Southern Fairfield County Retired Teacher Association SFCRTA - Southern Fairfield County Retired Teacher Association

On Insurance: The one remaining major weakness in our retirement benefit plans is the insecurity in our cost for our plans.

The new State budget seeks to reduce the states' limited contribution by approximately 9% to twenty eight million and our Medicare covered retirees will pick up the shortage. The increase for our Medicare eligible people will increase from thirty percent to forty two percent. This would be in dollar terms an increase of about $420/year per member.

This might have been avoided if the Teacher Retirement Board had asked its retirees if they would agree to cover Governor Re11's insurance coverage for the last two years of her term, a sum of sixty million two hundred dollar amount. Our T.R.B. is reported to have voted to provide the monies from the Health Insurance Premium Account, but never publicly disclosed their action.

That sixty million plus was obtained from our working teachers' contribution of 1.25% of their gross incomes. But in Sec.10-183t Health Insurance maintained by Teachers Retirement Board; Sec (d) states "If during any fiscal year, there are insufficient funds in the account for the purpose of all such payments, the General Assembly shall appropriate sufficient funds to account for such purpose.

The loss of $60,000,000 from our HIPA means

1. we cannot access 55,000 each for our over sixty-five year olds, a total of 1,080 without Medicare which include their spouses at least a fifty percent reduction in their 'group rate" costs.
2. the increase costs in our Medicare covered retirees, could have applied for that seven and a half million would have also been covered.

We wrote, published and distributed a plan to address these possible issues and although it passed on April 11, 2011, it was never forwarded to the Legislative Committee in ten months. When we began this journey, there was over $100,000,000 in our Health account.

THE TEACHER RETIREMENT BOARD

Appears about to become part of the Comptroller's office. Governor Malloy has proposed that consolidation because of an apparent savings of taxpayers' monies. The T.R.B. is very much understaffed, its computer system needs replacement and their phone system leaves very much to be desired. If the staffing of the T.R.B. is incorporated in the Comptrollers' domain it appears to he a positive. The Teacher Retirement Board which used to have over thirty staffers, are presently down to twenty-one. We have been always dedicated to Darlene Perez, the T.R.B. Executive Secretary and her outstanding staff.

NEW LEADERSHIP

With a desire to take a rest after fift•-one years of service to working and retired teachers, I again announce that as of June 30, 2012 I will finally retire.

NEEDED

1. A new President
2. A new Vice President
3. A new Social Services chair person
4. A new Insurance Chairperson
5. Political Action Chair

The terms are for two years. The excitement is overwhelming. Your executive committee is really fun, thoughtful and always helpful.

PLEASE SAY YES!

I wish to serve as ____________________________________________________________________

Contact Esther Flynn at 203-866-0040

Our group has over 1,400 dues-paying members. The Board of Directors of the Southern Fairfield County Retired Teachers Association hold its Board meetings at the Greens in Wilton.

Eleanor Hegedus has served our organization for over fifteen years. Quietly attending to the loss of our colleagues with great dignity. She will be honored at the end of the year luncheon in June of this year at the Continental Manor.

Our scholarship drive goes forward under the wonderful leadership of Dr. G. White who is well served by her committee, Ruby Carlucci, Roseanne DeCamillo, and Anne Sessa.

For those of you have yet to join, please do! We hold ourselves accountable for your protections. Our dues of $15.00 is a small cost to have a vocal force representing our interest. We are proud of our participation in our local and statewide retiree issues.

Remember - your Cost of Living for this year will be 3.6% for those who retired after July 1992!