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Save Alabama PACT Discussion Forum » Posts by dhpeacher
Go away you idiots. This is for PACT only.
Here's my letter to the editor of the Huntsville Times sent today:
I consider myself to be politically independent, but in all honesty, I usually lean to the democrat side of politics. I normally do not get involved in campaigns. It was an unusual occurrence for me in that I crossed over and voted in the Republican primary for two main reasons – the governor’s race and the U. S. House of Representative’s race.
I was very favorably impressed by Dr. Robert Bentley in several conversations we had with regard to PACT (Prepaid Affordable College Tuition) I feel he is a man of character, an honest and hardworking person who will do what he says. Did you notice how clean his TV ads were? No mudslinging, in sharp contrast to Byrne and James. Are you aware that all of his political signs were pulled up and taken? We took our sign from our yard and erected it at our voting place as his was the only one not there, out of a sea of signs.
As for the U.S House race, I had no choice but to vote against Parker Griffith. I don’t believe an explanation is necessary.
The only other comment I would make is that Byrne served under Kay Ivey on the PACT Board of Directors, the board which terribly neglected the proper oversight of the financial investors, resulting in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars - about half the value of the PACT fund. Are these the people we want to be in charge?
The following is from one of our Huntsville members. It says it all:
"To the Save Alabama PACT core team,
SOMEONE is smiling down on you right now, for all the tremendous work that you have done, to re-deliver their gift.
SOMEONE is looking up to you right now, for all the happiness that you brought to their parents and grandparents.
SOMEONE if looking directly at you right now, with tears in their eyes, for doing what they thought could not be done.
SOMEONE is looking towards going to college, which they may have not been able to do, without your efforts.
SOMEONE is looking your way, for making them believe that they could develop a solution, by continuing to be reminded who the solution was for.
SOMEONE now understands that there is someone who will pick up the sword, to defend those who could not defend themselves.
SOMEONE looked at you, gathered with you, and became a team of purpose.
SOMEONE thought it was useless, denied the ability of a few, and now stand in awe.
SOMEONE became a somebody, stepped out of the ordinary and became extraordinary.
SOMEONE said that “dreams really do come true”. Make that 44,000 children’s dreams, which someday by your efforts will make someone else’s dreams come true.
Miracles don’t just happen without SOMEONE. Thank you all for being that SOMEONE.
And thank you to Mr. Little, Mr. Ford and to all the others for believing in miracles and for believing in us. It wasn’t magic that pulled the rabbit out of the hat, it was SOMEONE.
Tim, Cathy, Adam and John Hoekenschnieder"
It's almost historic in Alabama. Has it ever been done before? I believe this is a very special time in the history of Alabama. Fighting against overwhelming odds, a group of people banded together and fought for their children, and then, they won! It's such an emotional thing. I'm so proud of all of us. It would have made a great documentary film. We SaveD PACT!
We Won!
Pact People if you are ever going to support our PACT movement, now is the time. We need to flood Montgomery with our people on Wednesday and Thursday. This is the end of the legislative session. It's do or die time for us! It's for the children. Have you told your kid yet, that he/she may not be able to attend the unviersity of choice yet? Are you going to be there to fight for that child? Or, are you going to let the child down? Some of us will be there at 8:30 when the doors open. It's a 4 hour drive for us. Waiting for a few of us to do the job for you is not going to be enough this time.
(you'll have to excuse me, I'm 74 years old and tired to death of this stuff).
Bama88 - A wonderful post. It says it all. Wish it could be in all the news media in its entirety. Again - Well said!
People of Madison County: We are trying to organize a chartered bus to take us to the April 8th rally at the State House in Montgomery. If you can go, call me, Donna Peacher, at 256-852-7817 or dhpeacher@gmail.com for details. Will depart at 5:00 AM Thursday from Walmart parking lot on Madison Blvd, just off I-565. Cost will run between $15.00 and $20.00 per person according to number of people going. Save your gas and parking fees in Montgomery! Come go with us and after the rally attend our private PACT meeting to discuss future legal ramifications.
PACT rally
A crucial legislative session is now happening. PACT owners, we are in trouble.
Sen. Lowell Barron is blocking SB162 from leaving his committee for a vote by the full Senate.
This bill would save PACT. He represents part of Madison County, where the state grassroots effort was born. Will it die here? The only other area of the state that has more PACTS than Madison County is Jefferson County.
Unfortunately, the bills pit higher ed against K-12, two powerful forces in Alabama politics and we are in the middle.
Another bill (HB775) passed a House committee recently. It would eliminate the competition between the "eds" and would fix the problem, however, it will require a constitutional amendment. Our movement supports both bills.
We believe this session is truly a moral and legal test. We understand that each senator has a lot at stake. We desperately hope that character and moral fiber will win out over personal ambition.
Will they do the honest and right thing or will they bow down to the "powers"? It's test time. We will be watching closely and will vote (sue?) accordingly.
We ask that all PACT owners meet us on the steps of the statehouse Thursday at 9 a.m. Bring your children. If you ever plan to help it should be now. We are down to the wire. Please join us. We need your support. You may call me at 256-852-7817 or e-mail at
dhpeacher@gmail.com.
Donna H. Peacher
Huntsville, 35811
The following was sent by one of our Madison Co SAP members:
"You may have this already posted on the site, but the Alabama Income Tax code was amended beginning in the 2008 tax year to allow current year contributions to Alabama PACT as a deduction to the contributor's taxable income. This is limited to $5,000 per year. ($10,000 for joint filers). If non-qualifying deductions (i.e. surrenders) are made and the amount had been previously deducted from the taxpayer's income, an amount equal to the non-qualifying deduction will have to be added back as income in subsequent filing period.
The code change does apply to 2009 filing as well; however, unless you made payments into a qualifying plan during the tax filing years (2008, 2009, forward) your payments into the plan are not deductible. People with fully paid, but unused contracts which were purchased prior to 2008 cannot deduct their payments in 2008 or beyond.
Again, this is just FYI, but may further influence decisions on contract holders considering getting out.
Please refer inquiries to the State of Alabama tax code for all of the details."
I read the following at the end of an article about Auburn's tuition increase (today in the Huntsville Times):
"In other business the trustees voted to study the possibility of building a campus in Danyang, China. Larry Benefield, dean of engineering, told the board that Auburn engineering Professor C. T. Liu, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, will work with Chinese officials to develop a proposal.
In materials submitted to the board, Benefield said Danyang has a strong interest in high technology and establishing a campus there would help Auburn attract Chinese students and build its alumni base."
This makes me want to scream! EEEEK!!! They can build an Auburn campus in China, but not give us a break! Not to mention the risk of our technology getting into Chinese hands. Makes me want to say bad words!
Arthur Orr is definitely on our side. His letter to me received today: "I supported the Senate bill earlier and fully intend to do the same with the House Bill now in the Senate. I truly believe we must address this problem now in the legislature rather than later in the courts. The latter course of action would ob...viously include tremendous legal fees in addition to causing many famiilies in our state worries and concerns over the future fundinng of college for their family member(s). I also believe that our state institutions of higher education must be part of the solution not an impediment to one."
Donna H Peacher The following is from one of our Madison Co. members to Sen. Tom Butler:
Tom,
I understand that there is a Senate Rules Committee meeting tomorrow> (Tuesday) at 1:00 p.m. Will you be attending? I hope so and I ask that yo
request the bill *HB228* be discussed and passed on to the floor of the
senate for a vote.
With time running out on the PACT Bill, it is imperative that it come up
for a vote. It is my understanding that Lowell Barron is expected to stop
the bill from getting to the floor. Please ask that bill *HB228* be passed
> onto the Senate floor for vote. Our children's future depends on it.
Thank you Tom for your help and support.
Jim
From one of our members
:
Senator Barron,
I understand that there is a Senate Rules Committee meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1:00 p.m. I respectfully ask that you request the bill HB228 be passed on to the floor of the Senate for a vote.
I have identical twin daughters who I purchased two PACT contracts for in full when they were born 17 years ago. They were scheduled to begin college next year but without the fulfillment of PACT, they won't be. And I am sure there are thousands of other Alabama children who's parents bought them PACT contracts that are in the same situation. With time running out on the PACT Bill, it is imperative that it come up for a vote.
Please Senator Barron, ask that bill HB228 be passed onto the Senate floor for vote. Our children's future depends on it.
Thank you sir for your help and support.
Jim
If you look on our front page, there is a listinng of "Area Leads". Find your Mobile leader and get on their email listing. This would be a start. We, in Huntsville, have several out-of-state members on our list. I'm not sure at this time of the answer to the forum site question. Our leaders will need to address it probably sometime in the very near future.
To all those people in Madison County who have actively helped us, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We haven't given up. To all those many more people in Madison County who have sat on their hands.... (censored). I hope you've realized what you may have lost.
We put the following on our green PACT cards & sent to every senator:
This session of the legislature is really a moral
(and legal) a test, isn't it? Who will pass and
who will fail? Will each senator look into his heart and do the courageous thing? We understand you have a lot at stake and we hope that character and moral fiber will win out over personal ambition. Can we trust you to do the right thing by voting for the 2-1/2% floating tuition cap for PACT? It's test time. We will be watching closely and will vote accordingly.
Ted & Donna Peacher
Tmom, I just sent in the following letter to the editor of the Huntsville Times. I believe it may help you. The full senate can't debate or vote on the bills that will help us until the Head of The Rules Committee (Lowell Barron) releases it from his committee. (see below)
We would appreciate whatever you can do to expedite the publishing of the letter to the editor below:
It was a year on February 27, since all we PACT people received the infamous poison Ivey letter which placed all our contracts in doubt.
Well, the 2010 crucial legislative session is now happening as we speak. Folks, WE ARE IN TROUBLE! One senator, Chairman of the Rules Committee, appears to be blocking the bills, HB 228, 123 and 124, from leaving his committee for a vote by the full senate. These bills would save PACT, and eliminate the need to require a tax on the people of Alabama. He represents a piece of Madison County where the state grass roots effort began. Unfortunately, the bills pit higher ed against lower ed and leaves us stranded in the middle. How ironic that the “eds” are blocking bills that would educate more than 45,000 young people in Alabama. We marvel at the power “eds” have. Shame on you!
We believe this session is truly a moral and legal test. We understand that each senator has a lot at stake. We desperately hope that character and moral fiber will win out over personal ambition. Will they do the honest and right thing or will they yield to the power of the “eds”? It’s test time. We will be watching closely and will vote accordingly. In fact, on a personal note, I will actively campaign against Senator Lowell Barron’s re-election.
I urge all Madison County PACT owners to join our grass roots organization. Sign up either at www.savealabamapact.com or by calling me at 256-852-7817 or by emailing me at dhpeacher@gmail.com. We need your help.
Donna H. Peacher
Have just received word from Senator Roger Bedford that he supports the HB 228 with cap!
We've sent messages to all our membership (WHERE ARE THE OTHER 3,500 PACT OWNERS IN MADISON COUNTY?) as to the urgency of contacting as many senators as possible at once to try to save our PACTS. We are down to the wire on this situation. If you haven't done anything to help, it is very soon going to be too late. If I can send out 4 mass emails and write messages to 15 senators (so far) in 2 days, why can't you? Do you want the entire program drawn to a halt by lawsuits? Do you want to pull your money out (at old rates) and suffer the lack of PACT tuition? WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
Decided to take the postcard effort one step further. Used them to write (handwritten) notes to all the University of Alabama trustees. I have yet to get to the Auburn ones, but I will. I've also distributed the list of names to all our members in Madison County. Our Montgomery lead was kind enough to provide it to me. Hope this helps...sure couldn't hurt.
Hey we had a very good, enthusiastic crowd at our meeting yesterday! Patti, our state leader, gave us a very informative run-down about the "goings-on" in Montgomery. Many people filled out our green post cards on the spot and we will carry them to Montgomery on Wednesday. We'll attend the critical Education Appropriations Committee meeting at 9:30 am together with several other members and hand deliver around 50 PACT cards. Many others promised to mail more. Kudos to those who showed real dedication to our cause by coming to our meeting on Super Bowl Sunday. We really appreciate the list of people who volunteered to help - a first.
We've made up a "bunch" of green cards (a little lighter shade of green) for our Madison County Meeting on Feb 7, Huntsville Public Library, 2 PM. These cards turned out very nicely and we placed the colored logo on the front upper middle. Our only other change was on the back side, where we place our sort-of motto on the lower bottom center portion: "It's for the children". We're very pleased at how they turned out and will dispense them at the meeting.
We've made up a "bunch" of green cards (a little lighter shade of green) for our Madison County Meeting on Feb 7, Huntsville Public Library, 2 PM. These cards turned out very nicely and we placed the colored logo on the front upper middle. Our only other change was on the back side, where we place our sort-of motto on the lower bottom center portion: "It's for the children". We're very please at how they turned out and will dispense them at the meeting.
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Save Alabama PACT Discussion Forum » Posts by dhpeacher