City of San Diego Retired Employees' Association Newsletter ... - Net

City of San Diego Retired Employees' Association
Newsletter January 2011
Program
Holiday Party recap
New Members
Advocacy Program
_PSC
Advocacy Program
President's Message
SDCERS' Reports
General
Announcements
Website News
CSDREA Board
Members
NO January 2011 General Meeting and
Program
The Board will meet, and you are welcome to join
us at the Tuesday, January 11, 2011 board meeting
at 9:30 A.M., in the War Memorial Building, room
2. We will attend to regular business and install
the newly elected board members: Karen Butler,
Brad Jacobsen, and Chuck Mueller.
A meeting will be in February to plan the
programs and activities for the calendar year 2011.
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Report on the REA Holiday Party, Luncheon
and Program by Helen Phillips
About 90 of us enjoyed the day with new and long
time friends. Tom Ham's Lighthouse was the
perfect setting with a beautiful view of the city that
we retirees helped build and maintain!
President Jim Baross formally opened the
program, beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance,
honoring our Veterans. Jim's informal 'ice
breaker' card game was a hit because each winner
was first in line for the buffet!
The menu was delicious and the service was

definitely delightful. Special thank you for the
great donations provided for our door and game
prizes. Special event planner Helen Phillips and
Jean Hughes kept us entertained. Jean had fun
Trivia games, and Helen told the "Story of the
Right Family" - isn't that Right?
Our annual San Diego Food Bank drive was again
successful, we collected $484 and 76 pounds of
food. This provides for 1,511 meals! We received a
nice thank you letter from the San Diego Food
Bank. (heir web site is www.sandiegofoodbank.org.
Donations are needed year round to help our
fellow San Diegans.)
Good times were had by all! Check out the photos
that will be put on the REA web site. Sending a
hearty thanks to all who put in the work to make it
happen, including the special Santa's Helper,
Sylvia Tatum! REA appreciates our great
volunteers!
Mark your calendar for December 2011 - see you
next year!
Helen Phillips
Welcome another 2 NEW MEMBERS!
In the past month, again attributed primarily
due to the new REA membership brochure
that was mailed to all who have retired since
2002. The following list is by order of receipt
since the December newletter listing. There
have been 148 new members since August!
Gary L. Britton and Richard Rowe
Purchase of Service Credits (PSC) discussed
at the City Council meeting.
Thank You to the REA members that showed up at the

City Council meeting on November 29, 2010, in
support and recognition of the precedent that will be
established if SDCERS is allowed to force modifications
to the PSC contracts.
A presentation of the facts and process being
followed, and a discussion of the numbers associated
with the approximately 2,400 City employees and
retirees, and the associated liability currently in the
City's Unfunded Actuarial Liability was presented by
SDCERS staff led by Mark Hovey.
Representing REA Jim Baross, representing AUE Dick
Wilken, MEA attorney Ann Smith, and POA attorney
Mike Conger spoke about the history and impacts on
this issue. And, several current employees and
retirees expressed their concerns about the proposed
reductions in their pensions. There was a good turnout
of about twenty-five REA and POA members in
attendance wearing identifying name tags that Jim
provided.
Mark Hovey asked the City Council for a response to
the presentation by January 28, 2011, noting
members' need to make decisions on retiring, etc.
General Council Elaine Reagan estimated there could
be 2000 lawsuits if the Council did not correct current
Ordinances and SDCERS carried out their current plan
to void contracts.
The next step is for SDCERS to complete computer
models to calculate figures and then contacting
affected members in January following the results of
the City Council's closed session on this matter.
The next Advocacy Meeting is scheduled for
and January 14, 2011, starting at 9:30 AM to
11:00 AM at the Mission Valley Branch
Library.
The last meeting on November 12, 2010 was another
good discussion about the issues involving our
retirements including: health care, purchase of service
credits (PSC), lawsuits, etc.
Volunteers are needed to call other retiree
associations up and down California, gather
information, and begin a network. Who can we count
on? Volunteer?

Please join us!
Directions: The Mission Valley Library address is 2123
Fenton Parkway, south of Friars Road. There is plenty
of parking in the library parking lot and on
the street.
Patti Karnes
Comments on Pensions in the News
During the past few months, there have been a
number of Union Tribune editorials, 'watchdog'
reports, and council members with inaccurate or only
partially correct comments on government pension
programs, particularly concerning our City pensions.
Several letters to the editors have been published, or
at least submitted, by Larry Sterling and George K.
George and others who have presented more
historically accurate facts on such issues as: the origin
of the 13th check; why we have had pension increases
in place of salary increases; why savings to the City
were realized when Social Security coverage was
dropped in the 1980's; low hotel and business taxes;
no trash collection fees for single family homes (only
city in the county),
etc.
As George K. George's UT 12/14/10, letter ends:
".......What current elected official would risk
suggesting a pension tax today. As my old boss used to
say - San Diego is not a poor city, just a cheap city."
When inaccurate information is mass distributed, we
need to try to provide correct facts. Thank you to
those who have tried, and continue to do so. We
should all be aware and correct inaccuracies, even our
own relatives and friends sometimes believe what they
read or hear on TV, more than what we know is the
truth!
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE by CSDREA President
Jim Baross
My apologies to everyone who might be looking
forward to attending our January general
meeting. As I reported last month, REA's ability
to use City facilities on the same basis that we

have for many years has been questioned by
diligent City staff, jeopardizing our ability to
have large meetings. We are in negotiations
with the City to be able to use the War
Memorial Building, but in the meantime, we
have cancelled our January meeting.
The REA Board will meet on Tuesday, January
11, 2011 to attend to regular business and
install the newly elected board members. You
are invited to attend.
On the good news side, 90 of us had a good
holiday party at Tom Ham's. Helen Phillips and a
host of volunteers provided entertaining
activities and lots of prizes. Thanks to all who
helped out and attended!
The REA Board will spend a day in February at
what we call a Retreat, but it is more a full day
of organizing and stratergizing for next year. If
you have ideas or issues you would like brought
up, please feel free to contact me or any board
member. This is your organization too!
Contact me for more information:
president@csdrea.com or 619-280-6908
Jim
SDCERS Board Meetings reported by REA
Board Member Patti Karnes
The last meetings were on December 16 and 17, 2010.
Thorough board minutes and actions are available
on www.SDCERS.org. The next meeting will be on Friday,
January 21, 2011 at 8:30 A.M. Location is 401 West A,
Third Floor. Please attend if you possibly can. These
matters are very important to all of us. SDCERS makes

parking free in the building for general meeting days -
only.
Register and use the SDCERS Web portal for the latest
news and update your file. For example: there is an
application to designate a custodian to act for a minor in
the event of a member's death is not avaailable at
SDCERS for retirees responsible for minors. If made prior
to a member's death, this saves the appointment of a
guardian by the court system.
There will be three NEW Board Trustees in April 2011,
filling terms of four years:
Selected by General members - Patrick Lane;
Selected by Retiree members - Dick Wilken;
Selected by Police Safety members - Michael McEwen.
While new Trustees will enlighten the Board with their
particular member viewpoints, they will be voting for the
good of the fund for all members. Please express your
appreciation for their volunteer service on our behalf.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Special meetings may be
scheduled as needed with a 72 hours' notice. Committee
meetings, not televised yet, are on the Thursday before
the regularly scheduled Board meeting: Disability
Committee will meet from 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.;
Business & Governance will meet 10:30 a.m.- 12:00
p.m.; Investment Committee will meet 1:30 p.m. - 4:00
p.m. The Audit committee will continue to meet
quarterly on Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m.
Complete board minutes and actions, court case details,
and taken are available on www.SDCERS.org. Patti
General Announcements
We are looking for additional greeters and helpers at
meetings. Anyone out there willing to fill in? It's about
4 hours once a month. If you can help out for a couple
of months, please come able to help, or contact Dave
Twomey @ 619-236-1407.
Other committees need volunteers: advocacy, legal
representation, hospitality. Thank you for your help!
If you are still getting the mailed version, and have
Internet access, you can save us mailing costs by

contacting us to drop mailing to you the print version.
Happy Birthday to everyone who has a January
birthday!
Do you know a member who is ill or who is over 80
years old Do you know anyone who is turning 80 and
having a birthday? Notify Sharon Beach (619-934-
8202) so a card is sent. Also, if you know of someone
who has died, please let us know. You may also submit
a short bio of that person for publication.
City of San Diego Employee Assistance Program
(EAP) is available to city retirees. This assistance is
confidential. Contact EAP at 619-533-3460.
WEBSITE NEWS
SDREA WEB News! Logon http://www.csdrea.com
The WEB site is Open to all. Read all the recent
postings on subjects important to retirees. You will
also discover helpful links to other resources.
Reminder
The Retired Fire and Police Assn. has welcomed CSDREA
members to visit their website at
Retired Fire and Police
Logon to see the mutually important retiree information
they publish.
CITY OF SAN DIEGO RETIRED EMPLOYEES'
ASSOCIATION BOARD
Board Members
**To send a message with your comments, suggestions or
questions to an officer, board or committee member, click on
their E-mail link above and your mail system should bring
up the e-mail form with the proper addressee. We look
forward to your comments.
The board members who have consented to listing their
phone numbers in the newsletter have done so to
provide you a way to arrange sending a card to a sick
member. Thank you for your cooperation.
Position Name Email Link**
President Jim Baross President
619-281-6908

Past President Nancy Acevedo Past President
619-579-5930
Vice-Pres Programs Dave Twomey VP Programs
Vice-Pres Advocacy Patricia Karnes VP Advocacy
Secretary
Brad
Jacobsen
Secretary
Treasurer Karen Butler Treasurer
Membership Chair Sylvia Tatum Membership
858-272-0494
Elected Rep to SDCERS
Board
Dave Hall
Retiree Rep
Newsletter Editor Janet Wood Editor
Parliamentarian Robert West Parliamentarian
Director Terry Flynn Director 1
Director Jon Dunchack Director 2
Director
Leonard "Ty"
Rogers
Director 3
Director
Charles
(Chuck)
Mueller
Director 4
Director Dick Wilken Director 5
Director & Webmaster Art Brown Webmaster
Assistant Webmaster John Tsiknas Web Assistant
MEA Representative Helen Phillips MEA Rep
Hospitality Co-Chair vacant Hospitality 1
Hospitality Co-Chair vacant Hospitality 2
Sunshine Committee Sharon Beach Sunshine
619-934-8202
Roster
Maintainance
Kaye
Carey

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