Dear Representative Tierney:

In consideration of your busy schedule, I will be brief.

As a General Motors retiree and former Benefits Administrator in Michigan for the GM Lansing Product Team, and a Massachusetts summer resident, I have been asked by a large group of concerned fellow retirees to contact you regarding the Health Benefits Protection Law modeled after HR 1322, which you introduced.  The status of this Bill is of great interest to all of us.

A few retirees representing this same group met with Michigan Representative Mike Rogers, and presented him with two packets of pertinent information regarding written promises that General Motors had made to their early-out retirees.  We understand the Representative Rogers presented one of these packets to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.  After the information was introduced in the House, the packet was referred to two different committees.

Knowing of your keen interest in this matter, we are hopeful that you will review the material contained in the packet.  We are certain this information will help in the understanding of GM Salaried Retiree's anger and dissatisfaction with the Corporation's broken promises and discriminatory treatment verses the retirees represented by the UAW.

Our monthly co-pay for health care coverages has been increasing year after year.  Without pension increases, which were also promised, our spendable income is deteriorating rapidly.  The way things are going, we can not help but wonder if someday there will no benefits at all from GM  There seems to be nothing to stop GM from reneging on all their promises.

AARP, once thought of as offering help and guidance to retired people, have been of no help to us at all.  They do not even give us the courtesy of replying to our correspondence.  As Representatives Nick Smith and Mike Rogers seem not to be pursuing legislation to restore any of our benefits, we are turning to you for assistance.

It would appear that once our Republican Representatives have been elected and are secure in office, they no longer seem to care, and quickly forget their promises made to the electorate.  Obviously they prefer to do the bidding of Big Business and forget the rest of us.

So far this "fight" has been a cruel experience.  Up to this point we have not been successful in finding an individual interested enough in our plight to make a sustained effort on our behalf.  However, since learning our your interest in this matter on the Internet, we have been hopeful that you may be the guiding light we have been hoping and praying for.  We would be most appreciative for any assistance you may offer.  If you need additional information, please call me at (508)636-5061 or contact me through e-mail at DICAPARIAL@aol.com.  Thank you, take care and God bless.

Sincerely,

Richard P. Phelan
1283 Horseneck Road
Westport, Massachusetts 02790