Gary Faley

National Legislative Director

NARVRE

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In their last session of last year, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation attempted to pass legislation that would have crippled Amtrak operations and threatened the jobs of 20,000 railroaders, all of whom pay into our Railroad Retirement System.  The committee proposed cutting funds by $357 million, or approximately 60% of Amtrak's operating costs for FY2012.  They also proposed eliminating all funding for the fifteen (15) states that partially fund Amtrak.  These states all have deficit problems of their own and cannot afford to assume 100% of the operating costs in order to run Amtrak trains in their states. The fact remains that these anti-Amtrak proposals are always introduced in the GOP held House of Representatives, who mean to destroy Amtrak.   Millions of people that rely on Amtrak will add to the number of unemployed. These actions directly threaten our Railroad Retirement System and our annuities.

Concerted efforts by NARVRE members and other passenger rail advocates turned back these draconian efforts, but Amtrak will still be operating on much lower funding levels in FY2012.  Our work is never finished, and we all must realize who the threats come from in Congress leading into this election year.  As usual, our collective voices will need to be heard by our representatives:

NARVRE toll-free numbers to Congress - 877-668-3864 & 877-668-3866

We also stopped efforts to privatize Amtrak's operations on the northeast corridor (NEC).  These plans were introduced in the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, under the leadership of Chrm. John Mica (R-7th, FL).  This proposal would have handed over the operations of specific train routes to private investors, and would have been funded with federal subsidies.  Again, this would have corrupted the NEC, and eventually destroyed this nation's rail passenger train system, thereby threatening our railroad retirement system.

If you are a rail retiree that does not belong to NARVRE, please contact any office on this website, and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.  Every railroad retiree needs to join NARVRE in order to collectively protect and preserve our railroad retirement system.  The truth is that there is strength in numbers!  Join NARVRE today.

It is advised that every NARVRE member in every state be on the alert for any proposal that might suggest the taxation of our railroad retirement annuities at the state level.  We must always react to any attempt to tax our annuities in any state.  NARVRE is protected by federal statute and law that exempts our railroad annuities from any collection of state tax revenues.  Contact this office or any officer if you are aware of any such proposal so that we can send them a copy of the U.S. Code of Law.  Always inform your tax preparer of this law.

While the Congress avoided deadlines affecting unemployment benefits, payroll taxes and a 27% cut in payments to our Medicare providers, they were only able to muster votes to pass legislation for a two-month period.  We will watching as these issues will have to be back on the proverbial negotiating table very soon in this new year of FY2012.  NARVRE has interest in changing some long overdue and outdated policies regarding the formulas in calculating the cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) to our railroad retirement annuities, and how our Medicare doctors are paid.  The current Medicare reimbursement system is governed by the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) which everyone knows must be changed, or face the fact that more doctors, surgeons, and othe providers will be leaving this health care system that we all use.

NARVRE members can receive emails from the legislative office, in order to be better informed.  If you're not a member, you should be. Dues are cheap, and a great investment to protect your retirement annuity!  Contact NARVRE today, and get a membership form for you and your spouse...and a friend, as well.