Pension Attacks

[FD Bro']

It doesn't matter if you're in FRS or not. Please utilize the link below to call or email your representative and demand that they VOTE NO ON HB 7011. Remember, the ch. 175 & 185 plans are still in the crosshairs and FRS members will be calling when and if our turn comes.


Fraternally,


FD Bro'

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Senate is counting votes to pass Speaker Weatherford's bill (HB 7011) to close the Florida Retirement System and leave firefighter families unprotected in the event of a line of duty death. Senators are being threatened with budget items and their own bills being defeated. It is imperative that you call your Florida Senator NOW and ask them to vote NO on HB 7011. If you aren't sure who your Senator is, click the link below. The House has already passed the bill and our only hope of saving the retirement system is stopping it in the Senate. Please call your Senator today and tomorrow. They go into session on Wednesday.


Find your Florida Senator: http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find


Please pass this on to your co-workers.

Fraternally,



Gary Rainey, President/CEO
Florida Professional Firefighters
850-224-7333

[FD Bro']

Your calls and emails are being heard, Brothers and Sisters!

Many of you probably saw the SPT article posted earlier today, entitled: Time ticking down for Weatherford's pension rebellion - http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-bu...ellion/2117098

Hopefully the more moderate Republicans in office such as Jack Latvala can and will continue to thwart these bullshit attempts at gutting FRS which is doing quite well along with the Local Law plans such as our own ch.175 & ch.185 plans which are also doing quite well.

How heroic of the cities to quietly sit back and watch as the Florida Legislature (read: League of Cities) reaches into every city's backyard to ursurp their home rule rights without ever having heard the word STOP!



Fraternally,


FD Bro'

(4-24-2013)
Update on todays inaction on the FRS bills, time is running short and that is in our favor, best case scenario is if both bills die! But the Republicans are still wrangling votes and attempting to tie the FRS bill to the Local pension bill.
Fraternally,

Gary Rainey, President/CEO
Florida Professional Firefighters

[FD Bro']

If you never gave much thought to politics being dirty game, just look at the myriad of 'players' and to what extremes they'll go to, to win.



Fraternally,



FD Bro'

(4-25-2013)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,


The Senate FRS bill (SB 1392) was on Special Order calendar yesterday and was temporarily postponed. It was placed back on Special Order again today and has been temporarily postponed once again. Speaker Weatherford is still pushing for a Senate vote on his number one priority for the 2013 session to close the FRS pension plan on January 1, 2014. This is at the bidding of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. By making the Senate vote on the House bill, the Florida Chamber will identify moderate Republicans to target in next years elections. The Republican leadership is working to pick off our NO votes in the Senate with threats and promises of members bills passage. If you haven't called your Senator yet, now is the time to call their Tallahassee office and ask them to hold the line and Vote NO on HB 7011.


A few minutes of time and effort on your part will be instrumental in reassuring our Senate friends.


You can find your Senator at the following link: http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find



Fraternally,



Gary Rainey, President/CEO
Florida Professional Firefighters

[FD Bro']

This update is hot off the press as of an hour ago - 1345, Friday 4-26.

Check out the last paragraph. Keep your fingers crossed... it's looking good for us in the 175 & 185 plans, this year, Brothers and Sisters.




Fraternally,


FD Bro'

Dear Brothers and Sisters;

SB 1392 was on the Special Order calendar today for the third time, and they adjourned before 1 PM without calling it up. It was rolled over to the Special Order calendar again for Monday. It's not looking good for the bill(s), but that's good for us. The printing deadline for the state budget is Sunday, with presentation early next week. The budget requires at least 3 days after publication before it can be voted upon, and the legislature adjourns next Friday.

There's still time to call your Senator and tell them to vote NO on HB 7011. The pressure is working, don't let up here in the home stretch. We'll update the bill(s) status again on Monday.

No action on the 175 pension bills this week, they are dead for this year by most all accounts.
Fraternally,

Gary Rainey, President/CEO
Florida Professional Firefighters

[FD Bro']

http://www.fpfp.org/index.cfm?zone=/...&HomeID=279743


Brothers and Sisters;

Early this evening (4/29) Senator Simpson, the sponsor of the Senate FRS bill filed two "strike all " amendments that will replace the language in his bill with the language from the House FRS bill. If adopted this bill will close the FRS pension plan to all new hires next year, and eliminate the current survivor benefit for line of duty deaths.

I would encourage every FPF member to begin calling your State Senator's office tomorrow and ask them to vote NO on the Simpson amendments to SB 1392. This move was an anticipated scenario and we will need at least 6 Republicans to vote with the Democrats to kill the amendments. We are also working on procedural challenges.

Don't know who your State Senator is? click on this link and type in your zip code for the contact information. There are only 4 days left and we must shore up our Senate votes, whether you have called previously or not we need your help now.

Find your Florida Senator: http://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/Find

I am adding the two amendments to SB 1392 below if you'd like to read them. If Senate bill 1392 passes as amended it will be the death knell for the Florida Retirement System for all current and retired members as well. PLEASE MAKE THE CALL!



Fraternally,


Gary Rainey, President
Florida Professional Firefighters




Brothers and Sisters, please call your Senators once more. It only takes a minute and you get to feel like a Patriot! Again... if they can surreptitiously move all of the FRS dollars into the hands of Wall Street moguls by the stroke of a pen, they'll be emboldened to come after our local law plan with no concern for what you or I think.

Fraternally,


FD Bro'

[FD Bro']

Weatherford's pension overhaul still alive
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 8:52am

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-bu...-alive/2118246







FD Bro'

[FD Bro']

Apologies up front for the poor formating. I got this from FPF 2nd District VP Winnie Newton. He got it as you see it. If I get a cleaned up version, I'll replace this single paragraph. At the very least you'll get a sense of who's fighting for and against the defined benefit plans.




FD Bro'


The Senate took up the FRS bill this afternoon, The first amendment put the House bill in place with an implementation date change of 2015. The amendment also provided for a pension study commission and there was a great deal of discussion on converting to a cash balance hybrid pension next year. It also returns the employee contribution rate for investment plan members to 2%. Democrats across board argued against the amendment. Senator Bradley (R) spoke positively for the study to convert FRS to a cash balance plan, and painted the gloom and doom of the stock market affects on the plan. He He also compared poorly run state plans to the well run FRS plan, and suggested now is the time to close Florida's pension plan forever. Senator Dean (R) spoke in favor of employees remaining in a defined benefit pension plan. Our current contribution for Special Risk member has gone down from 25% of payroll to the current 14% of payroll. Senator Joyner (D) also made an impassioned plea for the retention of the pension plan. Senator Margolis (D) also spoke in favor of retaining the pension plan. Senator Richter (R) spoke in favor of closing the Florida pension plan, and giving employees a 401k. Senator Clemens pointed out the Florida's actuaries Milliman were recently sued by the state of Maryland for 73 million dollars for their malfeasance in managing the Maryland retirement system. Senator Soto (D)reminded the Senate of the first responders in Boston and the teachers self sacrifice in New Town and urged rejection of the amendment. Senator Ring (D) would like to see the study for a cash balance hybrid plan, but cannot support the amendment because it closes the pension plan. Senator Negron (R) spoke in favor of closing the Florida Pension plan. Senator Thomson (D) spoke against the amendment and explained that when she recruited college professors and was not competitive against the private sector often got the recruit because of the pension plan. Senator Bullard (D) stated his frustration with this body who offer accolades to our pubic servants and then pas policy to throw them under the bus at every turn. We do everything we can to discourage the best and brightest from coming to Florida. Senator Montford (D)reminded that every public employees is a taxpayer, and average retiree on 17,000 a year after 30 years. I'm not supporting this amendment. Senator Gibson (D)pointed out first responders came to talk to me about the future, firefighters who aren't hired yet, not themselves. What will future generations look like without any retirement security. Senator Latvala (R) spoke on the amendment we know its the Speakers priority, we had a half dozen ways to tie this up but now we'll have a straight up and down vote to end this bill this year. The Speaker wants a litmus test of the senate on this bill that affects 623,000 lives a of FRS members. This amendment never had a committee hearing, never had a staff analysis done. This is the first time this Senate has seen this bill. The investment plan is not for everybody. I'm against this amendment because 70% of state employees make less that 40,000.00, most choose public service because of the pension, we need to continue the pension plan for everybody. Senator Lee (R) spoke in favor of Senator Simpsons amendment to close the Florida Retirement System. This system may not be here if we don't act now. I stand in defense of Speaker Weatherfords initiative and applaud him for bringing it to us today. Senator Sachs (D) spoke against the amendment and remember that this is about the people, and the people who elect us to represent them. The amendment failed by a 22 to 18 vote. we'll post the actual vote when it is published.




Gary Rainey, President Florida Professional Firefighters

[FD Bro']

Done!

Give yourselves a pat on the back if you called or emailed your state senator in support of our Brothers and Sisters working under FRS.


Fraternally,


FD Bro'



Brothers and Sisters,

The FRS pension bills were killed by the Florida Senate this afternoon in a 22 to 17 vote. Despite the fact that the Speaker of the House made closing the FRS pension plan his hall mark number one priority, in the final analysis, hard work, and a just cause defeated an idea that was ill conceived and detrimental to both firefighters and the taxpayer.

After several hours of debate the bills were defeated and the FRS lives on. I’ll do a more comprehensive report, but wanted to relieve your fears and concerns whether you are retired, working towards retirement or just starting your career.
This is the third year in a row that the Republican leadership has attacked firefighters and other first responders in an attempt to close or gut our pensions. In each case we have beaten back the attack.

I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the thousands of FPF members who spent weeks on end up here in Tallahassee lobbying, wrote thousands of letters and emails, and made phone calls and personal visits to your Senator. The proof is in the results.
I'd like to ask one more favor and that is to call the following Senators who supported us on this important vote and thank them. The ones who voted against firefighters, well you can call them and tell them whatever you think they might need to hear!

Senators who voted to support Firefighters
Abruzzo
Braynon
Bullard
Clemens
Dean
Detert
Diaz de la Portilla
Evers
Flores
Gibson
Grimsley
Joyner
Latvala
Montford
Margolis
Legg
Ring
Sachs
Smith
Sobel
Soto
Thompson

Senators who voted wrong to close the Pension plan
Altman
Benacquisto
Bean
Bradley
Brandes
Galvano
Garcia
Gardiner
Hays
Hukill
Lee
Negron
Richter
Simmons
Simpson
Stargel
Thrasher
Gaetz


Fraternally,



Gary Rainey, President/CEO
Florida Professional Firefighters

[FD Bro']

Speaker Will Weatherford loses Senate showdown over Florida pensions

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politic...senate/2118449






Enjoy,


FD Bro'

Don't pat yourself on the back too much. The only reason these bills failed is because we are in the middle of a bull market and most of the pensions are heavily invested in the stock market. A rising tide lifts all boats but it especially helped the FRS improve its funding which was around 87% and now is higher. A bear market will come as sure as the sun rises each day and with it will come deficits to the tune of 50%-60% funding. That's when the bills which failed today will pass because the pensionless taxpayers do not want increased taxes to make up the deficits of the FRS. All the risk and responsibility of retirement will be transferred from the state and taxpayers to public employees just like in the private sector. It's only a matter of time.