Grassroots Voices for Retirement Security! Strategy and Time Table Midwest Training July 7-9, 2013 – Chicago, IL

 2013 – Put Proactive Agenda on the Radar Screen Internal Education Get polling out Identify champions & move them into action Explore links to related state fights  2014 – Use Mid-terms to Get the Agenda More Momentum In Political Cycle Target party and media elites Make use of contested Senate and House races Link to state efforts  2015 – Make Proactive Agenda Part of Presidential Race Early primary states Begin conversations with Candidates Candidates events ?  2016 – Make Agenda Central to Presidential Race The Plan: Proactive Agenda Over the Next Few Years

“Peaks Chart” - Proposed Strategy & Timeline July Human Chain Action with ARA allies Small Meetings with Secondary Targets To Build Allies ( Mayors, other Civic Leaders ) Fix the Debt Day of Action – July 23 September - October Budget Deal Phone calls, Actions / Story Telling at Congressional Offices, Bird-dogging Moving Target Members of Congress to Support Proactive Agenda Actions & Reactions: Rapid Response Ongoing Activity : Base Building - Outreach and Education - LIST BUILDING August Recess Launch Proactive Agenda at Town Halls, Tours or Story Circles with Congressional Targets Creating Local Champions & Calling Out Corporate Targets Ongoing Media Outreach to Change the Public’s Idea of What Is Possible Crunch Time On Rx Drug Savings

Grassroots Ambassadors Peer Organizing: Tabling, speaking at community meetings to recruit & inform other people, informally recruiting other people through social networks, and structured outreach such as phone banking list, canvassing neighborhoods. Advocacy: Persuading & motivating local institutional leaders, mayors, state representatives to make them agents of change for our cause – getting them pointed at our targets. Spokespeople: Get our message & the policy content out in the media to shift the public and the politician’s idea of what is possible.

What we need: Research, Education & Power Analysis 1.Leaders get trained & familiar with information / Collect Stories  Proposals to Cut or Improve Benefits  Data sources to reference (new reports, polls, etc.)  Practice with their own stories and stories of others 2.Problem - Issue  Issue Expanding Not Cutting Social Security  Protecting Medicare from Cuts to Beneficiaries – Any Cuts Should Come From Pharma  Expanding Medicaid 2.CCC & Your Organizations Analyze Political Environment  Primary targets: Democrats – to move an agenda around expanding benefits we need to target those most likely to embrace that agenda  Enemies: Corporate Power Groups – Fix the Debt  Obstacles: Die Hard Anti-Government People In Government  Allies: Civic Leaders and Politicians We Can Put In Motion

2013 Targets: Building Champions & Exposing Enemies

Senate Moderates Claire McCaskill (MO), Richard ‘Dick’ Durbin (IL), Debbie Stabenow (MI) Key Swing Majority Whip: Postures to Center on Budget Finance Committee

Contested Race in Michigan Gary Peters  Current member of the House Representative  Running for Senate to replace longstanding Senator Carl Levin who is retiring  Social Security gives him the potential to go progressive on a popular issue

Ohio Senators: Key Champion & Key Target Sherrod Brown  Major champion on all of our issues  Sponsor of Cost of Living Improvement and Rx Drug Pricing Bill Rob Portman  Possible 2016 Republican Contender  Fix the Debt spokesperson  Postures as moderate Republican

MW Congressional Black Caucus Members Great Potential Allies For A Strong Social Security System & other retirement security programs! Joyce Beatty (OH)William Lacy Clay (MO)Emanuel Cleaver (MO) John Conyers, Jr (MI)Danny Davis (IL) Marcia Fudge (OH), Chairwoman Bobby Rush (IL)Robin Kelly (IL)

MW Congressional Black Caucus Members: Can influence the Advocacy & Activism of the CBC as a whole Our Ambassadors can increase the CBC VOICE on these Issues!

Possible Local Allies “Secondary Targets” Mayors City Legislators State Representatives College Presidents Well Respected Clergy Leaders In Large Civic Organizations

Local Allies Primary Targets WHY THE LOCAL ALLIES?  They are the future Senators and Congress members.  We can get local allies to directly bring our message, information and asks to Members of Congress!  They can write op-eds and LTE’s or make other public statements that elevate our issues and challenge our targets.

Expose Fix the Debt Corporate Controlled PR Campaign That Fronts As A Bi-Partisan Do-Gooder Group Overall Debate Austerity vs. Prosperity Corporate Power vs. Everyday People Sometimes our enemies give us an opportunity to call out their motives in a way that spreads our message and builds our power! When that happens, we go after them. We take the risks!

August Recess Whistle-stop Tours Quilts Story Circles House Meetings Main Objective: getting our primary targets on the record and out of their comfort zone!

September to October: Budget Deal Rapid Response Volume Phone Calls Quick Actions & Office Stop-bys Put Opponents & Targets on the Spot Media Placement Main Objective: getting our primary targets on the record and out of their comfort zone!

Original Ideas Unexpected Action Powerful Truth Telling Risk Taking Common Program Power of Creative Action In order to win, we need a delicate balance…

“Peaks Chart” Proposed Strategy & Timeline July Human Chain Action with ARA allies Small Meetings with Secondary Targets To Build Allies ( Mayors, other civic Leaders ) Fix the Debt Day of Action – July 23 September - October Budget Deal Phone calls, Actions / Story Telling at Congressional Offices, Bird-dogging Moving Target Members of Congress to Support Proactive Agenda Actions & Reactions: Rapid Response Ongoing Activity : Base Building - Outreach and Education - LIST BUILDING August Recess Launch Proactive Agenda at Town Halls, Tours or Story Circles With Congressional Targets Creating Local Champions & Calling Out Corporate Targets Ongoing Media Outreach to Change the Public’s Idea of What Is Possible Crunch Time On Rx Drug Savings