We have gotten word from a reliable source the commissioners are trying to tap into the county pension and reduce all pensions (retired and current employees) to balance the out of hand county budget. This information comes directly from a commissioner.
People, this is very serious, disturbing news. It will effect each and everyone of us, including our friends at the fire department. It is going to take the effort of each and every current employee and retiree to stop this. We simply cannot allow this to happen. Period.
To all you vested officers, who have worked hard and long, trying to whittle out a career, even while be attacked and abused by the commission. What will lay at the end of our career? Will there be any type of pension waiting for us?
Can you imagine doing your 30 years with defined benefits and having that number reduced? Our retirees are already under attack. For the retirees that are 65 years old and over, their health insurance premiums are being increased by 6%. No one can remember when the last time they had a cost of living adjustment was, and it sure as hell wasn't 6%.
We have to ban together and stop this in its tracks or our pension will cease to exist.
The next pension board meeting is November 3, 2011 at 9:30 AM. We need you to attend. We need all the retirees to attend, not just public safety, but all county retirees. We need to show force by numbers.
We are asking Jeff Wiggs of the F.O.P., what are the plans of the F.O.P.? Will there be any leadership on this?
Here is the link to all the pension board members email addresses. Voice your out rage to each and everyone on them. Sign your name. We need to be heard.
Remember, November 3, 2011 at 9:30 AM
Monday, September 12, 2011
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32 comments:
WHERE ARE THE LAWYERS WHO REPRESENT US?
For the retirees, and current employees contracted to a pension plan with DeKalb government, DeKalb cannot change the pension plan the employee contracted to. The BOC can change the rate of contributions to force employees to voluntarily sign over to a new pension contract, but they can not legally change an employee's pension contract without approval of the employee. Retirees are virtually untouchable as there is no financial incentive the county can produce to force a retiree to sign over to a new pension plan. They can stop COLA increases and increase insurance costs, but the BOC cannot legally alter your pension plan unless the individual signs off on the new contract.
I just read the last two pension board minutes, and the 5/5 minutes last several paragraphs provides food for thought in what was and was not said on the new pension plan and altering the contributions of current employees.
I find it difficult to understand why the pension board has not approved the new pension web-site that Janali displayed to the board four months ago.
To the blog-master, my email has changed to kencnet@gmx.com (I was hacked!) and would love to learn privately which commissioner spilled the beans on the pension plans. I will keep the information confidential and dig into the issue.
Many thanks,
KenC
kencnet@gmx.com
I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT...NOBODY REPRESENTS US. NOBODY !!!!!!
I wish us all luck. This department is so fragmented that the commissioners will do this and the best that we will do is lip service. Everyone is afraid of getting unappointed that NONE of the higher-ups sill speak up or act. I pray I am wrong but I don't think so...
Screw with the pension and I'm done.
I've worked for more than I make at the county and know that is still an option for me.....
I accept a lower salary, a lack of even cost of living increases and the continually rising cost of terrible insurance because I know that part of my compensation IS the pension I will receive in retirement.....
Screw with the pension and I'm back to the private sector with a higher level of compensation or with a department that will provide that which Dekalb does not.
I believe there is a State law loop hole in the pension law that allows Municipalities to rape pension plans if they can prove they are fiscally insolvent and cant maintain the minimum services for their residences. This would be the Countys only way to really get their hands on that cash. We are very close to being bankrupt since we barely have a month or two of cash in the bank.
Guess what folks, health insurance is NOT part of the defined benefit
plan. It is seperate and can be adjusted yearly retired or not.
The pension board has lawyers who represent them. Nobody represents us.Do you really think that the pension board has learned anything from the last fiasco early retirement that they approved...No way....and they all hope we have short memories. I do not feel like I have anyone representing me at all.Yes, what about the pension web site...dumb and dumber and slow and slower.It's the DeKalb County way...ya know?
LoFlyer is correct regarding this issue. If you are a vested employee I HIGHLY suggest (as others have previously) you freeze your pension and exit before it is too late for you. It's obvious this has been coming for some time now and if you lay victim to it you have no one to blame but yourself.
I've often said your IQ directly correlates to the amount of time one spends at DKPD. In other words, do what the smartest have and get out while you can with something to show for it.
The Pension Website has been up and running for sometime now.
http://www.dekalbpension.com
Check it out
You all did not get a cost of living increase. Sorry. But taxpayers, mostly in North DeKalb whose housing values have not tanked like those in South DK, got a 26% cost of government INCREASE. Oh yeah, the CEO and all of the Commissioners represent them.
I will be at the DeKalb Commissioners Meeting Tomorrow. I am sure I will see Jeff from your FOP.
I will most likely see the DeKalb Officers there to defend the Board of Carpetbaggers from the likes of my 63 year old on full disability behind to 82 year old Ms Mary Francis = She is the Most Senior Citizen that the Brave and Mighty Lee May positioned a Uniformed DeKalb Officer in front of during a meeting just over a year ago.
You guys know Author and High and Mighty Christian Lee May - "My God. My Politics" = A fine substitute for Charmin Toilet Paper.
I will challenage Each Carpetbagger to repay the money they stole from all of us to feed their "fat a$$es" during BOC work days.
Some of these Commissioners are vunerable to Great Criticism right now for the NEW TAX BILLS are out. The Tax Paying Citizens of Central and North DeKalb have been awakened.
I was a little disappointed that my last Remarks at The BOC Meeting were not published by The Blog Master = I enjoyed very much telling the BOC to "Kiss My Lilly White Irish Behind" just before once again being carted of by Our Finest. Maybe it was a little too rough for you guys ! LOL
Maybe I'll do it again tomorrow, you just never know - Be nice to see a couple hundred of DeKalb's Employees there.
Other Citizens sure do wonder where the disgruntled DeKalb Employees are = If youre not there then you must be happy with litl' larry - I KNOW BETTER THAN THAT ! Many Other Citizens However Do Not ?
WAKE UP. CLEAN UP AND SHOW UP !
Be Safe and Kindest Thought To All
"For the retirees that are 65 years old and over, their health insurance premiums are being increased by 6%"
Just curious but if you're a retiree over 65 you're in Medicare. I wasn't even aware the county footed part of the payment for medicare supplement????
The pension web site is up and running for some time now? Well hell, nobody tod us anything about it. Another failure to communicate from our so called pension reps. The usual D'kalb Co crap.
I've lost three hundred dollars in fifteen minutes?
Thanks for the information of the pension web site, its up and the link is
http://www.dekalbpension.com/index.html
There is not that much new information, the last financial report is of December 2010, and the news was good, but over the months since, the market has lost a lot and I would expect the next reports to be poor.
I called up the the county pension manager and got a assistant named Jackie? who gave me a bunch of BS non-sense, and then called Robbie Robertson and had a nice discussion with him on the issues, I personally like Robbie and support him as retiree representative. He sent me an email that he would like to see published for the employees and retirees. The Blogmaster is welcome to publish the email as a new thread.
"To All Active and Retired Employees,
This is to address some of the concerns which I have received from current and retired DeKalb County employees.
There is a lot of 'information' which has been circulating and I do not think the information that everyone is referring to is accurate. I spoke to Gale Waldorff and Chairman Ed Wall yesterday in reference to your concerns and they both said that the discussion with the county commissioners was in reference to the medical insurance increases. Just as a point of information, your medical insurance county co-pay is not a guaranteed pension benefit. The County can stop their payment at anytime for active and retired members, this co-pay comes from the county not the pension. As far as the pension, once you are retired, your benefit is locked in place and can not be reduced. For active employees, your pension benefit can not be reduced for your years of service to this point, but the commissioners (not the Pension Board) can make changes to benefits and/or contribution amounts from any point forward. The Pension Board has no control over this. As far as the COLA for retirees (see below), I have been asking for a COLA for four years, but with the underfunded status of the pension it has not been prudent, nor financially feasible, to vote a COLA in. Please understand we as Pension Board Trustees must first meet our fiduciary responsibilities, and protect the fund. On a personal note, I have been retired for five years without a raise, so I understand our pain.
As far as reduction in benefits, it is my understanding that there is a lot discussion about new and active employee pension benefits being considered by the commissioners. This is still up in the air as to what is going to happen. As to the concern about the county borrowing from the pension fund to balance the budget, the Pension Board has not had any discussion on this matter. I would not vote for this, nor do I believe the other members would vote for this. I will keep you updated as to any discussion that comes up.
Please keep me updated on anything else you hear or any other questions you have.
Robbie Robertson
Retiree Representative
1999: 10% COLA
2001: 3% COLA
2008: 2% COLA to annuitants with 10+ years of service who retired in June 2002 or earlier."
Bottom line is that employee contributions are expected to be raised for current employees by an unknown amount and a new and degraded pension plan introduced for new employees.
Wish I had better news,
Best of luck, mates!
KenC
That's all I needed to know and will be freezing my pension with 2 weeks notice tomorrow.
This is what happens when you rely on crooks to have anything to do with your pension. Sticky finger get stuck in the wrong place, and the end result......no money for retirement.
Band together and sue those bastards
Some other issues were discussed with Robbie Robertson, Robbie and the board members would like to emphasize that their control over the pension is limited to fiducial control of the pension fund, their job is to maintain proper funds within the pension system for the pension plans.
The pension board representatives have little say in the various initiatives such as the early retirement incentive, new pension plans or contributions of the employees. That is all decided by the commissioners.
Currently the pension system is funded to about 70 percent, not near as much as it was funded during the late 90's (100 + percent) but the fund is in much better shape than most other pension plans comparatively.
The pension board members fear the BOC will pull another poorly thought through initiative such as the new pension plan or forcing the board to invest in poor risks such as the "Majic Johnson" theater as proposed in the late 90's. The pension board has noted the BOC's aversion to honest dialog between the BOC and employee's or their representatives such as the pension board.
These are my thoughts on the issue.
This appears to be the crux of the situation, the DeKalb BOC is isolated from the employees and pension board representatives and have some ideas to solve the high pension costs mandated by state law. All the ideas involve screwing the employees in some form or fashion. The BOC would prefer not to talk about the issues, just issue policy and the hell with you guys.
There is no doubt that something has to give in the pension issue. The current BOC will never sit to pay 2/3's of your pension, not when the money can be shifted to a project or bond issue that will earn them votes.
Your salaries and pensions are unnecessary expenses in the collective eyes of BOC. The current pension board is scared of the ineptitude and incompetence of the BOC. If the pension board is concerned, so should you too.
Best of luck, guys!
Sorry to be so damned negative, but I call them as I see them.
KenC
We need an attorney for our views, to protect our pension and not allow the BOC to use our pension to get them votes. Politicians ruin everything.
They'll get the pension funds and most Dekalb citizens will laugh at us as they do it. My advice is to pull your money out of it while you can and reinvest it with honest investors. Let's face it, there is NO future with DKPD. Don't become one of the walking dead around the precinct with no hope, future, or options after being ragged out for years like the rest of our equipment. Be smart and exit NOW.
I can't believe officers continue to stay with Dekalb and pay HUNDREDS each payday to fund early retirees with no hope of ever seeing your money again. WHY...?
Mr. Wall,
Thanks for your response and your service on the pension board. I too wish they or probably just one person, would stop the attacks on you. I don't agree with all of the decisions of the pension board and it actually gives me faith in the pension board that you acknowledge that the last early retirement vote was a mistake. Whoever is making the personal attacks on Wall, knock it off. You deserve to be punched out !
Blog Master..I am a strong supporter of this blog and I'm asking you to remove the comment about Ed Wall at the top of this blog subject. This blog subject is about the pension. There is no place here for such character assassination. The guy had a wife and kids for God's sake and it is not fair to them or him to post things like this here..How about it..will you remove it? and will you not post such comments again ?
A veteran police officer.
"The County has not asked to borrow any money from the Pension Board and your Board would not vote to loan them any."
Thank you Mr Wall !
I've got a problem believing a lot of the blog masters comments after the obvious misguided information presented on the case that was dismissed at Mag ct. You need to earn some trust!!!
Thanks blogmaster
Does anyone know what options you have as an active police officer? Can you opt out and move your money to an IRA or something else? It's not that easy to up and leave when you have a family and home. Sometimes that takes time.
The BOC is going to opt all active officers out of the pension next quarter as no one will be able to afford it.
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