John Adler (NJ-3)
Judy Baker (MO-9)
John Boccieri (OH-16)
Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15)
Betsy Markey (CO-4)
Dan Seal (IL-10)

Please take a moment and vote in Round Two. Just a few seconds of your time could make the difference and give John Boccieri some extra help on the ground over the last six weeks of the campaign. Voting ends on September 30th and the winners will be announced on October 1st.

We also need to keep our television ad on the air across Ohio's 16th Congressional District.

I believe this spot captures the core message of our campaign - fighting for good jobs and new hope for middle class families.

When Washington is pushing for a $700 billion bailout of irresponsible Wall Street corporations while American taxpayers get nothing but the bill, it's time for a change. It's time for leaders who will fight to put the middle class first again.

That's what this campaign is about, and that's what this ad is about. Now I need your help to keep it on the air.

I'll be honest: It costs a lot to create an ad like this, and even more to make sure that everyone in the district sees it.

We've invested the resources to get it on the air. Can you help us keep it there?

This campaign is powered by grassroots support, and anything you can contribute - $10, $20, $50 - would be a huge help.

We only have six weeks left. We need to be fighting every moment to get our message out. I'd be honored to have your support. ~ John Boccieri

Get involved starting tonight!

What: Your Local High School Football Game
When: Friday, September 26 and Beyond
Where: Your Hometown High School
Notes: We still have campaign materials available to distribute at the local football games. For more information, email Chris at cccupples@yahoo.com

The GlenOak Eagles are #1 in OHSAA Division 1 - Region 2 and face off with the McKinley Bulldogs at home. This looks to be the premier game of the week!

What: Lunch with U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn
When: Monday, September 29, 12:00 p.m.
Where: Canton, OH
Notes: Tickets start at $35. For more information or to RSVP, contact Justin Palmer at 330-438-1632 or jpalmer@johnforcongress.com

Thanks again for all you do!

OH-16: John Boccieri Makes The Final Six

Team,

Thank you for voting in Round One of 21st Century Democrats' Vote08 Contest. John Boccieri was one of the top six candidates and has moved on to Round Two - but now he needs your support again. Vote in Round Two now!

Round One was extremely competitive, with barely 300 votes separating the top six candidates. Round Two includes:

John Adler (NJ-3)
Judy Baker (MO-9)
John Boccieri (OH-16)
Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15)
Betsy Markey (CO-4)
Dan Seal (IL-10)

Please take a moment and vote in Round Two. Just a few seconds of your time could make the difference and give John Boccieri some extra help on the ground over the last six weeks of the campaign. Voting ends on September 30th and the winners will be announced on October 1st.

Thank you again for your vote and your support!

21st Century Democrats

OH-16: John Boccieri Vows to Tackle Pension Problems

Boccieri Vows to Tackle Pension Problems

After meeting on Thursday with local retirees from Republic Technologies International (RTI) who have been battling for years to secure the pensions they were promised, State Sen. John Boccieri affirmed his commitment to fight for a resolution to their struggle as a member of the U.S. Congress.

Boccieri also promised to attend a major public meeting about these pension problems on Saturday, October 11. Other elected officials, candidates, and members of the press have also been invited.

State Senator John Boccieri said:

"It's criminal that you would work your whole life, pay into a pension plan, and then get almost nothing because bad trade policies or irresponsible executives bankrupt your company. This issue requires a strong and loud voice in Congress to ensure that laws protecting pensions are enforced and are strengthened to protect workers."

For years, thousands of local workers and retirees from RTI have been struggling with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), the government agency that takes over a company's pension plan if it declares bankruptcy to ensure that employees still receive pension benefits.

Despite this intent, many workers see their pensions dramatically reduced when the PBGC takes over from a bankrupt company, due to funding problems and complex laws governing how the agency makes payments.

In the case of RTI, the situation was made worse by extended legal battles over the amounts owed by the PBGC to affected workers, which have now resulted in the agency demanding that retirees pay back pension "overpayments" as large as $60- or $70,000.

Individuals at Thursday's meetings also expressed frustrations with the PBGC's lack of responsiveness and consistency in addressing their concerns. "You ask the same question three times and get three different answers," one retiree said. Others said that PBGC had miscalculated benefits, confused the benefits owed by RTI and previous companies operating the same facilities, and awarded, reduced or revoked benefits arbitrarily.(emphasis added)

Boccieri's initial proposals to address these concerns include:

Working directly with the PBGC, as well as with Senator Sherrod Brown, the Steelworkers Union, and others who have taken the lead on these issues, to push for swift, fair solutions;

Creating a "Pension Protection Caucus" in Congress that would bring together legislators from all of the districts and states affected by these pension problems to seek resolutions;

Increasing enforcement of pension protection laws to ensure that both corporations and the PBGC are honoring their obligations to workers;

Passing legislative improvements to current law, such as measures to give workers' pensions fairer treatment in bankruptcy proceedings and prevent retirees from having to repay PBGC when it takes years to recalculate pension payments;

Improving the responsiveness and transparency of the PBGC in its dealings with pension recipients;

Ensuring that improvements in enforcement and legislation are retroactive in order to address the plight of RTI employees.

Once again, Senator Major John Boccieri is first on the issues that most affect the voters of Ohio's 16th Congressional District!