Who We Are and What We Do
The Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans works
on the assumption that no one will do
it for us and we must work to obtain
recognition and action for ourselves. In other
words, we are our own advocates.
The Ohio Alliance emerged out of the Ohio Council of Senior Citizens. Its members are predominately retired out of employment where a union had formed. We are interested in and are actively building community based coalitions.
The premise of unionism, concerted self-representation, and the development of collect action - collective bargaining are the underlying drivers for us. Representational governance in the workplace continues into the community beyond our work lives.
The Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans has a multi-pronged approach. • Self-Awareness of the Issues – Issue Education • Self-Representation with Legislators – Issue Advocacy Directly with the Elected Officials • Self Determination and Voluntary Action to Get Out The Vote and Elect Those Who Agree on ARA Principles of Retirement Security.
We are an organized voice advocating for retirement security and therefore advocating for the security of Main Street. Economic stability is a prime goal.
Living in our own homes with access to services that stabilize us in our communities has been proven to be less costly and beneficial for all concerned.
We are the generation that created the idea of productivity and did it. We became the most productive workforce in the world and transformed the idea of the modern city and suburb into a reality. We want to continue to live into that reality as long as possible, spending our incomes where we live. In short, we want to age in place.
Around Ohio the Alliance most recently has been working to build a Community Advocacy Networks such as the Alliance of Informed Citizens of Northwest Ohio in Toledo and Senior Voice! in Cleveland. These wider community based networks are a means of raising the general publics awareness of and a vehicle for retirees and seniors to take actions and gain accountability from entities that serve our needs.
The Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans publicly addressed the issue of the “Donut Hole” in Medicare prescription coverage in 2006. The OARA wanted the citizens of Ohio to be aware of the gap in coverage that continues to grow yearly. Retirees on fixed incomes are required to pay for insurance that stops covering needed medication, cannot use their collective buying power to control prices, must pay the full cost of the prescriptions while in the hole, and never know if the medication is on the formulary month to month.
In 2005 the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans was part of the “Truth Truck” effort to push back the idea of privatized individual accounts for Social Security. The OARA joined many in opposing the proposal to hack apart the means to a stable retirement income.
In 2006 retirees, seniors and the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans helped create a different agenda and tone in the State of Ohio. The legislature and statewide office holders who were elected heard many of our needs and responded. In 2007 Older Ohioans benefited from that new willingness to act and gained and increase in the Ohio minimum wage, some measure of property tax relief, a line item for Adult Protective Services, additional care services in our own homes, expansion of the PASSPORT program, and unemployment compensation to mention a few items.
Legislation introduced in 2007 to restructure the electrical utility industry once again, was of major concern to the Ohio’s retiree population. The Ohio Alliance became a partner with the Ohio Manufacturers Association and others to bring about stable rates, reliable delivery and jobs to Ohio as well as additional regulation by the PUCO. Some of that agenda was enacted recently in SB221. Likewise the issue of small short-term loans was addressed by the OARA as a partner in the Ohio Coalition for Responsible Lending. The Alliance felt that Pay Day Lenders ought not divert retiree’s Social Security checks into the lender’s bank accounts to pay back unregulated loans and dole the remainder to the retiree. The OARA was pleased with the enactment of limits on payday lending in HB 545.
The Ohio Alliance emerged out of the Ohio Council of Senior Citizens. Its members are predominately retired out of employment where a union had formed. We are interested in and are actively building community based coalitions.
The premise of unionism, concerted self-representation, and the development of collect action - collective bargaining are the underlying drivers for us. Representational governance in the workplace continues into the community beyond our work lives.
The Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans has a multi-pronged approach. • Self-Awareness of the Issues – Issue Education • Self-Representation with Legislators – Issue Advocacy Directly with the Elected Officials • Self Determination and Voluntary Action to Get Out The Vote and Elect Those Who Agree on ARA Principles of Retirement Security.
We are an organized voice advocating for retirement security and therefore advocating for the security of Main Street. Economic stability is a prime goal.
Living in our own homes with access to services that stabilize us in our communities has been proven to be less costly and beneficial for all concerned.
We are the generation that created the idea of productivity and did it. We became the most productive workforce in the world and transformed the idea of the modern city and suburb into a reality. We want to continue to live into that reality as long as possible, spending our incomes where we live. In short, we want to age in place.
Around Ohio the Alliance most recently has been working to build a Community Advocacy Networks such as the Alliance of Informed Citizens of Northwest Ohio in Toledo and Senior Voice! in Cleveland. These wider community based networks are a means of raising the general publics awareness of and a vehicle for retirees and seniors to take actions and gain accountability from entities that serve our needs.
The Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans publicly addressed the issue of the “Donut Hole” in Medicare prescription coverage in 2006. The OARA wanted the citizens of Ohio to be aware of the gap in coverage that continues to grow yearly. Retirees on fixed incomes are required to pay for insurance that stops covering needed medication, cannot use their collective buying power to control prices, must pay the full cost of the prescriptions while in the hole, and never know if the medication is on the formulary month to month.
In 2005 the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans was part of the “Truth Truck” effort to push back the idea of privatized individual accounts for Social Security. The OARA joined many in opposing the proposal to hack apart the means to a stable retirement income.
In 2006 retirees, seniors and the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans helped create a different agenda and tone in the State of Ohio. The legislature and statewide office holders who were elected heard many of our needs and responded. In 2007 Older Ohioans benefited from that new willingness to act and gained and increase in the Ohio minimum wage, some measure of property tax relief, a line item for Adult Protective Services, additional care services in our own homes, expansion of the PASSPORT program, and unemployment compensation to mention a few items.
Legislation introduced in 2007 to restructure the electrical utility industry once again, was of major concern to the Ohio’s retiree population. The Ohio Alliance became a partner with the Ohio Manufacturers Association and others to bring about stable rates, reliable delivery and jobs to Ohio as well as additional regulation by the PUCO. Some of that agenda was enacted recently in SB221. Likewise the issue of small short-term loans was addressed by the OARA as a partner in the Ohio Coalition for Responsible Lending. The Alliance felt that Pay Day Lenders ought not divert retiree’s Social Security checks into the lender’s bank accounts to pay back unregulated loans and dole the remainder to the retiree. The OARA was pleased with the enactment of limits on payday lending in HB 545.