NAPO Washington Reports

Special Edition, Election 2012

October 23, 2012

On Tuesday, November 6th, voters across the United States will head to their local polling stations to cast their ballots in one of the most bitterly contested elections in years. At the top of the ballot, and the most important race this year, is the contest for the Presidency of the United States. As you know, NAPO strongly endorsed the Obama/Biden ticket for reelection this summer at our annual convention. With two weeks to go, now is a good time to remind ourselves of what is at stake, and why this endorsement was made in the first place:

  • Barack Obama and Joe Biden are longtime supporters of collective bargaining rights for law enforcement. As Senators, they were both original cosponsors of the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, one of NAPO's highest priority bills.
  • Mitt Romney opposes the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, which would provide for minimum collective bargaining rights for public safety employees.
  • President Obama strongly opposed efforts to crack down on collective bargaining rights in Ohio and Wisconsin.
  • Romney supported anti-union attacks carried out by Ohio Governor John Kasich and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.
  • Both President Obama and Vice President Biden are opponents of Right-to-Work legislation.
  • Both Romney and Paul Ryan support Right-to-Work legislation.
  • As Senators, Barack Obama led the opposition to mandatory Social Security coverage and Joe Biden helped enact the Health Care Enhancement for Local Public Safety Officers (HELPS) program, enabling retired public safety officers to receive a $3,000 health care tax deduction. Both of these positions are high priority NAPO legislative goals.
  • Barack Obama and Joe Biden understand the unique nature of law enforcement and public safety retirement savings and are committed to protecting our defined benefit pensions.
  • As governor of Massachusetts, Romney proposed replacing the state's defined benefit pension plan with a 401(k)-style plan.
  • President Obama overturned Bush-era regulations that would have made it harder for police to retire at a normal retirement age with a full pension
  • Early in his Senate career, Joe Biden championed the Public Safety Officers' Benefit Program and police officer eligibility for overtime pay. He also was the lead author and sponsor of the COPS program, successfully putting more than 100,000 new police officers on the streets of America. .
  • Vice President Biden serves as the Obama Administration's point person on all police and law enforcement issues.
  • Joe Biden also leads the Administration's efforts to begin building a nationwide emergency response broadband communications network, another NAPO priority, and assured passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, named after deceased NAPO member and NYPD Detective James Zadroga.
  • On each of these issues, Joe Biden has worked closely and tirelessly with NAPO and its elected leadership, including President Nee and Executive Director Johnson.
  • Beyond legislative actions, both President Obama and Vice President Biden have opened their own homes to NAPO members and our families. Our TOP COPS are welcomed each spring into the Rose Garden by the President himself during National Police Week, and Vice President Biden has repeatedly welcomed NAPO's representatives into his own home to discuss the needs of America's law enforcement community.
  • The Vice President has also repeatedly attended and spoken to our NAPO meetings, seminars, and conventions, both as a Senator, and now as Vice President of the United States.
  • By contrast, Mitt Romney, despite repeated efforts and a good faith invitation to welcome him to NAPO's annual convention, refused to attend, or even send a surrogate to speak to the assembled representatives of America's Finest.
  • Romney also wants to return non-security discretionary spending to below 2008 levels. This could have a negative impact on vital NAPO funding programs such as COPS Hiring, Byrne JAG and BVP grant programs.
  • By contrast, President Obama and Vice President Biden have been staunch supporters of the COPS Hiring program; funding it at its maximum level during the economic stimulus and continuing to advocate for first responder legislation.
  • Under the administration's leadership, the U.S. Department of Justice has initiated the single most intensive study of law enforcement health, risks, and dangers in history. Another vitally important NAPO priority.

Your decision on Election Day 2012 must be an informed one! Please carefully consider all the above reasons why NAPO so strongly endorsed Barack Obama and Joe Biden for reelection. Please share this with your friends and neighbors and encourage them to vote as well! For further information on any of these legislative priorities, please visit NAPO at www.napo.org or (800) 322-6276.

 

Save the Dates!

Please Make Note of NAPO's 2013 Events

25th Annual Police, Fire, EMS & Municipal

Employee Pension & Benefits Seminar

Sunday, February 17 – Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Encore at Wynn Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada

20th Annual TOP COPS Awards Dinner

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Omni Shoreham Hotel – Washington, District of Columbia

 

NAPO Lobbies on Capitol Hill

Monday, May 13 – Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Washington, District of Columbia

 

NAPO's 35th Annual Convention

Saturday, July 20 – Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Millennium Maxwell House Hotel – Nashville, Tennessee

Please visit www.napo.org for detailed event information and

exhibiting/sponsorship opportunities.

Contact us at (800) 322-6276 or via e-mail: info@napo.org with any questions

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NAPO proudly introduces The 25th Annual Police, Fire, EMS, and Municipal Employee Pension & Benefits Seminar scheduled for February 17 -19, 2013 Las Vegas, Nevada at the Encore at Wynn Hotel. The goal of this event is to educate your members of pension and union representatives along with their providers on the latest issues surrounding the pension and benefits industry.

New this year, NAPO is teaming-up with Opal Financial Group to improve the Pension & Benefits Seminar. The seminar is spotlighting key issues you want to know about, including reducing healthcare costs in the midst of new regulations, revising your asset allocation strategy, responding to DB versus DC plan debate, the outlook nationally and internationally on a new presidential administration, realistic projections of earnings and assumption rates, preservation of assets, and much more.

Topics will include:

  • Pension Outlook: The State of the U.S. Retirement System
  • New Federal Administration and How It Will Affect Your Pension System
  • New Styles and Strategies for Investing
  • Asset Allocation best Practices
  • The DB/DC debate
  • Social Security Pension Issues, Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provisions:
  • Ongoing Education for Plan Fiduciaries and Participants
  • Rules, Regulations, and Taxation of Disability Pension Claims
  • Impact of municipal bankruptcies on public employee pensions and benefits
  • Risk Management
  • Manager Selection
  • Hedge Funds
  • Private Equity/Venture Capital
  • Real Estate
  • Real Assets – precious metals,
  • timber, infrastructure, agriculture, managed futures, etc.
  • Emerging and Frontier Markets
  • Choosing the right advisor/consultant

 



For seminar and hotel registration please click here.