A message from PEF Retirees President Steve Muscarella
Makesurecomingchangesareonesyouwant
Nowwehaveanewadministrationin meals,transportation totolerateastatusquowhichhas
Washington,progresscanbemadeon andhomerepairsfor facilitatedandrewardedgreed.
monumentalfiscalproblemsthataffect seniors. Wecannotabandonthestruggleand
c
t
i
o
n
ourentitlementprograms,SocialSecurity Respectanddignity allowopposingspecialintereststo
andMedicare. forseniorsisvery formulateourstateandnationalpolicies.
A
IfCongresshasthepoliticalwillitcan important.Westillhave Notonlywouldtheyopposethechanges
reformourhealthcaresystem. alottocontribute,if weseek,theyarealreadyfightingto
Asadvocatesfortheelderly,PEF giventhechance.Our eliminateourhard-earnedandpromised
i
n
Retireesexpectsstateandnational
MUSCARELLA
experiencesand pensionsandhealthbenefits.
programswillberefinedandexpandedso knowledgecould Wherearethevaluesinasocietythat
seniorscancomfortablylive providesignificant doesnotrespectorhonoritspromises
e
s
independentlyandagewithdignity. insightsandhelpourcountryavoid andcommitments?
Manysuggestedcommunity-based repeatingpastmistakes.More PEFRetireeshasmadeiteasyforyou
serviceswouldbeeconomicallyfeasible intergenerationalactivitieswouldbenefit tocontactyourlegislatorsandadvocate
andwouldallowtheelderlygreater everyone. foryourpensions,healthbenefitsand
comfortandsecurity.Wecouldbeginwith Allofthisispossible,butmademore programs.
e
t
i
r
e
programsthatpromotepreventivehealth difficultbytheeconomy. Gotowww.unionvoice.org/pef/leg-
careandselfmanagementofchronic Itistimeweexpress,asloudlyas lookup/search.html.Typeinyouraddress
R
diseases. possible,ourdiscontentwiththis andZIPcodeanditwilldisplaythe
Othersuggestionsincludeastronger country’srecentdirectionand federalofficeholders.Togetthestate
emphasisonhomemedicalcare,visiting abandonmentofcivicvalues.It’stimewe officeholders,clickonthe“State”tab.
nursesandsupportservicesfor putmoreemphasisonaffirmatively Withchangecomesopportunity. Make
caregivers.Wecouldaddprogramsfor advancingpositivechangeonthehumane yourvoiceheardfortherightkindof
supplementalnutrition,home-delivered issuesin society,ratherthancontinuing change.
Missed chance to join Tier 2; trapped in Tier 3
BySHERRYHALBROOK theretirementsystemfrom1990untilthe AccordingtoAbbate’soffice,abillfor
ThePEFRetirementReformCommittee present.Thisispatentlyunfair. 2009isbeingdraftedandwillsoonhavea
hasreceivedretirement-relatedquestions 3 Recently,Icontactedtheretirement number.
frommembersandretirees.After systemtogetcreditforthetimeIhad Ifyouhadjoinedtheretirementsystem
consultingwiththestateretirement workedpriortoOctober1976.Afewdays wheneligibleforTier2,thenleftstate
systemitisattemptingtoanswerthese weregiventome,andIwastoldIwould serviceandreturnedtothesysteminTier
questions.Someofthemwillbepublished havetopayfortherestofthetime.Why 3,youcouldbereinstatedtoTier2under
inTheCommunicator.Thefirstoftheseis shouldI,whenI’vealreadypaidinfor14 Chapter646oftheLawsof1999.
presentedhere. yearstoolong? However,evenunderthatprovision,you
Q: Ifirstbeganworkingforthestate Pleasehelpme. wouldnotberefundedanycontributions
ofNewYorkDecember30,1974,asa AlanD.Mack youhadmadewhileamemberofTier3.
seasonalemployee.Ireturnedtothose Caledonia OnlythosereinstatedtoTier2beforeJuly
dutiesforashorttimeinthesummersof A: Yourdilemmaregardingeligible 27,1976,couldbereimbursed.
1975and1976.Noonementionedthe servicepriortojoiningthestateretirement PEFhasworkeddiligentlysincethe
stateretirementsystemtomeatthose systemisnotuncommon.Toaddressit, formationofTier3in1976toeliminate
times.Iftheyhad,Iwouldhavejoined PEFsupportedlegislationtoallow therequiredemployeecontribution,and
immediately. retroactiveenrollmentinpriortiersfor wasfinallyablein2000togetitcutoffat
Ibeganworkingforthestate eligibleindividuals. 10years.
DepartmentofEnvironmental In1993,suchlegislationwasenacted Sofar,effortstogetalawenactedto
ConservationSept.30,1976,asa andprovidedathree-yearwindowto allowcontributionsinexcessof10years
seasonalemployee.Whentheretirement apply.ThiswaspublicizedinThe toberefundedorcompensatedbyextra
systemwasmentionedtomeduringmy Communicatorandsomememberstook servicecredithavenotbeensuccessful.
firsttwoweeks,Iimmediatelyjoinedand advantageofitbeforethewindowclosed PEFcontinuestosupportsuchbills.Last
wasplacedinTier3.ThatwasinOctober October24,1996. year,AbbateandAssemblyMemberJack
1976. Othermembers,likeyou,cameforward McEnenyworkedwithSen.Joseph
Herearemyconcerns: toolate.So,PEFhasbeenworkingtoget Robachtosponsorbillstoaddressthis,
1 IshouldbeinTier2.Iwanttobe anotherwindowauthorizedbynew andtheymayreintroducethemin2009.
placedinTier2andhaveallmyTier3 legislation.AssemblyMemberPeter IfsuchaTierEquitybillhadbeen
contributionsgivenbacktome. AbbateJr.,chairoftheGovernment enactedlastyear,theestimatedcostwas
2 Ipaid3percentofmygross EmployeesCommittee,hasbeen $78millionforstateemployeesand$153
earningsintoTier3forfarlongerthanthe introducingbillstodothiseveryyear millionforlocalgovernmentemployees.
10-yearmaximumenactedinOctober sincethewindowclosedin1996.Hisbill Now,thegovernorwantstocreatea
2000.Infact,Ipaidinfor24years,which wasvetoedin1998,andhasnotmadeit Tier5withalltheinequitiesoftheoriginal
i
P
s
a
1
g
4
e
y
1
e
0
a
—
rs
Th
lo
e
n
C
ge
o
r
m
t
m
ha
u
n
nic
a
a
n
t
y
o
o
r
n
M
e
a
w
rc
h
h
o
20
jo
0
i
9
ned backtothegovernor’sdesksincethen. Tier4.
PEFInformationLine:1-800-553-2445
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32