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Ah, government, the Public Employees edition
I had put aside my hopes of taking my retirement this year, because I couldn't live on 3/4 of my current take-home pay. But, it was nice to know it was still there, in the background, some income plus full healthcare coverage, if my knees got enough worse that merely being in crippling pain turned into completely non-functional. I would only have to find part-time extra income to make it.
But today the boss passed along the news that OPERS has decided that they will be broke in 2016 if they don't take drastic action now. Since their charter requires them to provide retirement to all public employees who pass the length-of-employment requirement, they have to keep that. But, it seems they were only providing healthcare coverage out of the goodness of their hearts. So yeah, that's gonna go.
There is a lot of posturing going on, where the legislature has not moved on the bill OPERS wants them to pass, and OPERS is trying to get all of its members to let their legislators know that we want them to pass it, pronto. If it passes, apparently it will only mean the healthcare option is mostly eliminated, not completely removed. I can't bring myself to care one way or the other- it's clear I cannot afford to retire in either case.
The infuriating part? It seems the president of OPERS is sending a letter to all 48,000 members, including a post-paid return envelope, to notify them. Because of course the thing to do when you're screaming about having no money is to spend lots of money on return postage so your group members can let you know just how pissed off they are at you for what you're going to do.
But for me, it does reframe my future-- I can't count on anything but me. So, I would have to find another full-time job, that provided enough income to buy my own healthcare, if I can no longer do the job where I work now.
I can't help the pain of my arthritis, really, but I will practice my stoic face in the mirror. Because that's what bugs the people around me- that I moan and groan and show that it hurts. If I can reduce what shows, I will likely be perceived as better at the job (human nature being what it is).
And since this sort of situation always makes me want to buy a lottery ticket, but I am trying to get past those exercises in futility that have been so much a part of my life up to now, I am going to put the money I would have put on a ticket into a jar. It might be only a dollar or two a couple of times a week, but that will leave me with more at the end of the year than I would have if I buy the ticket.
But today the boss passed along the news that OPERS has decided that they will be broke in 2016 if they don't take drastic action now. Since their charter requires them to provide retirement to all public employees who pass the length-of-employment requirement, they have to keep that. But, it seems they were only providing healthcare coverage out of the goodness of their hearts. So yeah, that's gonna go.
There is a lot of posturing going on, where the legislature has not moved on the bill OPERS wants them to pass, and OPERS is trying to get all of its members to let their legislators know that we want them to pass it, pronto. If it passes, apparently it will only mean the healthcare option is mostly eliminated, not completely removed. I can't bring myself to care one way or the other- it's clear I cannot afford to retire in either case.
The infuriating part? It seems the president of OPERS is sending a letter to all 48,000 members, including a post-paid return envelope, to notify them. Because of course the thing to do when you're screaming about having no money is to spend lots of money on return postage so your group members can let you know just how pissed off they are at you for what you're going to do.
But for me, it does reframe my future-- I can't count on anything but me. So, I would have to find another full-time job, that provided enough income to buy my own healthcare, if I can no longer do the job where I work now.
I can't help the pain of my arthritis, really, but I will practice my stoic face in the mirror. Because that's what bugs the people around me- that I moan and groan and show that it hurts. If I can reduce what shows, I will likely be perceived as better at the job (human nature being what it is).
And since this sort of situation always makes me want to buy a lottery ticket, but I am trying to get past those exercises in futility that have been so much a part of my life up to now, I am going to put the money I would have put on a ticket into a jar. It might be only a dollar or two a couple of times a week, but that will leave me with more at the end of the year than I would have if I buy the ticket.