|
Pension Merger Mess
March 3, 2012 ~ Seattle Times
Battle Over Merger of State Pension Funds Unresolved
March 7, 2012 ~ The Olympian
|
|
|
It's not finished yet. Please continue the letters, e-mails,
phone calls and hot-line messages to your legislators.
You can get the names and phone numbers or e-mail addresses by calling the Legislative Information Office at: 360-786-7573.
All you have to give is your address.
If you want to leave a message on the Legislative Hot Line 800-562-6000, you must first find
out or know the names of your two Representatives and Senator, or your Legislative District
Number. You can learn your Legislative District number by calling the Legislative Information
Center and giving your address. The website for this information is: www.leg.wa.gov.
|
DOWNLOAD
| Join
the Retired Firefighters of Washington (RFFOW) |
Whether
you're Prior Act, LEOFF I, LEOFF II, Federal or Private, the Retired
Firefighters of Washington is for YOU!
The Retired Firefighters of Washington is the only politically active
organization dedicated to, and representing, the interest of all
retired firefighters of Washington State and their families. Countless
hours are spent in Olympia, on behalf of retired firefighters, working
with our state's Representatives to maintain, secure, and improve
our pensions as they apply to the retired firefighters, their families
and surviving spouses.
In addition to this serious work, The RFFOW provides a means for
retired firefighters and their spouses to keep in touch with each
other, pass along information and have some fun! We have monthly
meetings, held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month (except June,
July & August) where members have the opportunity to not only
meet old friends, but to hear the latest regarding pension issues.
So, if you're not already a member of the Retired Firefighters of
Washington, we encourage you to join. There is strength in numbers.
We are already a powerfull voice in Olympia but the greater the
numbers the louder the voice to be heard.
To join, just print and fill out a membership
application. Print and fill out this payroll
deduction form if you are already a member and want to pay dues
via payroll deduction.
 Mail
Applications to:
Retired
Firefighters of Washington
9134 - 207th Place SW
Edmonds, WA 98026
Questions? (425) 775-9080 info@rffow.org
|
|
|
President’s Message
By Richard C. Warbrouck
Today – Tuesday, March 27th – as I write my article for the April Newsletter, the legislature has completed 19 days of the ongoing special session without reaching an agreement on the budget. As they continue their deliberations it appears there are three major issues still unresolved – discontinuing early retirement for teachers and state employees, reducing the funding to the PERS retirement system for state employees by $140 million, and delaying the required payment of $330 million to K–12 schools.
The PERS pension reform would increase the retirement age for all state employees hired after June 30, 2012 from 62 to 65 with current reductions for retiring earlier. SB 6378 would remove the option to retire at age 62 with thirty years of service. Republican Senator Joseph Zarelli has put forward a proposal to eliminate a $140 million dollar payment to the PERS retirement system because of the estimated savings of $1.8 billion over the next 25 years from the change in the retirement age for new employees. Some Democrats want to delay the payment to K-12 schools by one day which would transfer the payment from this year's budget to the budget for the next biennium and thereby saving $330 million in the current budget. This would be as they say, “kicking the can down the road” by creating a $330 million hole in the next two-year budget.
The regular legislative session ended on March 8th and the 30 day special session began March 12th. Only the legislators who are involved in the budget negotiations are in Olympia. When there is an agreement there will be a vote in the House and the Senate, and if the budget is passed, it will be sent to the Governor for her signature. Both sides have agreed to fully fund the LEOFF 2 pension system without approving the merger. I believe the merger bill is relatively safe but one can never be sure until the legislative session is adjourned...
(For more of the President's Message, click here)
LEOFF Merger Update
As the legislature went into special session March 12th, disappearing behind closed doors to negotiate agreements, the 'debate' continues regarding the LEOFF merger. Click on the links below to read two of the opinions...
COMPAS supports LEOFF merger
WSARPO Ken Crowder's reply to COMPAS
Listed
below are some of the emails that have been sent and documents regarding
HB2097
____________________
|
|
| |
|
Wednesday, April 11th, 2012
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
Location:
Luther Memorial Church
Greenwood Avenue N
and N 132nd Street
Seattle
Meeting Time:
11:00 AM |
SELECT
COMMITTEE ON PENSION POLICY MTG |
|
| The
next scheduled meeting of the Select Committee on Pension Policy
(SCPP) is November 15, 2011 at 10:00 am. The meeting will be held
in Olympia in Senate Hearing Room #4. The State Actuary Matt Smith
will give a preliminary report on the Merger Study to the Committee.
The final report will be presented to the Legislature on December
15, 2011.
If anyone would like to ride with me please contact Dick Warbrouck.
|
|
Click Here to download the Personal Information Packet as printed
in the January and February 2011 Newsletters.
Click
Here for information about the newest telephone scam members
have received.
|
|
