Hey, ORTA, do you REALLY want to promote this website?

From John Curry, August 24, 2009
Subject: Just what is this "pension tsunami" site that ORTA has a direct link to on their website?

They must want you to read it, don't they? Otherwise they wouldn't put it on their website, would they?

Well, I took a little time to research Pension Tsunami. It starts with what Pension Tsunami states on their very own site....that is:

"The PensionTsunami.com website and the PensionWatch blog and daily newsclip service are projects of FACT -- the Fullerton Association of Concerned Taxpayers. FACT's primary focus is on California's public employee pension crisis, but we are also attempting to monitor developments in all three pension spheres -- public employees, corporations and social security ...."

Ok...that sounds innocent enough, doesn't it? They say they are primarily focused on California's public employee pension crisis. I'll give them that. But, let's dig a little more into the Fullerton Association of Concerned Taxpayers and Pension Tsunami.....

First, let's visit with AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees). Here's what AFSCME has to say about the Pension Tsunami websiste. [Note, DB in the "Anti-DB Web Sites" refers to defined benefits retirements..you know, the kind that most all of us have from STRS?]. Click here to visit website.
"Anti-DB Web Sites

www.pensiontsunami.com
Daily clipping service of pension articles run by the Fullerton Association of Concerned Taxpayers"

Now, let's visit a letter from the Retired Public Employees' Association of California and see what they have to say about Pension Tsunami and the Fullerton group (click here).
RETIRED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA
300 T Street, Sacramento, California, 95811-6912
(916) 441-7732
Fax: (916) 441-7413
(800) 443-7732
www.rpea.com rpeahq@rpea.com
February 8, 2009
TO: Board of Directors, Assistant Area Directors, Chapter Presidents, Chapter Board Members and Chapter Legislative Chairpersons
FROM: Bill Duclus, Director of Legislation
SUBJECT: February 2009 – Legislative Report
COPY TO: Aaron Read, Pat Moran, Joelle Ferretti, Joe Umiker, Bob Bess (CSU-ERFA)
This will be a year that we public employee retirees will surely remember. Federal and state legislative issues galore that could affect our benefits. Our vested benefits are being attacked from various so-called taxpayer associations, coalitions, groups and individuals. Just to name a few:
• Grover Norquist
• Lew Uhler
• Jon Coupal with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
• John Moorlach
• Dr. Keith Richman with the Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility
• Pension Tsunami
• California Taxpayers Association
• Contra Costa County Taxpayers Alliance
• Orange County Taxpayers Association
• Fullerton Taxpayers
• Sutter County Taxpayers
The list goes on and on. Many want to roll back our benefits that we earned and together with our
employer contributed to during our employment. We took many sacrifices during our working careers so that we would have benefits when we retired. We did not want to go on the dole, relief, bread line, become homeless, etc. Now many people believe that all public employees and retirees get too many benefits. That is not true. They should review CalPERS’ annual reports, bulletins and press releases and do their homework. It is time we stand up and speak out more vocally for ourselves. We need your help and the help of your relatives, friends, neighbors and maybe your so-called enemies. The World, the United States and California are facing trying times, but this is not the time to take it out on the public employees—active or retired. Recruit a new member today. We need all the help we can get.

Is this enough to convince you, the STRS retiree, that ORTA shouldn't be featuring a link on their website from a group who is against defined benefits pensions WHEN ORTA DOESN'T EVEN KNOW IT? I'd say that's a reasonable statement, wouldn't you?

John

P.S. Don't believe that ORTA features a link to this site? Here, click on ORTA's home page and see for yourself...before they read this email, realize what they've done and quickly remove the link! ORTA calls this link "Pension Watch, Updated Daily." Just click on that link when you access ORTA with the link below and you'll see what I refer to!

http://www.orta.org/