Record of Testimony

I am a RI State worker Retiree. The following link is a piece written by an agent from the Economic Policy Institute. The article explains the intentionality of government decisions regarding our pension security...

I worked for the Department of Environmental Management, Parks and Recreation Department for 36 years, more than half of my life time dedicated to serving the people of Rhode Island and its visitors.

This letter is submitted on behalf of Kevin and Linda O’Malley

Dear Sir or Madame:

I am a retired State employee (RIDOT), and my wife Diane is a retired schoolteacher in the State retirement system. I retired in December 2015 after over 25 years of service. Since that time, I have received one .42% cost-of-living increase to my pension in January 2022.

It is very difficult for me to express how the pension reform has affected me and all my fellow retirees. However, I will try to put it simply. We have pretty much lived on the same amount of money for 12 years.

I feel that I have been devastated by the actions taken back in 2011. First, I made two decisions based on the fact that I would continue receiving my pension. During my divorce of 2000, I didn't go after some of my ex's pension knowing that mine was better.

I retired in 2015. Because of the changes made in 2011 I didn't get the 60%, that was told to me when I started my employment with the state of RI. This was very unfair as I worked for 32 years and planned on the 60% once I retired.

I retired from state service in 2008 after 30+ years. At that time the state informed us of significant cut backs to our medical benefits if we did not retire before Oct. 1, 2008. There was no incentive of $20,000.00 to leave as in subsequent years.

I cannot even begin to convey what losing my cola has meant. It was something I had counted on during my retirement years especially when as we all know nothing ever goes down, it always goes up whether it is cost of living overall or each individual bill we have to pay.

n 2008 I retired from the Rhode Island Department of Education after 39 years of public service. For 39 years I paid almost 9% of every paycheck – before taxes - into the pension fund, as mandated by law. Our pensions are not free, as many Rhode Islanders seem to believe.