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Submitted by
Name: Barb
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
Has anyone else heard about threatening letters from CPS to 281 retirees demanding repayment of benefits (?) since 2007? I did not get one but the CTU website has a blurb about it. Anyone know what this is about?

Added: June 12, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Barb
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
It is time to write letters to all of the representatives in Springfield, asking them to support HB 3401 that raises the limit that the CTPF can spend on our health care insurance rebates. This bill is sruck in committee and looks as if will die there if something is not done soon. The pols say that CPS is afraid we would all get cadillac plans if the limit is raised! They also say that COGFA (Comm. on Gvt. Forecasting and Accountability) thinks it would hurt our fund! Perhaps COGFA forgot about the billions owed by CPS and the state. Please write soon. Thanks!!

Added: May 22, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Dan (again)
From: Rockford

Comments:
Since when should we believe the legislators when they say they will contribute 6% to a 401k? How long before they take another 'pension holiday' and leave the 401k underfunded like the current mess they left us with?

Added: May 5, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Dan Williams
From: Rockford

Comments:
It is great to see someone finally presenting our side.

Added: May 5, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Barb
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
I have just read that HB 3639 was passed unanimously by the House on March 31, 2011. Not one Representative voted no!! This bill provides $2.5 BILLION to TRS while cutting the funding to the CTPF to less than $10.5 MILLION.

This will most likely result in further decreases in our health care rebates. HB3639 will now go to the Senate I suppose. If you did not write to your representative in Springfield, please write to the state senators and the governor. Otherwise, please expect another decrease in your pension check as health care costs go up again. By a lot!

Don't forget to ask them to SUPPORT HB 1544 which would give the CTPF fair and equitable funding from the state.

Added: April 2, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Barb
From: Elmwood Park
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
Two days a go, I received an E-lert from the CTPF about the huge proposed cut in funding by the state for 2011. Mike Madigan wants to cut our funding $10.5M for 2011 (2010 funding was $32.5M and you now see the results in your check every month). I am disappointed that there is nothing n the RTAC website about this.

We should all be enraged as we start calling and emailing every legislator possible. They already know we vote. It is time to make your anger known! Please go to the CTPF website and look for the Pension E-lert about proposed funding cuts. It will give you all the info. you need for your letters/emails.

If you live in Madigan or Cullerton's districts, please work to elect someone who is friendlier to us.

If anyone knows more about this, please post. I do not know how to find out how bills are progressing in Springfield. Thanks.

Added: March 31, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Sally Daly
From: Lockport, Il.
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
I saw on the news tonight that Senate President Cullerton is talking up taxing our pensions, and the Governor wants more information {He sounds interested!!}
Can you help us mobilize to fight this? I'd be willing to take a bus to Springfield to protest {Wisconsin style!!}

Added: March 7, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Barb again
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
To fellow retirees, here's the skinny on the increase in federal withholding tax, compliments of Mike Quigley's office. They were nice enough to contact the IRS and this is what the IRS said.

The Making Work Pay Credit expired at the end of 2010 so withholding tax tables were adjusted to reflect the loss of this credit.

For pensions, there was an optional alternate withholding table for payers of pensions. This was made available since retirees are generally subject to withholding but did not qualify for MWP. However, not all payers of pensions used the optional tables. Some continued to use the standard withholding tables. Starting in 2011, the optional withholding tables for pensions are no longer applicable.

I think I understand most of this. I hope it helps. I'm still not happy but at least I understand why it happened.

Added: February 21, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Barb
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
I still do not understand the increase in federal withholding tax. I was under the impression that all tax rates would remain the same as 2010 for the next 2 years. The explanation on the RTAC home page doesn't make sense to me. When I called the CTPF, I was only told that the IRS required the withholding tax increase. I have called Mike Quigley's office. We will see what they find out about this.

My BCBS HMO monthly payment went up by almost $100 in January. Then the monthly federal withholding tax increased by about $30. I still do not qualify for a COLA. My pension net decreases every year while food, gas, taxes, utilities,repairs, dental, etc. all increase. February's check took the biggest hit yet. Perhaps we should all start selling apples outside the offices of our state legislators so that they can see what they are doing to us.

Added: February 9, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Rachel
From: OMS
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
It would have been nice for CTPF to put in the Message portion of the January 2011 pension statement that Federal income taxes would be going up so that we would be receiving less money in our February 2011 pension checks. They let us know that we received an increase in the January 2011 check. I had to compare my January 2011 statement with the February 2011 statement to figure out why the net amounts were not the same.
Didn't CTPF want a lot of angry callers? For those of us who did call CTPF inquiring about the lesser amount, one of the selections on the automated list was about the increase in federal income taxes. Isn't that interesting?!
Also interesting that the Obama administration never said a word about increasing federal income taxes. They definitely let us know that they were decreasing payments into Social Security coffers.

Added: February 7, 2011