There
are many very important issues related to state retirement before the
Louisiana Senate this week. In fact, the massive increase in
contributions to retirement, the changes in dates related to retirement
eligibility, and the ending of traditional retirement programs may be
voted on early this week.
I cover this in some detail in my
inaugural "Talk About the South" column in the Hammond Sunday Star:
"Devil has had the money long enough"
http://www.hammondstar.com/articles/2012/04/23/opinion/columnists/8294.txt
(Related numbers: Rep. Chris Broadwater (985-543-4900), Rep. Steve Pugh (985-386-7844), and Sen. Mack White (225-272-1324).)
Here's a link to my letter in this morning's Advocate. The editor said I hit
all of the major issues:
http://theadvocate.com/news/opinion/2649968-123/letter-jindal-retirement-changes-just
For a take on what happened yesterday at the La. Senate, see veteran journalist Tom Aswell's piece: http://louisianavoice.com/.
To stay informed on retirement issues, I have listed a number of web sources below:
Fight Back Louisiana: https://www.facebook.com/groups/109118642507269/
Pension Fight Club: facebook.com/groups/pension2012/
LA Pension 2012: https://www.facebook.com/pension2012
Louisiana Pension Bulletin Board:
http://www.pension2012.org/
Louisiana Voice: http://louisianavoice.com/
CB Forgotston: http://forgotston.com/
Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana: http://www.trsl.org/main/
LASERS: http://www.lasersonline.org/site.php
Get
to know why Louisiana is broke, tax breaks for a few, a Legislative
Auditor's report. This document helped me understand where the money has
gone and one reason we are in a budget crisis. This is an outrage.: http://app1.lla.state.la.us/PublicReports.nsf/E9F217C786FEEE56862579B30065B41C/$FILE/0002737B.pdf.
I write this as a Louisiana citizen, not as an employee of any state agency.
Please pass this along.
Thank you.
Dayne Sherman
