Spotlight on Activists: Making Politicians Nervous

BATAVIA, ILLINOIS, & PHOENIX, ARIZONA

For having the temerity to seek an audience with an elected official, AFSCME retiree activist Hal Gullett had a run-in with a police officer last year. Gullett, president of Retiree Subchapter 79, was among 200 retirees who were attempting to deliver to Speaker of the U.S. House J. Dennis Hastert (R) a letter opposing congressional GOP efforts to reform Medicare in a way that would essentially privatize it. The police — some outfitted with riot gear — questioned the group closely, and Hastert closed his district office here and sent his staff home.

"When seniors show up to do something, politicians get nervous," Gullett says. "That's because they're used to seeing us just sitting around doing nothing." This 73-year-old activist has had hardly an idle moment since retiring from his job as food service administrator for Illinois State University. He is proud of the fact that he and other subchapter members were instrumental in ousting the longtime president of the state Senate. "With him gone," Gullett says, "we were able to get the state's Prescription Drug Discount Act passed."

During his two years as president of the subchapter, the membership has almost tripled. And he keeps them busy — marching in picket lines, making phone calls, writing letters. His philosophy: "You get a bunch of seniors all riled up, and it's bad news for politicians." Gullett also serves on the board of Citizen Action, which supports candidates for public office, and he advocates for better health care.

Half a continent away, in a separate action in Phoenix, 100 members demonstrated outside the office of U.S. Sen. John Kyl (R). Five of them, including Ted Murphree of Local 3195 (Council 97), were arrested and charged with criminal trespassing. In Tucson, also at a Kyl office, Local 449 (Council 97) Treas. Sherryn "Vikki" Marshal was one of two people arrested for trying to give a letter to a Kyl aide. "He's our senator, and it's important that we speak to our senator," Marshal declared before she was detained.

The Illinois and Arizona demonstrations were part of a nationwide drive by the AFSCME-supported Alliance for Retired Americans.

— Jon Melegrito