Everyone should write their Senators NOW and ask them to kill the Pension Reform Bill. It's not too late; the bill goes for a vote in the Senate sometime this week. If it does pass in the Senate, hopefully the WH shrub will veto. He has threatened to do so in the past if it favors one industry over another. Not sure if it does that though. If Bush does, it will be the one thing he does that I would be happy with. I would like to see the bill killed, and taken up again next year after these damn republicans are out of there.
Did you know that the bill calls for the protection of executive pensions if the company goes into bankruptcy? Did you know the bill allows airlines 10 years to fund their pension, with the exception of Delta and Northwest who will have 20 years to fund theirs? That's because some Repub. congressmen in the conference were from Michigan and Minnesota. Hmmmm! Rick Santimonious was in the conference, but obviously useless, or really doesn't care about family values. Full details of the bill's contents are unknown to me. Anyone else know???
Congressman George Miller of California called for a motion to reonsider the bill demanding that the Akaka Amendment and all the other airline provisions in the Senate version of the bill be restored, but it was voted against overwhelmingly by the Republicans. Only Sam Johnson, R(Tx) voted against because he said the funding provisions were unfair to American and Continental Airlines.
If you are PO'd write. If it doesn't work at least we've tried!