Retiree benefits about to be reduced

I’m posting this message in hopes that retirees and those who are contemplating retiring read the post in this forum. If you have not already been informed this last Thursday on 4/1/10 the Florida Legislature in the House voted for House Bill 5701 to eliminate the Health Insurance Subsidy ( H.I.S.) from all retirees pay checks. This will mean a significant reduction for all retirees take home pay and it will be reduced even further when the recently passed National mandatory health plan goes into effect and all insurance cost goes to the ceiling.

It is not too late to defeat the action of the House. The Senate has not approved the budget yet and until they do and pass a comparable version of the house bill it cannot become law.

I encourage you to make contact with the State Senator who represents the area you vote in and encourage him or her to not vote to eliminate H.I.S. If enough Senators oppose this bill it can be defeated and they do pay attention to the squeaky wheels of their constituency. Remain silent and you will have no reason to complain when your retirement check is reduced significantly beginning in December of this year.

In addition go on line and access the House of Representatives web site and pull up the voting records of HB 5701. If the Representative for you area voted to eliminate H.I.S. you should not support that Representatives candidacy for another term.

If you are not presently retired but plan to someday, this reduction in retirement benefits will have an impact on you in the future and you too have a stake in what is the final outcome of this issue. If you have contact information with other Officers or employees in surrounding areas and other departments who do not usually read this forum I urge you to also contact them and recruit their support in making contact with their Senator.

Russ Swinney
Retired Deputy/ 2004
Escambia County Sheriffs’ Office