Kerri Sloat
Members of the PAWG
I will assume at this point your Advisory Board has heard and read numerous testaments regarding the RIRSA and how this reform negatively impacts state employees, primarily teacher retirees and teachers. Your awareness of our problems are crucial to provide change. Frozen COLAs, teachers without social security, teachers who already worked half their career who cannot adequately contribute to their defined benefit and the farce of “rule of 95” where the math does not even address the current teacher population. Also worth noting is that this reform is pushing your best and most competent teachers into neighboring states. Both MA and CT, offer retirement at or before age 60 with pensions that well surpass RI.
While I would like to elaborate on my circumstances. I’ll be brief, I am a teacher with 29 years service and no social security. Adverse changes for me: an additional eight years of service (age and years = 98), a pension decrease by 25%, and most egregious, a mediocre defined benefit that will not support my retirement years. Moreover, I work 3 jobs. This additional employment will be a necessity when I retire. Especially if there is no COLA.
As this board listens, reviews and analyzes the state’s public retirement system, so are the individuals it impacts most. We are watching hearings, communicating across social media platforms, and paying attention. We see your faces, we are learning your names. This forum has shed light on all who failed us. We may not have known at the inception of this reform how unjust and corrupt our politically motivated Governor was. But we know now.
Your organization has an opportunity to create FAIR change. In a day where the word “gaslighting” has become commonplace; presenting and manipulating numbers and creating self-serving data is obvious. Financial mismanagement, backroom dealings, unethical practices, all have been placed on the backs of your state workers. We are well past the point of what is morally and ethically wrong. Perhaps a past RI government official should serve as a reminder that lies and corruption often come to light. Those who endorse, associate and support this reform support criminal behavior.
Sincerely,
Kerri Sloat
Teacher Mt Hope High School
Submitted via online webform