Vote on Tuesday

Dear Friend,

Tuesday is Election Day.  I encourage you to vote because so many have sacrificed their lives in the past for us to vote and your vote truly does matter.  So much on the local, county, state and federal levels depends on your voice on Election Day.  Polls are open in Shelby County from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday.  Click here to see where your polling station is located.

Delta Air Lines Cancels Amsterdam Flight
Federally Employed Women Scorecard
Free Photo Identification
University of Memphis Freight Conference
TN Holocaust Commission Education Conference
Carver High School
MLGW Winter Moratorium for Seniors
Medicare Open Enrollment Season Underway
Grant Announcements

Delta Air Lines Cancels Amsterdam Flight
Upon learning this week that Delta Air Lines has decided not to continue summer service of the Memphis to Amsterdam flight, as was promised, I expressed disappointment and frustration with Delta’s growing string of broken promises.  In a 2008 Judiciary Committee hearing about the proposed Delta Northwest merger, I asked Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson if the Memphis to Amsterdam flight would continue if the merger was approved, and Mr. Anderson gave me his word that it would continue.  I was disappointed to learn last February that Delta planned to scale back the flight to a summer seasonal schedule but took Delta at their word that they would bring back the flight in the summer of 2013. Now that Delta has eliminated the flight altogether, I am disappointed that Delta has once again broken a promise they made to me and the people of Memphis.

In June, I spoke to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder during a House Judiciary Committee about possible anti-competitive practices by Delta Air Lines in Memphis.  I encouraged the Attorney General to examine Delta’s inflated ticket prices in Memphis and possible monopolistic practices.  I have also reached out to Southwest Airlines and JetBlue to encourage them to expand operations in Memphis which will increase competition and lower prices.

Federally Employed Women Scorecard
This week I received a 90 percent on the Federally Employed Women scorecard for the 112th Congress.  I received the highest score in the Tennessee Congressional delegation.  It is an honor to be recognized for my work on behalf of equality for women.  I have long supported issues important to women like ending pay discrimination, expanding hate crimes prevention, and protecting access to reproductive health care, and will continue to fight for these and other important initiatives for women in the future.

Free Photo Identification
State officials have announced plans to open eight driver service centers, including one in Memphis, on the first Saturday of November – TOMORROW – to give citizens more opportunities to get photo identification cards required for voting on Tuesday’s election.  The centers will open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on November 3 but only for issuing voter photo IDs and converting non-photo driver’s licenses into photo driver’s licenses.  In Shelby County, only the driver service center at 3200 East Shelby Drive will open on Saturday, November 3.

However, registered voters without any of the government-issued photo IDs approved for voting purposes may obtain the voter photo IDs at the three other driver service centers in Shelby County during their regular business hours -- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. They are at 3040 Walnut Grove, 6340 Summer and 5019 West Union Road in Millington. They are also available at the limited-service License Reinstatement Center in Hickory Ridge Mall during its regular business hours on weekdays.  If you only need to get an ID for voting purposes, there is a special line to serve your needs.  And if you are a Veteran who needs ID you can get free government-issued photo IDs at the Veterans Administration.  You can also use new photo library cards issued by the Memphis Public Library for voting identification purposes.

University of Memphis Freight Conference

On Tuesday I spoke at the 6th annual freight conference at The FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis.  I discussed the importance of freight to our local and national economy and the jobs and families the freight industry supports.  I also spoke about the Aerotropolis language I was able to get into the Moving Ahead for Progress in 21st Century Act as well as the national freight policy I helped champion.  The Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute at the University of Memphis focuses on research, education and outreach as a University Transportation Center.

TN Holocaust Commission Education Conference

This week I spoke at the Tennessee Holocaust Commission Educational Outreach Program/Education Conference at the University of Memphis entitled “A Conspiracy of Goodness: The Story of the Villagers of Le Chambon” and featured a film about the village of Le Chambon and its residents during World War II.  In and around one village in Nazi-occupied France, 5,000 Jews were sheltered by 5,000 Christians.

This is the story of a unique conspiracy of goodness. Not a single Jew who came there was turned away or turned in. It was not until decades later that the villagers spoke of what they had done, and even then, only reluctantly. This one-day conference was open to the public and was specifically designed for middle and high school teachers to provide them with additional knowledge and resources about the Holocaust.

Carver High School

Yesterday I spoke to students at Carver High School about the importance and value of pursuing a college education.  I worked hard as a State Senator for 18 years to ensure that our kids can get the assistance they need to obtain an affordable education right here in Tennessee.  As the “Father of the Tennessee of Education Lottery,” it really pleases me to see people taking advantage of the opportunity for which the HOPE Scholarship was created.

MLGW Winter Moratorium for Seniors
The November 15 deadline is approaching for customers to apply for Memphis Light, Gas and Water’s Winter Moratorium for Seniors. The program ensures uninterrupted service from December-February for participating senior (60+) and physically-challenged customers.  The Winter Moratorium for Seniors has been in place for more than two decades and prevents cutoffs for registered customers during the months of December, January and February.

Participants are still responsible for paying their utility bills during this time, but in the event that the bill exceeds the customer’s means, the customer will not be disconnected. If there is a balance left at the end of the February billing cycle, registered customers may qualify for a short-term payment plan.  There are no income restrictions for the Winter Moratorium program; the deadline for application is November 15. Applicants must resolve any outstanding balance on their utility bill by the close of business on November 30. Click here to learn more.

Medicare Open Enrollment Season Underway

Medicare open enrollment season has begun and will continue until December 7.  Now is the time to make changes to your Medicare plan if necessary. Picking a health plan is a very important and personal decision, and one that should be reviewed each year. This is the only time during the year that changes to drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans can be made, so I encourage you to take a look at your health plan and explore whether or not you need to alter your current coverage.

People with Medicare can call 800.MEDICARE or visit www.medicare.gov for plan information.  You can also reach out to The Aging Commission of the Mid-South’s SHIP (State Health Insurance Program) for assistance.  SHIP is an unbiased, objective counseling service that provides beneficiaries with information so that they can make educated decisions concerning their plans.  The SHIP program does not sell insurance.  If you have questions regarding Medicare or would like to know about counseling locations, please call SHIP at 901.222.4111.

Grant Announcements
I regularly release a list of grant announcements from federal agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and others.  These federal funding opportunities are available to faith-based and neighborhood associations, nonprofits and other community organizations in the 9th district. The announcements are updated regularly on my website.

Wishing you a happy and safe weekend,

As always, I remain,

Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress