The House is the enemy

House says state workers should retire later, use salaries to pay into their retirement
The retirement age for all workers in Florida's Retirement System would rise and all public workers would take a 5 percent pay cut under the House's version of a pension rewrite approved Thursday by the House Governmental Operations Subcommittee.

The Republican-dominated committee approved the bill along a party-line vote, despite warnings from law enforcement and firefighters who said that requiring them to work longer in high risk jobs before they draw their retirement will endanger the public. The measure lengthens time police, firefighters, and other special risk employees work before they can retire from 25 to 30 years, or from age 55 to age 60, whichever comes sooner. For everyone else, the retirement age would rise from 60 to 62 years, or from 30 to 33 years.

The changes are designed to have the state's public pension fund more in line with private retirement plans, said Rep. Debbie Mayfield, one of the bill's sponsors. Opponents challenged that conclusion and suggested that the real motive for the proposed pension changes was to use public sector salaries to fill the state's $3.6 billion budget deficit rather than seeking money by closing tax loopholes.

The bill mirrors Gov. Rick Scott's plan to shift five percent of the annual salary from employees in the Florida Retirement System into their retirement account, thereby saving the state and local government money. But the House rejected several of the governor's ideas including his plan to end the defined benefit pension plan for new workers and eliminating cost of living adjustments for all retirees

So, do you have it be hit on the side of the head? Everyone in this state is after us and we have a union (PBA) who is doing nothing! When we all demanded to gather for a rally, PBA"s Puckett told the press that he and the union wants us to stay at work? :shock: Really??? stay at work??? Yes the house and senate and Scott are our enemy. And the one group who we have paid for years are not doing a dam thing to help!

THAT IS WHY THE TEAMSTERS ARE MOVING IN VERY EASY!!!

[Tom]

DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OPPOSED TO PENSION TAX- HB1405



HOUSE REPUBLICAN PENSION TAX CLEARS SUBCOMMITTEE; DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OPPOSED



TALLAHASSEE, Fla. --- In committee Thursday night, House Democratic Caucus members voted in opposition to a Republican bill that imposes an across-the-board 5-percent tax on the salaries of participants in the Florida Retirement System, including Florida’s teachers, police and other public workers.



Democratic Caucus members warned of severe long-term negative consequences and said House Bill 1405 could damage Florida’s economy. They also said Republican budget writers ought to find other ways to help fill a more than $3-billion hole in the state budget.



There are more than 650,000 Florida Retirement System members statewide and 300,000 government retirees who participate in the FRS.



The measure, which cleared the House Government Operations Subcommittee on a party-line vote, also lengthens time police, firefighters, and other “special risk” employees must work before they can retire from 25 to 30 years, or from age 55 to age 60, whichever comes sooner. For everyone else, the retirement age would rise from age 62 to 65, or from 30 to 33 years of service.

Rep. Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth) is the Democratic Ranking Member on the House Government Operations Subcommittee. The panel approved the bill Thursday night on a party-line vote. During his closing remarks in opposition, Rep. Clemens described the legislation as “patently unfair” to public servants.



“We’ve been dealing with pay freezes for public employees for years and now we’re putting a 5-percent salary tax on the backs of state employees,” said Rep. Clemens. “Absolutely, this is a 5-percent pay cut. I don’t know what else you would call it but a tax.”



Clemens also said HB1405 is a “solution in search of a problem,” noting that the FRS is nearly fully funded and is considered one of the best-operating public pension systems in the nation.



Rep. Alan Williams (D-Tallahassee) another member of the subcommittee who opposed the bill, said the legislation will create a deficit in the Florida economy.



“There are 720 million reasons why we shouldn’t support this bill,” Williams said. “That’s the amount of money that will be coming out of the economy, with the 5 percent tax on the incomes of just state employees and on teachers…Members, when you talk about trying to stimulate the economy, and you go back to your districts and say: `What have I done to stimulate the economy?’ Don’t point to this bill.”



Reps. Irv Slosberg (D-Boca Raton), Dwayne Taylor (D-Daytona Beach), and Barbara Watson (D-Miami) also spoke in opposition to the bill.

The expected next hearing for the bill is in the House Appropriations Committee.

They are out numbered 3 to 1 and the vote is going to fly right up to Scott. Look, all I want to know is why are we sitting back and watching all this happen? At the least, the PBA leadership is no where to be found! I have called three of my elected officals. The only people I was allowed to speak with were their pages. They informed me they have heard nothing from the union. One page said it was a little weird not to have pba people knocking on the doors? SO WHY ARE WE PAYING THE PBA PEOPLE????

We better hope the Senate has a little more pull on this issue. They usually do but no telling what Haridopolis will pull.

Every single person should call pba tomorrow. We should tell them they are selling us out! Scott is going to get everything he wants! I do not know how anyone could be angry at the elected people and not pba! Everyone in my circuit is pist at the union.. :x

Your so full of crap! The only people we are mad at is **** scott and the GOP legislature. The teamsters couldn't do squat in Wisconsin and that aren't going to do squat in Florida. People like you make me sick to my stomach because your only agenda is yourself and your stupid teamsters. You idots don't realize how many of us hate your guts because your more annoying than a fly! The only success the stupid teamsters have ever had was getting people furloughed, shit for brains!

It does not matter now. There are enough cards to turn the table. And, the reason so many people signed the cards is because they are so freaken mad at pba. So, who is full of crap now. :lol: