Core Purpose: To enhance and protect the benefits of retired educators.

Celebrating 75 Years
Bill Ruehmann, Director Area 1

Area I Report: July - October, 2004.                        Page 1

To borrow a saying from the theater industry, most non profit organizations are dark during July and August. That can not be said of Area1, its divisions, and State CRTA.

During these months, we capped a highly successful school resolution and signature petition drive with presentations to our local Congressional Representatives, Mike Thompson and Lynn Woolsey. We had collected about 5800 signatures and 30 school district motions of the 100,000 signatures and 100 motions gathered statewide. Our two Representatives indicated strong support for HR 594 on the repeal of the windfall elimination and government offset provisions in social security. Both stated that they were taking a leading role to get the bill which had 300 cosponsors out of committee onto the floor for action. Each had worked to get 190 members to sign a petition of discharge. It takes 218 . The Republican Leadership was resolute that this should not happen during this election year. By a strict partisan vote, the discharge effort failed. Though not successful, we have shown great strength and unity in a tremendous effort that has left an impressive impression on congress. Each year we have edged closer. CRTA will take a leading role in promoting this legislation in the next session. Hopefully, by this time next year we can celebrate the signing of a similar bill.

In August, we initiated a series of 5 bimonthly articles on how to access and use our Area 1 and the State CRTA Web Sites. As they are being written, they are being sent to each division newsletter editor and posted on our Area 1 web site, http: //www.sonic.net/~crta/area1/, for viewing or downloading . The first two are online and have been sent to the editors. The third article by Grant Bodwell is done and will be released the last week in November. The fourth and fifth articles are scheduled for newsletter and web distribution by February 1 and April. The last one will show a historical picture on each Division Site with that Division offering a prize to the first member who e-mails the name of the site and its historical date.

During the first weekend of September, I participated in the CRTA Board Meeting in Santa Clara. Below are the highlights of that meeting.

1.   In her report, Susan Goff, our State Executive Director, said that our membership
      is down about 2000 from our high last year to 50,237 as of Sept.

2.   The motion to set up an Issue Management Committee to identify key issues and
       focus on a cooperative approach within the State organization to resolve them was
       rescinded. The main concern was that it would set up another level of bureaucracy
       that was not needed.

3.   The Board appointed a State Web Committee to study and recommend changes
       in the utility, content and appearance of the State CRTA site. Among the items
       to be considered would be a central domain site where all Area and Division
       Sites could be located. It would look into intranet possibilities that could be
       used by State Committees and leaders at the State, Area and Division Levels
       for reports and electronic communications and making the Contact publication
       available for downloading to those who want to receive it online saving CRTA
       mailing cost. The Committee consist of Ed Ely, CRTA (Communications Chair),
       Angelique Hill (New Executive Director of CRTA), George Avak (President-elect
       CRTA), Joe Dion (Area III Director), Jay Klofenstein (Area XI Web master,
       Julie Costantino (Area V Web master) and yours truly as the Committee Chair.

4.   A recommendation was made to study increasing the number of Areas
       from 11 to 13 which would require realigning the divisions within the Areas. The
       need for such a probe grows out of the inequities of membership from a low of less
       than 3000 in Area II to highs of about 8000 in the Bay and Los Angeles Areas. A
       plan presented to ignite discussion would have shifted Marin County to Area IV
       (San Francisco and the Peninsular) and Solano County to a new area that would
       include the East Bay Divisions in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Though
       the Board did not look favorably on the tendered plan, it recognized the problem
       and created a study committe consisting of the Directors:Rod Dully (IV), Ann
      Slatten (VII), Helen Bogatin (IX) and
       Earl Cornwell (V) as Chair.

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