NEW PERA RECOMENDATION

After meeting with PERA Executive Director Doug Anderson he has emailed me a second PERA proposal.

This still has to go to the PERA Board but I believe Mr. Anderson heard what was said and has come up with a very reasonable responsible second proposal.

Here it is:

Proposal 1: Change to 100% of CPI, 1% floor, 1.5% cap. 

Proposal 2: 
*Change current COLA to 100% of CPI, 1% floor, 2.5% cap (currently a fixed 2.5%).

* Maintain the current “trigger off”, which is that the 2.5% cap turns off when funding is < 80% once or < 85% for two consecutive years. 

*If/when the “trigger off” occurs, the benefit goes to 100% CPI, 1% floor, 1.5% cap. 

*Eliminate any future “trigger on”. If the plan triggers off, it could never trigger back on. The benefit would remain 100% CPI, 1% floor, 1.5% cap.

In other words if CPI (inflation) is at least 2.5% or more we are guaranteed the 2.5% COLA. Depending on inflation we are guaranteed at least 1% but can go higher than the earlier proposed 1.5%.

I wish it were left alone, but the writing is on the wall for the legislature to eliminate triggers. The O'Driscoll/Rosen Bill wants to cap us at 1.5%,. The PERA proposal 2 would allow us to go up to our current 2.5% recognizing the health of our plan.

If we drop below the trigger we will join ranks with the other plans. I am a fiscal conservative and believe that is fair. If our plan is doing well we reap the benefit, if it gets weak we tighten the COLA belt. At the end of the day we want a healthy pension.

I again express my gratitude to PERA Executive Director Doug Anderson for taking time to listen to MNPEA Vice President Tom Perkins and myself.

This is not a MNPEA response, the MNPEA Board will meet and respond on their own.

As an interesting aside. We also learned at that meeting that LELS also met with PERA and was on-board with cutting the COLA to 1.5% of their CO's!

Remember, the legislature makes the laws that govern our pensions. PERA executes those laws. There is no guarantee the legislature will follow their recommendation. But if it comes to a fight at the Capital it's another arrow in the quiver.

To be clear, I prefer no change to our current Pension, as it is doing well. IF, they are are going to eliminate the triggers, I prefer the second proposal of the 2.5% COLA to the 1.5% cap.