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Press Release 1/27/03
"FREEDOM GIRLS" OPPOSE LEGISLATION THREATENING PATRIOT BOND
TULSA, OK - A local trio has spent the last year desperately trying to promote
the sale of "Patriot bonds," Series EE savings bonds designed to
contribute to the government's fight against global terrorism.
Now, the group is taking on a battle it never saw coming - to keep the
government from making Patriot bonds (of which $1.98 million were sold last
year) unavailable for purchase. In a move to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the FY 2003
Treasury Appropriations Bill, which is soon coming up for a vote,
Oklahoma Rep. Ernest Istook is reportedly one of those supporting the House
version, which is said to disallow all monies for savings bonds marketing,
immediately eliminating headquarters and field marketing, service and support
functions. Istook has been quoted as saying that savings bonds are an outdated
product.
Tulsa Susan Dale vehemently disagrees.
"The U.S. economy and current conflicts in the Middle East are the
most important issues facing our country, a year ago and today," said
Susan, who joined her mother and daughter in a three-generation effort to promote
patriot bonds less than a week after Treasury Dept. Secretary Paul O'Neill
announced the bonds' availability (Dec. 11, 2001).
"This bond can help with both," Susan said. "What is outdated
about
supporting America and savings?"
Calling themselves "The Freedom Girls," Susan, her six-year-old
daughter, Anastasia Richardson, and her mother, Randi Johnson Dale, sewed
patriotic costumes, then donned them and hosted war bond drives wherever they
could find, or afford, a place to do so.
Susan said her family was driven to make the effort by their strong
patriotism - and a little family history. In 1944, five-year-old Randi made
the cover of "Popular Photography" as a patriotic cherub touting war
bonds - the same age Anastasia was last year when "The Freedom Girls" began.
In recent months, the women have also created a $10 promotional
poster, and Susan said they plan to use proceeds to create inspirational war-bond postcards to mail to the tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers stationed
overseas.
However, the women have been fighting, mostly in vain, all year to
find sponsorship and support from the Treasury Dept., individuals or
businesses like banks - or to gain national media attention.
Susan said her family has even offered to allow the Treasury Dept. the use
of their images and idea for free, but got a "no, thanks" and banks
don't appear to be pushing the bonds because they don't make any money from the sale.
"It's going to cost America a lot of money to continue to fight in
Afghanistan or other places," Randi said. "This bond will help us do
that."
"And if people are against the war," Susan added, "the bond also
helps education. You can't be against that, can you?"
But now the stakes are even higher, and The Freedom Girls aren't about
to give up without a fight. Dale said she's heard the appropriations bill would exclude bond
buyers without Internet Access, eliminate the purchase of paper Savings Bonds
as gifts to children and close 37 field offices. As for the Patriot Bond, any
red-white-and-blue colors or historic emblems of patriotism would be removed.
Dale said she's not the only one who opposes elimination of the bonds'
marketing or availability as a patriotic purchase.
The National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 269, states in its
newsletter response to Istook's comments:
"U.S. Savings bonds are purchased from current income and liquid savings of
our citizens. This type of savings constitutes sound financial Policy
precisely because it is anti-inflationary.
* Borrowing from our own citizens via saving bonds is less disruptive in our
economy than borrowing on open capital markets or from foreign investors.
* To encourage the average American to help the economy by "spending our
way back to Prosperity" is short sighted given the fact that the saving rate in
American is already notoriously low. Saving for a rainy day with a security
" backed by the full faith and credit of the United States" makes as much
sense now as it did in World War II.
The Freedom Girls are desperately seeking public forums now so that
they can tell people about the bonds' necessity to America. For more
information, please contact Susan Dale as listed above.
"Let’s Keep Our Children’s Future in Our Hands,
Support The Saving Bonds Programs."
CONTACT:
Susan Dale
The Freedom Girls
www.usfreedombonds.com
Susan@usfreedombonds.com
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