December PERA update

On December 12th I attended the PERA meeting.

Here's the Agenda of what was discussed. https://www.mnpera.org/meeting-agenda-december-12-2019/

I will link to the minutes when available.

The long and the short is the fund is doing well because of the robust stock market investments.

I am attaching a hand out from Executive Director Doug Anderson.

It shows where every PERA member lives in Minnesota. The reverse breaks down how many PERA members live in each Congressional District.

Why is this important? Because when PERA issues come up you can use this to let your local Representatives know how many of us live in their districts!

For those of you that are retired the Cost of Living increases take effect January 1st.

Correctional Plan retirees will receive a 1.6% COLA.

25 CO's in Baltimore Charged with excessive force

CBS News is reporting that 25 Corrections Officers in the Maryland State Prison system have been charged with excessive force.

All were part of the 'tactical unit.' As most readers of this blog know the tactical unit is called in to put down inmate unrest, perform cell extractions, etc.

I don't know anything more than CBS is providing, but I do know use of force isn't pretty and inmates that require the tactical unit are violent.

These CO's, like all accused are entitled to due process.

Fortunately the prosecutor is Baltimore City Attorney Marilyn Mosby, of the Freddie Gray case fame. Which if you remember all charges were dropped against the officers accused by her.

Being a CO is a tough job. Even performing your duties can lead to being charged.
I hope thses guys have a good legal plan like MNPEA has!

FULL STORY

Rush City MCF on lockdown after attacks on CO's

From CBS:

DOC: Rush City Prison on Lockdown after After Inmate Attacks 3 Staff Members

Click Here for video and full story

Corrections News items

Here are a couple of Corrections related news items:

Two Stabbings Investigated at Oak Park Heights prison

We work a dangerous environment!


As Epstein died, guards allegedly shopped online and slept

I don't know if these CO's did this or not. But this is an example of how important it is to do your job! Do your checks and for God's sake never falsify an entry. Often a falsified entry can get you in more trouble than a missed round.

Hennepin County Haunted jail?

For years it has been rumored that there was a ghost haunting the Hennepin County jail. Myself and many other people who worked there have our own stories.

The Southwest Journal has an article about that, thought I'd share.

For those not familiar with the HennepinCounty Jail,the old jail and Minneapolis City Hall share the same building.

"Steven Maxwell was way up in the vaulted ceilings of the library in City Hall one night in the 1980s, vacuuming up fallen plaster and dust when he felt the hair on his neck stand up.

All by himself, Maxwell felt a cold chill and then came the voice...."

FULL STORY

Detention Deputy Down

From Blue Lives Matter:

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Detention Officer Gene Lee served his department for six years.

Phoenix, AZ – Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Detention Officer Gene Lee died in the line of duty on Wednesday night after having been attacked by an inmate inside the jail the day prior.

Sadly as in the death of many CO's killed on duty, it was a violent one.   

FULL STORY

RIP Gene Lee

2020 PERA Cost of Living Increases

From the PERA website:

2020 Postretirement Increases for PERA Members

October 15, 2019

Monthly benefit payments to retired members of the General Employees Retirement Plan will increase by 1% in January. Police & Fire Plan retiree benefit payments will also increase by 1% while Correctional Plan retirees will receive a 1.6% increase. 

Annual retiree postretirement increases for General and Correctional members are tied to the same Consumer Price Index used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to determine the annual Social Security benefits increase.  The SSA recently announced that the January 2020 Social Security benefits increase will be 1.6%. General retirees receive 50% of the Social Security increase, but not less than 1.0% or greater than 1.5%. The 1.0% minimum will apply in 2020. PERA Correctional retirees receive 100% of the Social Security increase, but not less than 1.0% or greater than 2.5%. Correctional retirees will receive the full Social Security adjustment of 1.6%. The annual increase for PERA Police & Fire retirees will be 1% because their increase is a fixed rate not currently tied to an inflation index.

 PERA moved to tie annual increases to a Consumer Price Index as part of the 2018 legislative package. The goal is to more closely connect increases to actual inflation during both lower and higher inflationary periods. This can help ensure more equitability from one generation to another. Past attempts to tie increases to investment returns, funding status, or use fixed rates have resulted in measurable intergenerational inequities. The use of minimums, maximums, and varying percentages were all a result of what each plan was considered able to afford.

*The original proposal sought to cap the PERA Correctional Retirees at 1.5%. See previous posts, we were able to protect the range for PERA Correctional Retirees between 1-2.5% based on Social Security Benefit increases, which are based on inflation. While not ideal, when inflation is higher the PERA Correctional Retirees will recieve the larger increase.

Hennepin County Detention Deputies to get body cameras

Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson has announced that,

"Hennepin County sheriff's deputies soon will be outfitted with body cameras.."

Patrol, warrants and water patrol will be the first to get them then,

"The rest of the officers will get cameras in the second phase next year, including detention deputies and court security personnel. By the end of 2020, Hutchinson wants to have an additional 302 deputies wearing them." Source: Star Tribune

Body cameras in jail are not without controversy.

Ramsey County Sheriff  Bob Fletcher said in an MPR Article,

"Even the physical layout of the jail has been deemed to be security information," said Fletcher. "Where the doors are, how the doors are opened and accessed, where the inmates are allowed and not allowed — all those pieces of the puzzle become problematic with regards to security."

Jails are not public spaces. The Ramsey County sheriff said videos may also capture other inmates who don't wish to be identified. And he said he doesn't want to see video used to embarrass or shame people who are in custody."

In the same article the ACLU weighs in, "the Minnesota chapter of the ACLU, said jail staff should be required to notify inmates when they activate their cameras."

Currently Washington and Dakota County use body cams in their jails.

I started back in the days when there were no cameras in jail. In the long run it reduced sustainable complaints against staff because the inmates complaints didn't usually match the footage.

I suspect body cams will be the same, but it should make for some interesting litigation when lawyers are seeking footage and others are identifiable in it. Especially when Detention Deputy language is picked up. I remember as a Union Steward. representing members who got caught dropping an F bomb in conversational language picked up on footage obtained by a lawyer. 

Considering much of the jail is already under surveillance this seems redundant and opening a can of worms.

This will be interesting. It will probably require more staff just to go over all of the footage.

I hope their Union adds some good language in their contract.

CO's -highest rates of PTSD, Depression, Suicide...

From Armor Up comes an article about the effects of the job on a CO. It's stats like these that helped us get the PERA Correctional Plan in the late 90's. Bottom line, it's a tough job with very demonstrable health affects.

FULL STORY

PTSD, DEPRESSION, SUICIDE & DIVORCE ARE HIGHEST AMONG CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS

Northern MN Union Workers supporting Pres. Trump

I've been hearing rumblings for a long time about Northern MN Union members supporting President Trump.

This isn't surprising to me. After all it was Republicans who backed the legislation for our PERA Correctional Pension.

In Northern Minnesota it's President Trump and Republicans that are supporting the mining industry. Democrats are blocking that Union industry.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting. “It’s a serious problem for us,” said Alan Netland, president of the North East Area Labor Council in Duluth, Minn., which represents 40,000 union members. “People may say, ‘I voted Republican and the world didn’t fall in, so maybe I better keep doing that.’"

One of a Unions biggest strengths has been the Health Care benefits negotiated into contracts. Today's Democrat wants to end that and replace it with Medicare for All!

In interviews with the Journal, union workers who supported Trump in 2016 said 2020 Democrats have “gone so far left” with positions such as forcing union workers off their current healthcare plans and onto Medicare, as well as their calls to eliminate the coal industry entirely and provide free taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegal aliens. (Source: Breitbart News)

There was a time that DFL stood for Democrats, Farmers and Labor. They peeled off the L a long time ago.

Tweets like this are now common:

Detention Deputy Evaristus Ndzentuv on Channel 5

A detention deputy in Hennepin County is about to leave for his fourth deployment overseas. This time, he's going to Africa.

Whether on the job at the Hennepin County Jail or on the ground in the Middle East, Detention Deputy Evaristus Ndzentuv loves the job of keeping his community safe.

"Get to serve the community, keep the community safe, I get to do what I can to protect the community we live in," Ndzentuv said.

Deputy Ndzentuv will spend the next 400 days in Africa.

Source:  KSTP TV -Full Story and video

Thank you for your service!

Your PERA Correctional Pension Handbook

Want to know what to expect from your PERA Correctional Pension? 

Here's the book! 

Sherburne County MN ICE- a well oiled machine

The Star Tribune has a story covering a protest against the Sherburne County (MN) Jail adding more ICE beds. They propose to expand from the existing 300 to 500 beds.

Sherburne County has had the contract for years. Hennepin County was offered the contract years ago when they were building their Public Safety Facility, but turned it down. So Hennepin County tax payers are saddled with the entire Jail budget.

So while Hennepin County spends over $100,000,000 a year on Public Safety, Sherburne County received almost $30,000,000 in five years from the Federal Government to offset their budget.

The Sherburne County jail is clean, and it's Detention Deputies are professional MNPEA Union members.

I've seen complaints in the news about private, for profit jails and now I'm watching complaints about the government doing it in a proper manner. Ice detainees receive food, clothing and medical care. They are legally held until an immigration judge makes a determination.

The article says, " of the 1,500 people detained overall on behalf of ICE for most of last year, three-quarters had previous criminal convictions, including 29 for criminal sexual conduct, 19 for kidnapping, 82 for assault, three for murder and 11 for manslaughter. Roughly half were from Mexico; the rest hailed from 85 different countries."

So half are not from Mexico, blowing a hole in the media narrative.

I support citizen's right to protest. But they should realize when our laws are enforced those arrested will be held somewhere. I prefer a government run center over a private for profit one. I also applaud the Sherburne County board for being fiscally responsible. They are making our Nation and State safer, and saving their taxpayers money. That's what I call good government.

Plans to use our Pension to pay off others Student Loans!

Pension Raiders

How forgiving Student Loans can affect your pension

I’m watching many current presidential candidates and politicians discussing forgiving student loans.

One of the main ways suggested to accomplish this is by “having Wall Street” pay for it.

In reality it’s having our Pension Plans pay for it!

Bernie Sanders plan lays it out like this, “We can guarantee higher education as a right for all and cancel all student debt for an estimated $2.2 trillion. To pay for this, we will impose a tax of a fraction of a percent on Wall Street speculators who nearly destroyed the economy a decade ago. This Wall Street speculation tax will raise $2.4 trillion over the next ten years.  It works by placing a 0.5 percent tax on stock trades – 50 cents on every $100 of stock –  a 0.1 percent fee on bond trades, and a 0.005 percent fee on derivative trades. 

The problem is Wall Street is US!

Pensions, like PERA and 401k’s invest our money in Stocks on Wall Street. How well those investments perform determines the health of our Pension Funds and our COLA’s (Cost of Living Adjustment).

I’ll use the PERA Correctional Plan as an example. Our plan is based on an actuarial return on investment of 7.5% annually. 

The PERA Correctional plan COLA is dependent on funding status, a large part of that is investments!

“Beginning in 2019, the COLA will be equal to 100 percent of the increase announced by SSA, with a minimum increase of at least 1 percent and a maximum of 2.5. If the Plan’s funding status declines to 85 percent or below for two consecutive years or 80 percent for one year, the cap will be lowered from 2.5 percent to 1.5.” -PERA website 

In other words, if Wall Street is taxed to pay off student loans, Retirees and 401k’s will be the ones paying those loans.

The result would be lower monthly retirement payments and lower cost of living adjustments.

You never thought you’d work all of your life just to have your retirement investments taken to pay off someone else’s student loans did you?

Some politicians think that’s a great idea. 

According to Bernie Sanders, taxing Wall Street will raise $2.4 Trillion over 10 years. That's a $2.4 Trillion hit on our investments! 

The concept of taking our investments to pay off someone else's student loan is wrong.

Watch your wallet.

Dave Metusalem , Conflict of Interest on PERA Board

Dave Metuslam

I just read the June 29, Newsletter for members of PERA today. As a Corrections Retiree Reporter I feel duty bound to point out a conflict of interest.

This caught My eye,  from Thomas Stanley,President of the PERA Board of Trustees: " I also want to welcome David Metusalem back to the board as the Retired, Disabled, and Survivor representative. Dave has prior experience on the PERA board as an elected Police and Fire representative and also served as vice president."

Let me state up front, this appointment is rife with conflict of interest. Dave rose through the ranks at the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office. He eventually was the Under Sheriff at Ramsey County, July of 1995 to March 2017. During that time he sat on the PERA Board representing Police and Fire.

He had to step down from the PERA board when he retired as a Peace Officer and became the Executive Director of the MPPOA, May 2017 until December 2018 when he left the MPPOA. All is well and good up until then.

Well now he is the appointed Chief Deputy of the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office and the PERA Board Retired, Disabled and Survivor representative and therein lies the conflict.

As Chief Deputy he has the power to hire and fire, but more importantly, as Chief Deputy he has say over which Detention Deputies and Deputies can qualify for Disability under PERA. So the conflict is, will he be looking out for the interest of the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office or the PERA member seeking a PERA disability pension?

This is perfectly legal. He is a retiree, and as an appointed Chief Deputy he can legally hold this position. But this loop hole in the law allows a conflict! Imagine you're an injured Ramsey County Detention Deputy or Licensed Deputy and your boss has a vote on the PERA Board whether or not you qualify for a Disability Pension?

The election to fill the Retired, Disabled, and Survivor representative won't open up for more then a year. But at that time I will put my name in to represent us on the PERA Board as the Retired, Disabled, and Survivor representative.

I look forward to your support and will continue to look out for our Pension.

Sherburne County may add more ICE Beds

Detention Deputies/Corrections Officers are on the front lines of Homeland Security!

According to MPR:

Sherburne County is proposing to expand its jail to provide space for up to 500 immigration detainees, an increase from the 300 beds it currently provides for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Sherburne County has the second-largest county jail in Minnesota, capable of housing 732 inmates. For decades, the county has contracted with the U.S. government to house immigration detainees and other federal inmates. Its jail once held the 20th conspirator behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Zacarias Moussaoui.

Full Story

Hennepin County Detention Deputies on YouTube

Looks like Sheriff Hutch is promoting the Detention Deputy position in Hennepin County. Very refreshing to see. Also I see the new Sheriff allows people with tattoos! Very glad to see the old policy go away!

Correctional OfficersWeek

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed Proclamation 5187, creating “National Correctional Officers’ Week.” Each year, the first full week in May is recognized as National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, commemorating the contributions of correctional officers and personnel who work in jails, prisons, and community corrections across the country.

Thank you!

Bill advances to name Highway 95 after CO Gomm

Senator Housley’s bill memorializing fallen Stillwater corrections officer passes Senate

May 1, 2019

On Tuesday, legislation to rename a section of state Highway 95 after fallen corrections officer Joseph Gomm passed the Minnesota Senate. The bill, authored by Senator Karin Housley (R-St. Marys Point), passed with unanimous support. 

“We mourn the loss of Officer Gomm – and his legacy of sacrifice must not be forgotten,” said Senator Housley. “Officer Gomm paid the ultimate sacrifice, sacrificing his life in the line of duty to keep us safe. This is a small token of this community’s appreciation.”

FULL STORY MNSRC

Work 1 day for 10 years of pension benefits!

You read the title correctly. Economist Dan Mitchell has an article called Bureaucrat of the Year.
It outlines how an Illinois lobbyist was made a substitute teacher for 1 day then got 10 years worth of credit for a Teachers Union Pension!

It's not us worker bees that are ruining public employee pensions!

From the article-

The Chicago Tribune recently opined on this horrific example.

…a controversial state law…allowed a lobbyist for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, David Piccioli, to become certified as a substitute teacher in December 2006 by working one day at a Springfield elementary school — and to buy pension credit for his 10 previous years working as a lobbyist. That sweet deal qualified him for a pension windfall from a teachers retirement fund that as of late 2018 carried an unfunded liability of more than $75 billion-with-a-B. Because he also draws a pension from a previous job as a House Democratic aide, Piccioli’s total pension income now rises to nearly $100,000.

PERA Retirement Plans show positive trend

PERA’s retirement plans show positive trend in 30-year projections

February 6, 2019

Legislatively required 30-year projections of estimated funding status show a positive trend for PERA’s plans under current assumptions.  PERA’s three largest plans all project to be fully funded, meaning assets will equal accrued liabilities, within the next 20 years.

The projections were based on plan assumptions, assets, and member data as of July 1, 2018.  Actual investment returns since July 1, 2018 have been positive, but below the assumed 7.5 percent rate of return.  As a result, an updated forecast would delay the projected full funding dates by a few years.

The projections also show what would happen if the investment returns were 6.0 percent or 9.0 percent—the current assumed rate of 7.5 percent plus or minus 1.5 percent.  Results under those scenarios vary considerably.  Worth noting is that the only sensitivity analysis done in these reports are the investment returns.  No other expectations are changed.  For example, if investment returns are persistently low, there is no corresponding adjustment in the projections to reflect the mitigating result caused by possible lower salary increases or inflation.

The full reports are available.

General Employees Plan

Police & Fire Plan

Correctional Plan

Source PERA

70 year old CO commits suicide on the job

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that 

"A 70-year-old corrections officer died by suicide Monday after shooting himself with his service weapon at a Huntsville prison, officials said."

First of all my heart goes out to this man, his family and all of his fellow Corrections Officers.

While the article doesn't give a reason why, this raises the question. Why was he still working as a CO at 70?

CO's have a very high rate of PTSD. It is a job that is stressful and makes you constatntly hyper-vigilant.

It's a job that often requires you to be in physical altercations with men often younger than you.

In Minnesota Corrections Officers can retire at 55 because of all of the aforementioned reasons.

There is life after Corrections. A good one. If you are 55 or older get out and enjoy the day.
Don't sink in the stress of the job.

Court forces Teamsters Local 320 to return ill gotten dues and Pension news.

Teamsters officials forced to return every dollar, plus interest, of fees seized by the union from the court workers

Minneapolis, MN (September 10, 2018) – A federal First Amendment lawsuit brought by National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys for two Minnesota court employees against a Teamsters local union has ended with the workers winning a settlement that will return to the workers all forced union dues seized by union officials. The refund is a result of the Foundation-won U.S. Supreme Court Janus v. AFSCME decision, which held that the First Amendment prohibits mandatory union fees for public sector workers.

Carrie Keller and Elizabeth Zeien, employees of the State of Minnesota Court System, filed the lawsuit after Teamsters Local 320 union officials and Minnesota state officials forced them into union ranks without a vote and against their desire.

FULL STORY

Plus Pension News

Craig Johnson, Teamsters Local 320 BA tries to take credit for protecting our Pension last year! Everyone who's been following this blog knows Brian Aldes, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 320 "signed off" on CUTS to the PERA Correctional Plan. Only after this author and MNPEA went to bat was our 2.5% COLA maintained. Had Johnson and Aldes had their way it would have been only 1.4% this year.

The following letter from Craig Johnson of Teamsters Local 320 was shared with me by our Ramsey County CO readers of this blog. Note the last sentence; "...we worked on the Omnibus Pension Bill to secure PERA remains strong...."

They had agreed to cap our pension at 1.5%! They and AFSCME called it shared sacrifice. Sorry Craig, we don't don't need that kind of "work" on our pension.

and just like that there was a new Sheriff

On January 7, 2019 Dave Hutch was sworn as Sheriff of Hennepin County!

Congratulations Hennepin County Dave Sheriff Hutch!

Sheriff Hutch giving acceptance speech

Some in overflow attendance

NEW PTSD law covers Corrections Officers

One of the new Minnesota laws taking affect January 1, 2019 is one that recognizes PTSD as covered by Workers Comp for Public Safety and First Responders including Corrections Officers.

FULL STORY 

Occupational Disease/PTSD/ Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

This paragraph creates a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) presumption for an employee who was employed on active duty as:

• a licensed police officer;
• a firefighter;
• a paramedic;
• an emergency medical technician;
• a licensed nurse employed to provide emergency medical services outside of a medical facility;
• a public safety dispatcher;
• an officer employed by the state or a political subdivision at corrections, detention or secure treatment facility;
• a sheriff or full-time deputy sheriff of any county; or
• a member of the Minnesota State Patrol.