Ollie’s No Hero to Seniors Seeking Increase in Benefits

“Olliemania,” set off by Lt. Col. Oliver North’s show-stopping appearance at the Iran- contra hearings, reached Sherman Oaks Wednesday--in reverse.

A group of 120 retirees shouted for North’s head, not his heart, charging that he represents a free-spending foreign policy that is cutting deeply into their Social Security pension payments.

Leaders of several San Fernando Valley senior-citizen groups met at a park to discuss a petition campaign aimed at persuading Congress to approve a 5% Social Security cost-of-living increase this year. The current federally approved increase totals only 1.3%.

“Hundreds of millions of dollars are being thrown all over the world with this Olliemania,” Herman Mulman, who is heading the petition drive, said. “They say they don’t have money for us, but there’s plenty of money in the country if they’d stop giving millions to every fascist government in the world.”

Foreign Aid Blasted

Mulman, 70, a retired postal worker who lives in North Hollywood, said the Reagan Administration has “stolen” that money from taxpayers. “We don’t want it going to Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan or any other ‘stan,” he said.

Meyer Bernfield, 72, a retired Studio City manufacturer who is president of the 30,000-member Valley Federation of Senior Clubs, said lawmakers “haven’t tried to buy gas or food or pay rent” with incomes that have not kept up with inflation.

There were shouts of approval when the crowd was told that a book chronicling North’s testimony before the Iran-contra hearings is not selling well. “They’ll have to take those books to the dump,” said Victor Levine, 73, co-founder of a Sherman Oaks group called Seniors for Issues and Action.

5,000 Sign Petition

The retirees said they would give pension petitions signed by 5,000 people to Alan Schiff, an aide to Rep. Howard Berman (D-Panorama City), who attended Wednesday’s meeting.

Schiff complimented the crowd on its activism. But, out of the earshot of Mulman and the others, he was pessimistic.

“Right now, there is no legislation to do what they want to do,” Schiff told a reporter. “We’re always a year behind,” he said, explaining that a 4.2% cost-of-living allowance is being projected for 1988 based on this year’s consumer price index.

By happenstance, Mulman returned to the microphone at that moment to further urge the retirees on. His booming voice interrupted Schiff.

“We’re tired of people supporting us publicly and stabbing us in the back privately,” Mulman shouted.