#TRSCareisanemergency - PUBLIC ED AND OUR SUPPORTERS UNITE TODAY! MAKE YOUR CALLS!

            In some ways, I feel ashamed of myself.  Despite the unexpected and devastating blow public-education retirees took January 1, 2018, at the hands of the 85^th Texas Legislature, I still held out hope that Gov. Abbott would declare TRS-Care (Teacher Retirement System of Texas healthcare) an emergency item at the start of the 86^th Texas Legislature.  But that was 17 days ago, and that hope has vanished.

            March 29, July 17, and December 12, 2018, Rep. Terry Canales sent letters to Gov. Abbott. In March, Rep. Canales asked Gov. Abbott to call a Special Session to address the healthcare nightmare public-education retirees are living.  (Once again, although it is called the “Teacher” Retirement System, it is not only for teachers.  TRS covers the healthcare of our bus drivers, secretaries, sign-language interpreters, classroom aides, librarians, school nurses, maintenance workers, custodians, cafeteria workers, administrators, and all other public-education employees, as well.)  In July and in December, he asked the governor to make TRS an emergency item.  In his December 12 letter, Rep Canales writes…Since my initial letter, my staff and I have met with your staff on several occasions but have been unable to obtain a commitment to allow the legislature to immediately address this issue in the upcoming legislative session.  I respectfully request that you make our teachers a top priority by declaring public-school employees health care an emergency item. As you know, the Texas Constitution prohibits the House and Senate from passing legislation during the first 60 days of a regular legislative session unless either chamber suspends the rule by a vote of four-fifths of its membership, or if the legislation is an appropriation or other matter declared by the governor to be an emergency…The executive and legislative branch must work together to ensure that additional state funding is provided to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas for retiree health care and to school districts for active employee health care so that we can give Texas teachers what we promised them:  access to affordable good-quality health-care coverage…

            January 7, Sen. José Menéndez sent out a press release regarding Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s announcement that the Biennial Revenue Estimate indicates that the State of Texas will have $119.2 billion (with a b) in revenue for general-purpose spending during the 2020-2021 biennium.  Sen. Menéndez called upon his fellow legislators to address the mess that is TRS.

            I know Gov. Abbott has heard countless stories of the suffering that has been endured by public-ed retirees (and those still working in our public schools) since January 1 of last year.  However, these stories, and the pleas from Rep. Canales and Sen. Menéndez, have all fallen on deaf ears.

            So now it is time for US to UNITE!  In this CALL TO ACTION, I am pleading with all public-education unions and associations to UNITE.  We can no longer work separately, competing rather than joining forces.  Only if we UNITE will we be strong enough to roll back the devastating changes that were made to our healthcare and to other pension-related issues.

• ·         ATPE – UNITE
• ·         TASA – UNITE
• ·         TASB – UNITE
• ·         TASRO -- UNITE
• ·         TASSP -- UNITE
• ·         TCTA – UNITE
• ·         TEPSA -- UNITE
• ·         Texas AFT and all of your locals – UNITE
• ·         TSTA – UNITE
• ·         UEA – UNITE
• ·         All other public-education employee unions/associations -- UNITE

I am hoping other unions in our state will join us.  We need you!

·         AFL-CIO – UNITE

·         CLEAT -- UNITE

·         SEIU Texas – UNITE

·         TMPA -- UNITE

·         TSAFF – UNITE

·         All other Texas unions – UNITE

And I am also asking all school board members and community members (including current and former students and your parents) to join us as we UNITE!

            So how can we UNITE?

·      1.  Starting TODAY, please call (and, if you are a union/association, ask your members too, as well) the office of Governor Greg Abbott at 512-463-2000 and let him know you want him to DECLARE TRS-Care an EMERGENCY ITEM--NOW!

2.  Call the office of your state representative and your senator.  Find those numbers here.  Ask them to call on Gov. Abbott to declare TRS-Care an emergency NOW!

3.  Stay tuned for information about a statewide rally!

4.  Contact your local media and ask them to help us by telling the stories of public-education retirees across the state who are suffering and about the dramatic differences between TRS and ERS (Employees Retirement System of Texas, the retirement system for all non-public-ed state employees in Texas, including our legislators).

UNITE to convince Gov. Abbott that

#TRSCareisanemergency

NOTE:

Here are Rep. Canales' letters:

Sen. Menéndez' letter:

Chris Ardis retired in May of 2013 following a 29-year teaching career. She now helps companies with business communications and social media and works as a sales coordinator for Tony Roma's and Macaroni Grill. Chris can be reached at cardis1022@aol.com. (Photo by Linda Blackwell, McAllen)

FIRST CALL TO ACTION FOR THE 2019 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

CALL WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16!!

            We are now a week into the 2019 Legislative Session.  Troy Reynolds, founder of Texans for Public Education, has put an alert out for our first CALL TO ACTION!  (Look for one from me next week on TRS-Care and our pensions!)

            Before sharing Troy’s CALL TO ACTION, if you have not joined Texans for Public Education, please do so.  Here is the link to their FB page, and here is the link to their website.

            IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE ALL DO THIS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8 A.M. AND 5 P.M.!!!!!

Here are the instructions from Troy:

Okay, it’s time for a little civil disobedience. PLEASE NOTE THAT I (Troy) HAVE TWEAKED THE SCRIPT DUE TO SOME LATE-BREAKING INFORMATION. We are going to stage our first “phone meltdown” of the session. For those who are not familiar with what this practice is, we are going to ALL call our house representative, our state senator, the Lt. Gov, and the Gov office with a scripted message. We will hinder their office operations with an outpouring of feedback on a single issue. Some rules before we get to the how/when/what to read:

1. Stay on the script. Do not ad lib. You are being recorded.

2. Be nice. No matter what they do…and the staffers do tend to get frustrated after a while…we must stay on the high road. There is no need to be uncivil.

3. Many will ask for your address. That’s just to make sure you’re actually a constituent.

4. Do not use school time. You can do this on a scheduled break like your lunch, but do not use contract time for this.

5. By the same token, use your personal phone. Do not use a school phone.

6. Know this: if an office gets six calls on the same topic, they assign a staffer to do research on the topic. You’re going to be affecting more than that day’s work. 😉

So, here’s how you do it:

1. Write down the phone numbers for the following people:

a. Your State House Representative

b. Your State Senator

If you don’t know the name or number of your representative and your senator, get them here.

c. Dan Patrick

i. Office: (512) 463-0001

ii. Message Line: (512) 463-5342

d. Greg Abbott (512) 463-2000

2. On Wednesday, January 16, between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm, call the office. Tell them that you are a constituent and would like your opinion on teacher merit pay to be registered. Answer any questions they have about address, etc. Once they ask for your position, tell them the following statement:

“My name is ______, and I am a member of Texans for Public Education. I just wanted Rep./Senator/Lt. Governor/Governor  ________ to know that I am thankful that the legislature seems serious about addressing teacher pay. Anything that makes our profession more attractive to college graduates is appreciated. However, I also want to communicate that I would consider any vote for any kind of merit pay system or outcomes-based funding to be an unfriendly act toward public education which could harm the students and educators it intends to help.”

3. Call each office and do the same. Feel free to elaborate a little on why you feel this way if so prompted. If they would like for you to come in and speak to them, I encourage you to do so.

4. Come back to this thread (Troy’s thread on the Texans for Public Education Facebook page) and let folks know when you have completed this. It’s the only way for us to get a count, and it’s good for morale.

That’s it. It’s time for you to pick up the fight. We cannot wait for someone else to stand up. Either we stand up for ourselves, or we allow our voices to be ignored, and we get walked on. You must put your fear aside and get the job done. If the line is busy, that’s a good thing. Keep trying. If it’s voice mail, leave a message. (Some of them will set their phones on voice mail after a while. They will still count messages.) Encourage others to do this. Heck, print out this post and pass it around (not on school time.) We literally need THOUSANDS of you to do this for it to work. Sic ‘em

            If you want to read more about merit pay (part of outcomes-based funding) before you call, check this out.
            Here are our state representatives, and here are our senators.

            TOMORROW IS OUR FIRST CALL TO ACTION for this legislative session.  

            TOMORROW IS OUR FIRST CALL TO ACTION for this legislative session. Help make sure...

 

Will Governor Abbott declare TRS healthcare an emergency item in January?

            In 22 days, the 86^th Texas Legislature will convene in Austin.  Will Gov. Greg Abbott declare the healthcare nightmare Texas public-school retirees have been living since January an emergency item?  That is the focus of Rep. Terry Canales’ December 12 letter to the governor and the question most of us living that nightmare are asking.

            The Texas Constitution prohibits the House and Senate from passing any legislation within the first 60 days of the legislative session unless 1) four-fifths of the members of either chamber vote to bypass that law or 2) the governor declares an item an emergency.  Without a doubt, TRS healthcare is an emergency. 

            I have written extensively about how the 85^th Texas Legislature created this nightmare.  (Once again, I must stress that we are not just talking teachers here.  Although it is (mis)named the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, TRS is actually the retirement system for all public-school retirees, from teachers to custodians to secretaries to librarians to nurses to maintenance workers to bus drivers to classroom aides to sign-language interpreters to administrators.) First, they increased the deductible for those of us under 65 from $400 to $1500.  For TRS retirees who have a spouse on their plan, their deductible is now $3000—not $1500 per person but the full $3000.  In addition, that deductible applies to both healthcare and prescription drugs (except a list of standard, generic drugs).  And, we now have no copay until 100 percent of our deductible is met. 

            Take me, for example.  I avoided doctors throughout the year because of what the Texas Legislature has done.  However, there were two appointments I could not avoid.  The total cost for those two appointments was approximately $1400 after plan adjustments by the provider.  What does that mean?  That means I have had to make payments and pay 100 percent of those bills because I have not met my deductible.  TRS has not paid a single penny.  And I am one of the lucky ones.

            I have written a number of heartbreaking stories this year about TRS retirees who have suffered at the hands of our Texas Legislature.  Keep in mind that while they dramatically changed the “affordable healthcare” we were promised throughout our careers in the public-education system, the healthcare for those in ERS—the retirement system for all other state employees, including, of course, retired legislators—had no change in deductible.  Oh, and theirs was not $400.  It was $0 for healthcare and $50 for prescription drugs.  And it still is.  Guess what their monthly premium is?  That’s $0, too!  That is heartless.  It is unconscionable.  It is shameful.

            It is not only public-ed retirees who are suffering, either.  Countless public-education employees who are still working are struggling to make ends meet because of their healthcare costs.  Not so those blessed with ERS healthcare.

            Here are just a few more reasons why Gov. Abbott should have already declared TRS an emergency item for the upcoming session:

·         According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average inflation rate is 2.16 percent a year.  Nevertheless, most TRS retirees have NEVER seen a COLA (cost-of-living increase).  During the 2013 Legislative Session, legislators granted a three percent COLA, not to exceed $100 per month, to TRS members who retired on or before August 31, 2004.  TRS retirees had not seen a COLA since 2001 until SB 1458 was passed in 2013.  This means that any public-education employee who retired in the past 14 years has never seen a COLA, despite the inflation rate.  Never.

·         The State of Texas contributes only 6.8 percent to TRS pensions.  Remember that most Texas public-ed employees do not pay into Social Security.  Thus, our TRS pensions are our sole source of retirement income.  According to a July 24 article in Texas Tribune, the median state contribution to the public-ed retirees’ pensions for the other 14 non-Social-Security states is 19 percent.  That is just under three times greater than Texas’ contribution.  The state contribution for ERS—their own retirement system--is 9.5 percent. 

·         Over 30,000 TRS retirees have left TRS-Care (our healthcare) since January 1 when the nightmare began.

·         More later on what I have to do to have vision and dental coverage compared to what the state provides ERS retirees (AGAIN, which includes our retired legislators).

            Rather than summarize Rep. Canales’ letter to the governor, I am including it here.  It is powerful.  It is poignant.  It is on point.

            For an entire year, we have been living this healthcare nightmare, and Gov. Abbott has not addressed us about it.  Not once in an entire year, despite the stories, despite the suffering.  Rather, he has remained silent, as if our nightmare does not exist.

            So the question remains—will he declare our nightmare an emergency now?

Chris Ardis retired in May of 2013 following a 29-year teaching career. She now helps companies with business communications and social media and works as a sales coordinator for Tony Roma's and Macaroni Grill. She is also the retiree representative for McAllen AFT.  Chris can be reached at cardis1022@aol.com. (Photo by Linda Blackwell, McAllen)

All I want for Christmas is for the 86th Texas Legislature to restore what the 85th stole

            As I sit down to write this blog post, I can’t help but think about how difficult 2018 has been for so many of my fellow retired public educators—teachers, bus drivers, secretaries, librarians, classroom aides, custodians, maintenance workers, sign-language interpreters, nurses, cafeteria workers, police officers, and administrators.  And as I look ahead to 2019, I can’t help but hang on to a glimmer of hope that the 86^th Texas Legislature, which convenes January 8, 2019, will restore what the 85^th Texas Legislature took from us during the 2017 Legislative Session.

            They took our faith that the promises made to us throughout our careers in Texas public education would be kept.

            They took our affordable healthcare and created a healthcare nightmare.

            They took our belief that the state would offer us comparable benefits, through TRS (Teachers Retirement System of Texas, which is a misnomer since it covers all public-education employees/retirees), that all other retired state employees--including retired legislators--receive through ERS (Employees Retirement System of Texas).

            They took our trust that we were trading higher salaries throughout our careers for a decent pension and that affordable healthcare. 

            The 85^th Texas Legislature took so much from us.  The 86^th Texas Legislature has the opportunity to restore our benefits…and our trust in them.

            I have not been able to stop thinking about my fellow retired public educators because of what I have experienced.  All year, I avoided going to the doctor.  No annual physical and no doctor visits when my throat was so sore I couldn’t swallow and when my elbow, first injured in a serious car accident, caused excruciating pain.  Nevertheless, there were three visits I could not avoid as they could have led to physical conditions far, far worse. 

            Because of the 85^th Texas Legislature, I am still paying for all three of those visits because they took our $400 deductible from us and turned it into a $1500 deductible with no copay at all until we reach the entire $1500.  (For retirees who have their spouse on their TRS healthcare, that deductible is $3000—not $1500 per person but $3000 before a single penny is paid.)  Thus, I am required to pay 100 percent of these visits, with a TRS pension that has never seen a cost-of-living adjustment.  And just when I am within one month of paying these bills off, my deductible resets in January.

            Meanwhile, all ERS retirees—including our retired legislators—have a $0 deductible. 

            How any member of the Texas Legislature can find this equitable or ethical is beyond my understanding.

            As I look at what I have faced this year, at the hands of the 85^th Texas Legislature, I think about my fellow retirees who have faced far worse medical issues than I have, retired public educators who have been unable to get critical hip replacements because they cannot afford the out-of-pocket expense, who have had to deal not only with the physical suffering that comes with cancer treatments but with the emotional trauma of how they will be able to pay their monthly bills, and who have had to practically beg pharmaceutical companies for help because that $1500 deductible also applies to prescriptions. 

            We already know How the Grinches Stole TRS Healthcare.  All I want for Christmas is for the 86^th Texas Legislature to return what was stolen from us. 

 Chris Ardis retired in May of 2013 following a 29-year teaching career. She now helps companies with business communications and social media and works as a sales coordinator for Tony Roma's and Macaroni Grill. Chris can be reached at cardis1022@aol.com. (Photo by Linda Blackwell, McAllen)

Active and Retired Texas Public-School Employees - This is OUR DAY, our CHANCE! WE CAN DO THIS!

            For all of our fellow active and retired public school employees who have suffered throughout this year due to the TRS healthcare nightmare created during the 2017 Legislative Session…this is OUR day!

            For all retired public school teachers, bus drivers, secretaries, sign-language interpreters, nurses, custodians, librarians, cafeteria workers, police officers, maintenance workers, classroom aides, social workers, counselors, and administrators who retired after September 1, 2004, and have NEVER received a COLA (cost-of-living adjustment)…this is OUR DAY!

            For public school students and employees across our state who have had to make due with less and less from our state because of Texas' school-funding conundrum…this is OUR DAY!

            For everyone in Texas who is tired of seeing our property taxes increase while the state’s share of school funding continues to decrease…this is OUR DAY!

            OUR DAY begins with MIKE COLLIER as our new lieutenant governor, and 1.5 MILLION TRS MEMBERS (along with our family members, former or current students, friends, and community members) CAN make this happen.

            OUR DAY continues with the election of “FRIENDLY-to-public-ed” state representatives, senators, and State Board of Education members being elected!

            OUR DAY requires us to know where to vote  and to remind each of us that…

and that we deserve

            OUR DAY is POSSIBLE, but it requires that each one of us GETS OUT TO VOTE and GETS OUT THE VOTE!

            This is OUR DAY! 

Chris Ardis retired in May of 2013 following a 29-year teaching career. She now helps companies with business communications and social media and works as a sales coordinator for Tony Roma's and Macaroni Grill. Chris can be reached at cardis1022@aol.com. (Chris' photo by Linda Blackwell, McAllen)

Early Voting Starts TOMORROW - 1.5 MILLION MEMBERS STRONG!

            Tomorrow, Monday, October 22, the first day of Early Voting in the 2018 General Election, is being called EDUCATOR VOTING DAY!  This is OUR day—ALL public-school employees/retirees, including teachers, bus drivers, custodians, sign-language interpreters, classroom aides, librarians, counselors, maintenance workers, cafeteria personnel, secretaries, nurses, police officers, administrators, and social workers—and we are being called to show up to the polls tomorrow to send a STRONG MESSAGE to Austin that WE HAVE A VOICE!  Don't give anyone else the privilege of being YOUR voice! 
            TRS of Texas has 1.5 MILLION members right now.  I can only imagine the power in the voices of 1.5 MILLION educators from across the state!

     I agree with Texans for Public Education (T4PE) when they say to WEAR PURPLE tomorrow to show we are NON-PARTISAN!  We are looking at the individual candidate, regardless of party, and at his/her record and affiliations in order to elect the PRO-PUBLIC-EDUCATION CANDIDATES who will restore funding to our schools and the TRS healthcare we were promised throughout our careers!  We want healthcare as good as the healthcare our state provides for ERS, which is the retirement system for all other state employees AND our legislators!  The differences between THEIR healthcare and OUR healthcare are shocking, and that needs to end!  THIS IS OUR ALAMO!
     T4PE did extensive research on all candidates running for state offices and had all of their members vote, based on this research.  Our goal is to BLOCK VOTE, regardless of party, for the candidates in each office who are the most PUBLIC-ED FRIENDLY!  Here are the ratings:  

Recommended Texas House candidates
Recommended Texas Senate candidates
Recommended candidates for governor, lt. governor, and State Board of Education

(Note:  If you would like to see the more detailed findings on each candidate, click here, scroll down to "Our Ratings," and look at the section that indicates where the research on the candidates can be downloaded.)

In case you need inspiration, here are a few items for you to peruse:

     And YES, it IS true--ERS retirees (all state employees but public-ed employees), including our retired legislators pay $0 per month for THEIR health insurance. They also have a $0 per month deductible for healthcare and a $50 deductible for prescription drugs, while TRS retirees not yet eligible for Medicare have a $1500 deductible for BOTH and NO co-pay.  TRS healthcare does not pay ONE PENNY until we reach the entire $1500 deductible, and for married couples on TRS, they must reach a $3000 deductible--NOT $1500 per person.  NOT ONE PENNY!  Meanwhile, in ERSville, no worries about meeting a deductible!!!!

     Let's show up IN FORCE tomorrow!  

     

     I can safely say the #1 race for us is for lt. governor.  GO, MIKE COLLIER!  But EVERY race is important leading up to the 2019 Legislative Session, which begins in January!
     TEXAS EDUCATORS CARE ENOUGH TO VOTE, AND WE ARE 1.5 MILLION MEMBERS STRONG, and that doesn't count our students, their parents, and everyone else who supports us!

Chris Ardis retired in May of 2013 following a 29-year teaching career. She now helps companies with business communications and social media and works as a sales coordinator for Tony Roma's and Macaroni Grill. Chris can be reached at cardis1022@aol.com. (Photo by Linda Blackwell, McAllen)