Early Voting Starts TOMORROW - 1.5 MILLION MEMBERS STRONG!

            Tomorrow, Monday, October 22, the first day of Early Voting in the 2018 General Election, is being called EDUCATOR VOTING DAY!  This is OUR day—ALL public-school employees/retirees, including teachers, bus drivers, custodians, sign-language interpreters, classroom aides, librarians, counselors, maintenance workers, cafeteria personnel, secretaries, nurses, police officers, administrators, and social workers—and we are being called to show up to the polls tomorrow to send a STRONG MESSAGE to Austin that WE HAVE A VOICE!  Don't give anyone else the privilege of being YOUR voice! 
            TRS of Texas has 1.5 MILLION members right now.  I can only imagine the power in the voices of 1.5 MILLION educators from across the state!

     I agree with Texans for Public Education (T4PE) when they say to WEAR PURPLE tomorrow to show we are NON-PARTISAN!  We are looking at the individual candidate, regardless of party, and at his/her record and affiliations in order to elect the PRO-PUBLIC-EDUCATION CANDIDATES who will restore funding to our schools and the TRS healthcare we were promised throughout our careers!  We want healthcare as good as the healthcare our state provides for ERS, which is the retirement system for all other state employees AND our legislators!  The differences between THEIR healthcare and OUR healthcare are shocking, and that needs to end!  THIS IS OUR ALAMO!
     T4PE did extensive research on all candidates running for state offices and had all of their members vote, based on this research.  Our goal is to BLOCK VOTE, regardless of party, for the candidates in each office who are the most PUBLIC-ED FRIENDLY!  Here are the ratings:  

Recommended Texas House candidates
Recommended Texas Senate candidates
Recommended candidates for governor, lt. governor, and State Board of Education

(Note:  If you would like to see the more detailed findings on each candidate, click here, scroll down to "Our Ratings," and look at the section that indicates where the research on the candidates can be downloaded.)

In case you need inspiration, here are a few items for you to peruse:

     And YES, it IS true--ERS retirees (all state employees but public-ed employees), including our retired legislators pay $0 per month for THEIR health insurance. They also have a $0 per month deductible for healthcare and a $50 deductible for prescription drugs, while TRS retirees not yet eligible for Medicare have a $1500 deductible for BOTH and NO co-pay.  TRS healthcare does not pay ONE PENNY until we reach the entire $1500 deductible, and for married couples on TRS, they must reach a $3000 deductible--NOT $1500 per person.  NOT ONE PENNY!  Meanwhile, in ERSville, no worries about meeting a deductible!!!!

     Let's show up IN FORCE tomorrow!  

     

     I can safely say the #1 race for us is for lt. governor.  GO, MIKE COLLIER!  But EVERY race is important leading up to the 2019 Legislative Session, which begins in January!
     TEXAS EDUCATORS CARE ENOUGH TO VOTE, AND WE ARE 1.5 MILLION MEMBERS STRONG, and that doesn't count our students, their parents, and everyone else who supports us!

Chris Ardis retired in May of 2013 following a 29-year teaching career. She now helps companies with business communications and social media and works as a sales coordinator for Tony Roma's and Macaroni Grill. Chris can be reached at cardis1022@aol.com. (Photo by Linda Blackwell, McAllen)