April 27, 2011

The last few days have be a flurry of meetings, telephone calls, email and letters. We have traveled to Bellingham, Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, Bellevue and more to speak with any individual we feel might be able to lend support in stopping HB 2097. Particular credit should be given to Dick Warbrouck as he has almost daily gone to Olympia to walk the halls and speak with legislators.

Most impressive has been the response by the grass roots. The readers of LEOFF1.Net, the members of the RFFOW, members of RSPOA and members of other retired groups from across the state have called their legislators and written letters. From Spokane, Walla Walla, Bellingham, Port Townsend, Vancouver, Tacoma, Yakima and more the letters and calls have been filling the inboxes of the legislators. And, they are listening.

We are increasingly receiving comments from legislators that the will not support HB 2097. That is a promising trend and we are beginning to be hopeful that our efforts might carry the day.

That said, remember – IT AIN’T OVER ‘TIL THE FAT LADY SINGS!

There are powerful forces that want to see this bill passed. The legislators are up against a wall as they try to construct this budget. The temptation of what looks like an easy source of money is great. Any seasoned legislator realizes that using pensions to balance the budget is folly that will demand a large price in the future.

We need to keep them aware of this.

Here are the principal talking points:

The bill should be held over for study during the interim for the following reasons.

• The issue is very complex. LEOFF 1 is comprised of over 40 years of legislation and litigation. The two pension systems differ significantly. Any merger needs to be very carefully crafted with consideration of the implications and impacts that would occur.
• The bill was dropped without any actuarial report or fiscal statement. Somehow this bill is supposed to generate an extra $15 million dollars but no one has yet been able to explain how or even if that would happen. Once the Fiscal Note was issued it clearly demonstrates that the extra $15 million is not generated by this bill. The actuarial statement would requires close examination and serious consideration as some of its conclusions are subject to debate.
• The bill does not actually produce the extra $15 million. It is not a budget bill but is, rather, a pension bill. As such it should go through the Select Committee on Pension Policy first.
• The prospect of the merger raises significant legal and constitutional issues. A legal opinion needs to be completed to insure the bill meets legal standards and that there is little likelihood of the state having to expend money defending a lawsuit.

Remember, do not give up the fight until the legislators complete the budget and go home.  As long as they are in Olympia, we are in danger.  Hopefully we will be reporting more and more good news, but the grass roots effort needs to continue.