Record of Testimony

Dear Members of this CRITICAL Working Group,

Here is my story:

Graduate of William M. Davies Vocational Technical High School, 1980

Veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Honorably Discharged due to a significant medical injury.

Began Rhode Island College Fall of 1982.

I can’t attend the meeting but just wanted to say that I retired in 2017 haven’t had any increase in my pension since then but my part D medical has more than doubled since then If this could be passed along I will appreciate thank you.

Submitted via email

Good afternoon,

Let me start by saying how much I appreciate this group being formed. I am a retired firefighter with 30 years of service. I took my regular retirement when the stress of my job became to great and started causing health issues.

Any state surplus funding could have gone into the state retirement coffers under the auspice of the state treasurer. Seth Magaziner never submitted any surplus moneys to these coffers.

Subject: 2011 State Pension Law

Just one topic I would like to bring up and that is a cost of living increase that would be fair to all.

I worked for the State of Rhode supporting individuals with developmental disabilities for 32 years 4 months. I was planning on staying for 35 years, but with the changes that were being implemented I thought hard and felt it best to leave. That was 2008.

I retired with the promise of receiving cost of living increases. Shortly after I retired, they were taken away. I’m finding that as years go by it is getting more difficult to keep up!

When the COLA was taken away I felt that I might, in some way assist the State in balancing the budget. After over ten years of doing without my C0LA I have come to the realization that the State of Rhode Island will never become fiscally responsible.

I am Russ Marsocci and I'm the Municipal Vice President of AFSCME RI Chapter 94 Retirees.