FLARA QTRLY LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE & EB MTG, GRAND SUITES, TAMPA, FL, SEPT 9-10, 2007

FLARA EB & LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE TO BE IN TAMPA SEPT. 9-10, 2007
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Tony Fransetta, President, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans (FLARA), has announced a quarterly Executive Board meeting and FLARA Legislative Conference to be held in Tampa, FL. on Monday, Sept. 10, 2007 at the Grand Suites Tampa Bay (former Doubletree Guest Suites Busch Gardens), 11310 N. 30th Street, Tampa, FL 33612.

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The Grand Suites Tampa Bay is an all suites hotel and the FLARA standard room discounted rate is $89.00, plus 12 % taxes per night, for FLARA members and guests. Standard Suite has a king size and pull-out bed, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and house up to four people. Call the Grand Suites Tampa Bay Hotel at 1-813-971-7690 to make room reservations, and ask for the FLARA special group rate. You are to arrive on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2007 and check in at the hotel after 3 pm and checkout time is 11 am on Monday, Sept. 10, 2007. All roads lead to Tampa Town for FLARA/APWU Retiree Actions now. Join us in real APWU Retiree Solidarity to protect all of our Futures!

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The conclave has been called to discuss and layout plans for action in the State of Florida and in the Fall/Winter session of Congress. The meetings will be held on Monday, Sept. 10, 2007 and will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a break for lunch from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Many invited guests and well-known political figures will speak. Every APWU active and retiree member is invited to attend! Go online to www.flara.org to see our history!

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All FLARA Executive Board members, Club and individual members including 3000 APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter members and invited family/guests are welcome at this exciting gathering to foster support for the important issues that face APWU of Florida Union active members, retirees, and seniors. Please contact FLARA President Tony Fransetta in West Palm Beach area at 1-561-792-8799 if you are interested in attending or have any questions or comments. Phone Jack Gose, FLARA 2nd Vice President, at 727-343-2998 or go to jak.gose@excite.com to ask for more information!

RETIREE PARADISE LINKS TO FANTASTIC NATIONAL AFL-CIO, NATIONAL APWU, AND OPM 2007 RETIREMENT PLANNING WEBSITES

Jack Gose, President, APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter, AFL-CIO, with 3,000 dues paying members and Vice President, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans comprising 220,000 AFL-CIO Retiree union members from 22 different International unions and community based groups in Florida, is interviewed on his opposition to privatization of U.S.P.S. mail delivery routes by a young lady from Radio Station WMNF-FM 88.5 while picketing with over 100 Letter Carriers from the NALC Local Branch, at the Main Post Office, St. Petersburg, FL 33713 on a rainy day Wed., June 27, 2007.

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If you go on the internet to visit our APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter website at www.retireeparadise.blogspot.com you will find a new sidebar Retiree Info button linking to www.unionplusretirement.org which is a website launched in 2007 by the National AFL-CIO to help APWU members and families learn more about how to prepare for retirement, using practical information, tools, and links to other websites. This website should help you answer the question, What Will It Take to Become a Millionaire, at 18 or 58 years of age?

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Three (3) usual Retirement Queries: (1) What will I do about Health Insurance? (2) Is my retirement money including OPM annuity pension, Thrift Savings Plan, and Social Security going to be there when I retire? (3) Will I have enough money? To find some of the answers yourself, go to Retirement Road Map and Start Planning for Your Family Here links. The five (5) retirement planning models given below should get your attention to get you started on an action plan for you and your family.

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(1) Retirement Goals: Worksheet, Where will you live? What will you do in retirement? What are your 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 year goals? and How to plan the Retirement road map?

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(2) Money for Retirement: Where am I now? How much will I need? Social Security, TSP, and CSRS or FERS annuity pension plans? Will I have IRA’s and personal savings? Home & real estate investments? and How much will I have when I officially retire

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(3) Making It Last: Live on your nest egg? Keep on Working? Become an informed investor? Pinch pennies? Pay Taxes and Homeowners insurance? Do I choose Long term care insurance? Can I manage medical expenses, and Do I travel or Stay Home?

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(4) Protecting Your Family: Do I make out Wills, trusts, and estate plans? How much Life insurance is enough, and Can I help parents, children, and grandchildren?

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(5) Getting Help: Can I find a financial advisor? and Profit from use of other Retirement related websites, such as www.flara.org or www.retiredamericans.org or www.apwu.org to increase my knowledge of Cost of Living changes, retirement pitfalls, and bright spots?

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We have added several more retiree links to our Retiree Paradise sidebar under NATIONAL LABOR UNION LINKS category such as RETIREE COLA INFO from APWU Industrial Relations Dept., CSRS and FERS RETIREMENT ANNUITY COMPUTATION CALCULATOR from APWU Retirees Dept., and PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT from www.opm.gov website. If you have any more sites you would like to add, contact Jack Gose, Editor at 727-343-2998!

FLORIDA AFL-CIO CONVENTION TO BE AT TRADEWINDS RESORTS IN ST. PETERSBURG BEACH, FLORIDA AS WE FIGHT FOR FLORIDA’S FUTURE

The Florida AFL-CIO Biennial Convention will be held at the Trade Winds Island Grand Resort, 5500 Gulf Blvd., St. Petersburg Beach, FL 33706, from Mon., Oct. 1 thru Wed., Oct. 3, 2007 according to President Jack Gose. Registration will begin on Sun., September 30, 2007. Every seat on the Florida AFL-CIO 42-member Executive Board is up for election, and it is expected there will a large turnout of elected Delegates and guests from all over the state for this affair. The Florida AFL-CIO New Alliance policies go into effect at this Convention, and it is hoped that several APWU locals in the State of Florida will send Delegates to attend this conclave of Union Labor members and families.

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Registration fee is $75.00 to attend and get a complete Florida AFL-CIO Convention bag with all the Officer’s reports and resolutions. For Delegates who only attend the Convention to cast a vote, there is a $10.00 registration fee but no Convention bag is given. Three (3) Union labels are required on each delegate. There is a $5.00 fine if you do not have at least one (1) per the 1976 Convention Proceedings.

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Jack Gose was Chairman of the Union Label Committee at the 1976 Florida AFL-CIO Convention which reported on this resolution to the Convention Body over 30 years ago. If you have any questions or need more info, contact Retiree Chapter President Jack Gose 24/7 at 727-343-2998 or send an E-mail to jak.gose@excite.com for a prompt reply. We love all of you!

NATIONAL APWU RETIREE/ALL CRAFT DIVISION CONFERENCES AT LAS VEGAS HILTON CONVENTION CENTER IN LAS VEGAS, NV FROM NOV. 5-8, 2007

The 2007 National APWU Retiree/All-Craft Joint Division Conferences will be held at the Las Vegas Hilton and Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV from Mon., Nov. 5 thru Thurs., Nov. 8, 2007 with Registration information and Workshop details to be announced. Las Vegas Hilton, 3000 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89109 is the Headquarters hotel for these meetings.

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APWU Classic single/double room rates are $119.00 night plus 9 % taxes with $129.71 first night deposit which will be charged to your credit card by the Las Vegas Housing Bureau. You may phone the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel direct at 1-800-HILTONS, and ask for a room reservation in the APWU special group block of rooms. We recommend you reserve your flight by air before seats fill up!

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An APWU Retiree Department Seminar is scheduled for Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 5-6, 2007 with the All Craft Conference ongoing from Nov. 5-8. The Retirees program will consist of items submitted by Retiree Chapters. One day will be devoted to Grassroots and Lobbying with agenda items submitted by members/chapters. Plans for the 2008 National APWU Retirees Conference and Biennial National Convention in Las Vegas will be highlighted, and the newly elected APWU Director of Retirees Department will be introduced by outgoing Retirees Director Douglas Cowan Holbrook.

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At least four (4) Retiree Delegates will attend from the State of Florida: Mario Miceli, Secretary-Treasurer, and Jack Gose, President, from the APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter; Dave Bernstein, Legislative Director, from the APWU of Florida Executive Board; and Valentine Serpico, President, Broward County Area Local Retiree Chapter. We encourage other Retiree Chapter members and families to join us! See You in Las Vegas!

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There is a possibility the National APWU will host a Presidential Candidates forum in conjunction with the All-Craft Conference. In our effort to participate in the American Presidential selection process, all of the candidates, Democratic and Republican, will be invited to this event to show their plans for our country. The goal is to have in attendance more than 2500 APWU activists with representation from all 50 states.

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“We expect the event will draw national media attention, and every APWU member and Retiree should plan to be in attendance at this historic occasion,” according to APWU President Bill Burrus. Installation ceremonies for newly elected National APWU Officers will take place Thursday evening, Nov. 8, 2007 and tickets for the installation banquet will cost $35.00.