Former STRS Board member Dave Speas: A call to action re: COLAs

From Dave Speas, July 8, 2009
Subject: Loss of COLA at STRS

Dear Fellow Clark County Retirees,

It is time to get out your pens, clank your keyboards, and position your dial fingers. The STRS board may be getting ready to make our 3% COLA go away. Since the OEA is more interested in saving the 35 year 88% for their actives, our COLA is up for being dropped.

We have already lost more than any other part of STRS. I would point out that the new executive director helped balance the budget for his last employer by dropping their COLA. Since the STRS board is now controlled by the OEA again and our advocates are outnumbered, it is up to us to put the pressure on to keep what we have now.

The COLA is very important to all retirees. That is especially true for those who have retired long years ago. They did not make the money the new teachers are making and the COLA does help them and all of us keep up somewhat with the cost of living. The COLA is based on our first retirement year's income so it is not costing what it could be.

PLEASE WRITE, CALL, AND BE ACTIVE IN PROTECTING THAT WHICH IS RIGHTFULLY OURS. IT IS TIME FOR OTHERS TO BEAR THE BURDEN WE HAVE HAD TO WITH THE LOSS OF OUR MEDICAL COVERAGE COSTS AND THE LOSS OF OUR SPOUSAL SUBSIDES. PLEASE CALL ALL THE RETIREES YOU KNOW AND HAVE THE FAMILIES OF RETIREES CALL AND FIGHT FOR THIS RETIREMENT PIECE.

It is important as an American to be active in all parts of our lives. It is especially so in this area. The older generation is NOT the primary recipient of state or federal government activities. We must fight this battle for ourselves and get all who love us and are power players to come to our aid. We must make the board and administration at STRS aware that we are going to fight this and then do all we can to protect this necessary part of our retirement.

Active teachers will be the beneficiaries of this also so they can be losers too. SAMUEL ADAMS SAID, "IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A MAJORITY TO PREVAIL BUT RATHER AN IRATE, TIMELESS MINORITY KEEN TO SET BRUSH FIRES IN PEOPLES MINDS."

It is OUR job to begin the process of getting all retired teachers involved in this action. We changed the board once and if we have to, we can do it again. PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW!!!

Dave Speas