A message from PEF Retirees President Steve Muscarella
NYS budget would impose greater costs on you
R
e
PEFRetirees’statewideofficersbegan phonecallstoourlegislatorstoexpress
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newtwo-yeartermsJanuary1. ourconcerns.Wemustcontinuethis
i
I,aspresident,MaryReid,asfirstvice effort.
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president,andRichardMagelaneras ThePEFRetireesofficersthankallof
e
secondvicepresidentwerere-elected. youwhohavehelpedusinourbattlesto e
MarjeDeVoeisbeginningherfirstterm preserveSocialSecurityandMedicare,to
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assecretary. fightthepharmaceuticalindustry,to
Webeginournewtermsofofficewith expandhealthcareinAmerica,tostand
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avisiontoensureourmembers’pension forgovernmentthatservesallthepeople
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andhealthcarebenefitsaresecure.We andtopromoterespectandsecurityfor
arededicatedtothecontinuous ACTIVEANDSUPPORTIVE–PEFretirees theelderly. A
improvementofourPEFRetirees
MarjeDeVoe,ChrisBecker, JoanPfliegerand
Somegroupsinthiscountryquestion
chaptersandwillworktokeepour
RosemaryRossi-Williamsjointhousandsat
whyretireesshouldcontinuetoreceive
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memberseducatedandinvolved.
theMarchForMainStreetrally.
benefitsfromtheirformeremployers.
t
Thestate’sfiscalhealthisamajor
approximately$20to$30annuallyfor
Ouranswer:“Wecommitteda
i
concern.Gov.DavidPatersonis
MedicarePartBpremiumsforindividual
significantportionofourlivestoour
o
projectinga$13.7billiondeficitinstate
coverageorabout$80annuallyforfamily
employers,withthecontractual
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financesin2009.
coverage.
understandingwewouldberewarded
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Newstateretireeswouldpaymorefor
withbenefitstoprovidesecurityinour
stepsthestatecouldtaketoassuage
theirstatehealthinsurance,andnew
senioryears.”
someofthisshortfall.
statehireswouldgointoanewpension
WecannottakesupportinAlbanyor
Unfortunately,thegovernor’sproposal
Tier5.(See page 4 for more details.)
Washingtonforgranted.Ourpolitical
ignoresmanyofthosesuggestionsand,
Wemustbestrongifwearetoprotect
cloutdependsonourstrengthasa
instead,wouldimposemanysacrificeson
ourwelldeservedbenefits.Overthepast
statewideretireegroupandthat’s
activeandretiredstateemployees.
years,wehavewrittenthousandsof
dependentonyouandyourworkwithin
Bothgroupswouldstartpaying
lettersandmadetensofthousandsof
yourPEFRetireeschapters.
overrides poor economy during the holidays
ByDEBORAHA.MILES
The18thyearforkeepingthetradition
ofhelpingfamiliesofparoleeswillbeone
forthebooks.
ItisayearwhenthegenerosityofPEF
membersincreased,eventhoughthe
nationandstateareinaspiralingfiscal
downturn.
Andtheannualwrappingeventtook
placeontheheelsofamajoricestorm,
leavingPEFheadquarterswithoutpower.
Yet,volunteersbravedtheslickroadsand
wrappedgiftsbysunlightthatfilteredinto
thecoldconferenceroom.
Thegiftsandbasketsoffoodwere
WRAPPINGITUP—StandingareRobertHarms,WilliamWurster,RonVero,
giventofamiliesofparoleeswhoare
MariruthBrown,DebiChowdhury,TomComanzo,LynOyer,DennisAnderson,Arlea
makinganefforttosuccessfullytransition
IgoeandSusanJeffords.KneelingareJannathWithingtonandherdaughterDaniela.
backintothecommunity.
NotshownisDorisShannon. — Photo by John Epting
“Wehadninefamiliesnominatedwith
unwrappedtoysfortheprojectattheir andnotbeingchastisedforthewrong-
almost30childrenforwhomweprovided
annualholidayparty.Someoftheitems doingoftheirparent.Itistrulyamessage
holidaygifts,”saidSusanJeffords,a
weregiventoToysforTotsandtothe ofhopeforthefuture.It’sthebesttimeof
parolerevocationspecialist1and
childrenatSt.Margaret’sorphanage. yeartosendthismessage.”
organizeroftheevent.
“Thiswasagreatexperience,”saidPEF DownstatemembersinPEFRegion10
“Withallthedoomandgloomwiththe
Region8CoordinatorTomComanzo.“So alsogotintothespiritofgivingbyhosting
executivebudgetsinthecountryand
manypeoplepitchedinonewayor aholidaypartyandinvitingmembersto
state,2008wasoneofourbestyears.We
anothertomaketheprojectasuccess.It bringanunwrappedgiftwithavalueof
collectedmorethan$500andwereableto
isagoodfeelingtobringsome $20ormore.Theirprojectwasajoint
purchasegroceriesandclothesforthese
unconditionaljoytothechildrenof effortwiththeNewYorkCityCentral
specialfamilies,”Jeffordssaid.
parolees.Asimplegiftsendsahuge LaborCouncilandtheU.S.Marines.
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