RFArea Newsletter--November 2017

November 9^th Meeting—Elder Law Attorney Jennifer O’Neill

Elder law specialist attorney Jennifer O’Neill of O’Neill Elder Law, Hudson, Wisconsin, will be our guest speaker at our next unit meeting on November 9, 2017, at St. Croix Lanes in River Falls.  She will cover such issues as retirement planning, estate planning, probate, Medicaid, guardianship, and other matters that are of concern to us as we age.  We are told that not only is Jenny an expert in her field but also is entertaining in presenting such serious subjects.

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WREA has designated November as membership recruitment month and is asking members from every unit to do their parts—to reach out to a retired educator who is not a WREA member and to invite them to our unit meeting.  Our organization is only as strong as its membership. RFArea REA especially needs greater representation in its membership of people representing the various school districts within our region.

REMINDER—BOARD MEETING AT 10:00 A.M.  The Board and any member who wishes to attend will meet at Perkins on November 9^th.  Roger Hulne will distribute an agenda prior to the meeting.

President’s Corner

By Roger Hulne

It has been great to see the increased turnout at our meetings.  Our October meeting saw the largest attendance in quite some time.  We need your help and input.  It is your organization. If you have ideas for programming or suggestions for ways to improve our unit or want to serve the group, let me know. Contact me at rhulne@icloud.com.

We had 14 members submit volunteer hours to WREA, totaling 3,144 hours valued at $70,897.  We served a total of 46 organizations.  Evelyn Johnson was this year’s outstanding volunteer with 800 hours donated as a 4H Leader, Member of the Maiden Rock Community Association, American Legion Auxiliary, and a quilt maker for missions and women's shelters.  Please keep track of your volunteer hours from this October thru September of 2018.  We are making a difference in our communities.  The form for 2017-18 can be found at https://www.wrea.net/VolunteerHours.asp. 

We ran out of time to go over the second reading of the Constitution and Bylaws at the October meeting.  The matter will be brought up again at a later meeting.

Our group decided to continue meeting at St. Croix Lanes in River Falls for at least the next meeting.  Lunch will be ordered when you arrive at the meeting to be brought out at 12:00 PM. 

We will discuss December’s meeting place at the November unit meeting.  Some people have proposed that we return to the First National Bank of River Falls for our holiday gathering with a potluck lunch.  Consider this possibility before the next meeting or contact Marylin Plansky mylin@pressenter.com or Ruth Wood rwoodrf@gmail.com.

Secretary’s Report

By Gail Possley

24 members were in attendance for the Thursday, October 12, 2017, meeting.  Four in attendance were new members.  Laura reported that we have 42 members in the local RF-WREA unit and 44 have paid at the state WREA level.

This was our first meeting at the St. Croix Bowling Lanes in River Falls.

The minutes from the previous meeting were presented and approved.

Tony Pedriano confirmed the motion made and approved last year that any graduating senior is eligible to apply for our scholarship, not just education majors.

Tom Possley presented reports from the Health Committee and the Legislative Committee.  He also mentioned the changes in new qualifications for teachers.  

Gail Possley shared highlights of the State Convention including:

1. The RF–WREA initiative for $100 was approved for replenishing school supplies mid-year.
2. MEEMIC insurance for auto, home and liability – more information will be coming.
3. Convention attendance is down from the previous two years but will hopefully be turned around when the next convention is held in a more central location, Stevens Point, on Sept. 24^th and 25^th, 2018.
4. Jeff Pertl, DPI, reported on “The State of Education” in Wisconsin emphasizing the changes that are happening primarily with rural schools, staff shortages, rising transportation costs, racial gaps, declining enrollment, and lack of assistance for mental health needs.
5. Suggestions to increase membership in WREA – mainly by engaging members and communicating with members on a consistent and regular basis via emails. We are so fortunate for everything Laura Zlogar does to help our organization. She diligently keeps us abreast of our membership and what will be happening at upcoming meetings.
6. At least one other member is encouraged to assist with Public Education Outreach as required by the State WREA rules.

President Hulne brought membership packets from the WREA State Convention for area superintendents and asked the membership for volunteers to distribute those.

Our local Constitution and Bylaws will be discussed among the Board members at future meeting.

Our next meeting will be held in the same location and the presenter will be a lawyer speaking about probate.  That meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 9^th, 2017.

The meeting concluded with the program committee separating us into groups of four to complete sheets that included familiar song lyrics and names of familiar locations.

WREA Legislative Update

By Tom Possley

I attended the legislative session at the 2017 WREA Convention.  What follows are some of the highlights of the presentation by John Forester, lobbyist for both WREA and WSAA—the Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance www.wsaa.org .

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Inflationary increase in aid for schools. 200/204 per student. Changes in school populations has skewed aid.

·       In 2004 we ranked 13^th in the country in state aid to schools. By 2014 we had dropped below the national average.

·       Foxconn will take $200 million out of the budget many years. Don’t expect any raises for education in the future after next year.

·       Sparcity aid failed to get in, though Gov. Walker has expressed support for it, raising to $400 per pupil from $300 the aid districts with fewer than 745 would receive.

·       Limited referendums to twice in a school year. Four chances every other year and three chances in between. Better than legislature was asking for.

·       Some school funding is in name only. It goes to property tax relief, not to schools.

·       One bit of good news:  $6.5 million for school mental health.

·       Energy efficiency moratorium in 2018. Much work will be done before the end of this year.

·       220% of poverty rate to get a voucher. State wanted 300%. Citizens are taxed double for vouchers. Once for the money that goes to the charter school and then by the public school that adds the cost into their budget.

·       The education funding is a small victory. Walker saw his low numbers and decided to give money to schools to get those numbers up.

·       Budget: $635 million over biennium. $400 million for Foxconn.

·       Wisconsin got a 7% cut in title money from Trump.

·       Republican legislator said “What would the citizens of the state think if they knew the Koch brothers and the voucher people run the state.”

Education Updates

Public Education News

Wisconsin DPI announced on October 13 that school districts will receive the same amount of money next year as it did this year.  That means, according to the DPI, that “55% of the state’s public school districts (230 of 422) will receive less general state aid this school year than they in 2016-17.”  Districts’ budgets are also affected by private school vouchers inasmuch as “the per pupil payments to private schools . . .  will be deducted from the general aid of the district in which the student resides.  Additionally, nearly all districts will have 1.4 percent of their aid deducted, an estimated &65.9 million, to pay for the 7,850 FTE pupils enrolled in 23 independent charter schools” (DPI press release, 13 Oct. 2017).

Student enrollment in private schools using taxpayer-funded vouchers has increased 8% in Wisconsin (SF Chronicle 23 Oct. 2017). This comes at a cost of $270 million, up $25.5 million from the previous year. This sum covers 4,540 students in Racine, 28,702 in Milwaukee, and 3,007 statewide. The cost for the program comes from a combination of General Purpose Revenue from the state and from individual school districts.

The state also announced 2016-17 test results for all students—enrolled in both public and “choice” charter schools.  These included the Forward exam, ACT, and DLM (Dynamic Learning Maps) that measure English Language Arts, Math, and Science.   The results are listed below.

      

It appears that children enrolled in Wisconsin’s public schools are much more proficient in these subject areas than those in the Choice schools. 

University News

Both the state’s 4-year universities and 2-year colleges were blindsided a few weeks ago when UW System President Ray Cross announced that a plan to merge two-year campuses with four-year institutions.  His proposal also includes moving UW Extension under UW-Madison and System administration. No one from any of these institutions was consulted, and neither were county governments, which own the properties of the two-year campuses.  The blowback from administrators, faculty, and students has been overwhelming.  While System administrators claim that this move will make all campuses more viable across the state, many are skeptical. 

Twenty Democratic legislators have sent a letter to Cross, echoing what many across the state have described as a “complete lack of collaboration and deliberation” involving this merger proposal, as reported in the Wisconsin State Journal (26 Oct. 2017).

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, enrollment in the two-year campuses has been declining.  Last year the 13 UW Colleges saw a drop in enrollment of 22.3%.  This year, student numbers were down another 7.5%.  At UW-Stevens Point, enrollment dropped 5.4% last year and another 6.8% this year. Freshman enrollments at UW-Whitewater were down 9.3% and 8.6% at UW-Platteville (“Enrollment Falls at Several UW System campuses This Fall as State Demographics Shift” 6 Oct. 2017).  However, numbers of freshmen were up at UW-Milwaukee by 3.5%, 2.6% at Madison, and UW-River Falls, UW-Stout, and UW-Eau Claire report record enrollment this year (Daily Cardinal 25 Sept. 2017). The proposal will be considered at the next Board of Regents meeting.

UW-Superior just announced on October 31, 2017, that more than 25 programs will be suspended, including 9 majors, 15 minors, and one graduate program.  According to Wisconsin Public Radio, that brings the total to 40 programs suspended at that campus since 2014.  Though enrollment at Superior increased 3% this year, mostly due to online programs, the university faces a $2.5 million budget deficit. Faculty are not expected to be released due to these changes.

The university system made national news by the Board of Regents’ approval of a new policy that many constitutional scholars see as a prohibition of free speech.  The policy allows administrators to suspend or expel students who disrupt campus speeches and presentations. The Chicago Tribune reports, “The policy states that students found to have twice engaged in violence or other disorderly conduct that disrupts others’ free speech would be suspended. Students found to have disrupted others’ free expression three times would be expelled” (Todd Richmond, “University of Wisconsin Approves Free Speech Policy that Punishes Student Protesters” 6 Oct. 2017).

Health Report

By Tom Possley

Costs of insurance in Wisconsin under the ACA will rise by about 33% in 2018 on the average.  The reason for this is the uncertainty in the insurance industry and the cut in subsidies by the Trump administration. The time to enroll has also been cut from 90 to 45 days. One can enroll from November 1 to December 15. There are also fewer people available to answer questions for citizens and advertising was cut by 90%.

The La Crosse Tribune reports that 250,000 people across Wisconsin, including 30,000 in our 3^rd Congressional District—have obtained insurance coverage through ACA.

All Democratic candidates for Governor are calling for Gov. Walker to accept the money from the Federal Government for expanding Medicare.  Senator Johnson said the payout of money was unfair. He said that some states got more than others, forgetting that our governor had turned down the money and that ours went to other states.

Little Security in Retirement for Most Seniors

By Laura Zlogar

In April 1960, when I was almost ten years old, our family packed up a few belongings into a U-Haul trailer and left Port Huron, Michigan, headed for southern California where my parents thought their economic fortunes would improve.

My father, a tool-and-die operator, had always worked on the fringes of the auto industry at small companies with much lower salaries, fewer fringe benefits, and less job security than offered by the union jobs at the Big Three factories.  When work at the small factories around our hometown disappeared, my dad worked in Detroit, rented a small boardinghouse room during the week, and came home on weekends.

My father’s employment resulted from a changing economy. Dominance of the American auto industry began its downward slide by the late 1950s—from American carmakers owning 95% of the market share in 1950 to 82% in 1959 and down to less than 50% by 2008.  A 13% drop for American cars in the 1950s meant lean times for a lot of people.  The saying in those days was, “If Detroit gets a cold, Michigan gets pneumonia.” Our household was definitely sick.

While California was sunny for lots of people in 1960, it wasn’t the life we saw on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color for everyone. My dad found work as a tool-and-die maker, working nights so that my mom could work days and someone would be home—though sleeping—with my brother and me.  He moved from job to job for ten cents more an hour, a little better working conditions, a shorter drive until he settled into his last job—more than a decade at the same company, following its move from Pasadena to Thousand Oaks and requiring more than an hour’s commute each way.  Luckily for him, he retired right before the plant was purchased by Europeans who sold off most of the machinery, laid off most of the workers, and mechanized most of the remaining operations.

My father and mother worked hard all of their lives—from their teenage years until their 60s—yet had little financial security with which to face their retirement future. My dad had a very small pension from his last employer and Social Security and turned to the VA for his medical needs.  My mother had always held low-wage jobs (waitress, factory worker, retail clerk) so that her Social Security pension was tiny.  She started her own home cleaning business in her 60s just to pay high insurance premiums, looking forward to her 65^th birthday—which she never saw—when she would be eligible for Medicare.  They also moved from their home in California to Arizona where the cost of living was much less and a VA facility was close by.

My parents were able to cobble together a retirement, though my mother was still working until her death and they were always worried about finances and the next big expense that might overextend their limited income.  But today’s seniors are facing even more challenges and difficulties than my parents did.

Homelessness among seniors is growing, especially among people between the age of 50 and 64, not yet old enough for Social Security and Medicare but unable to find jobs or affordable housing.  Even those over 65 find life difficult.  According to the Washington Post, almost 30% of American households headed by someone over 55 have no pension or retirement savings (29 Sept. 2017).  This same article reports that nearly one in five seniors are working—9 million compared to 4 million in 2000. 

Many of those people are part of a caravan culture, people living in their RVs and moving from one seasonal job to another—working at state and national parks or campsites and resorts to sugar beet processing centers to Amazon warehouses filling holiday online orders.  Jessica Bruder wrote a book entitled Nomadland:  Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, based upon her correspondence and camping with these people.  Their jobs pay low hourly wages and provide no benefits but supplement the small Social Security checks most depend upon.  Social Security benefits, according to the Post, “have lost about a third of their purchasing power since 2000” while healthcare costs have skyrocketed. Bruder describes them as “casualties of the Great Recession.”

Other seniors find themselves floating between long visits with children or friends without permanent addresses because housing is simply too expensive.  In April 2017, Minnesota Public Radio reported that with more baby boomers turning 65, the number facing housing crises is inevitable.  Dependent on an $800 a month Social Security pension as her only income, one woman could simply not afford to live anywhere in her area where rents average $800 to $1,000.  Most seniors, MPR reports, can afford about $400 a month on their incomes.  The median rental price for River Falls in September 2017 was $1400, $2,000 for Prescott, $950 for Roberts, $1,050 for Ellsworth, and $1200 for Spring Valley. While seniors are eligible for housing subsidies at age 62, such housing often has long waiting lists, and its budget is currently on the cutting block in Washington.

Many of us are much luckier in our retirements.  We have a modest pension, Social Security, Medicare, and access to supplemental insurance perhaps subsidized by sick leave payments through our districts or the state.  Personally, I never realized how lucky I was until years into my employment at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. In 1981, I was just happy that I landed a job teaching English after my many years in graduate school and that I had a very modest salary allowing us to pay the rent and begin chipping away at student loans.

After a few years of working, I came to appreciate the fact that among my modest benefits as an employee of the state university system was a contribution to my retirement.  Even later, when we received one of the rare salary increases (and I am not exaggerating when I say they were rare), I used the small increase in pay to invest in a 403b account (like a 401K for government employees). 

The average pension for participants in the Wisconsin Retirement System is $24,725.  The average Social Security benefit is around $16,000.  While $40,000 a year is a far cry from the luxurious lives many people live, it is a livable income for most of us.  We can pay our bills, take a trip or two, perhaps winter in Florida or Arizona, buy a few nice things, and live our lives. Motley Fool, a business website,  says that the average American senior spend around $3,700 monthly or $44,600 annually (“4 Reasons You Can’t Live on Social Security,” 24 Oct. 2017). It reports also that more than half of all seniors have no money set aside for emergencies. Additionally, seniors spend an average of $5,994 annually for healthcare. For those on Social Security alone, that is equal to 37% of one’s income.

I am continually grateful that my 31-year teaching career has allowed me a much more secure retirement than my mother and father had.  However, that security cannot be taken for granted.  As I write this, Congress is considering a budget that would cut Medicare $473 billion over 10 years and would cut over $1 trillion from Medicaid over that same period of time, which many seniors depend on for nursing home care.  It reduces the amount of before-tax dollars workers can direct to 401K retirement accounts from $18,000 per year to $2,400.  According to Factcheck.org, “For the highest earners—those in the top 1 percent and top 0.1 percent—nearly all would see lower taxes.”  Those earning $900,000 and above would get a tax cut averaging $234,050 by 2027 (Dean Obeidallah, “Guess Who Loses with Trump’s Tax Plan? CNN 24 Oct. 2017).

WREA is working for us every day—protecting our futures and that of teachers, support staff, principals, and other civil servants in our state.  As WREA members, we are working to make sure that our retired lives will not be undercut by legislation and policies not in our interest.  While there are more than 70,000 retired teachers in Wisconsin—which does not include those retired from the UW System—there are not nearly that number among our membership.

November is Bring-A-New-Member month.  Reach out and bring someone new to our next meeting.  Our strength is in our numbers.  The bigger our membership, the louder and more influential we can be in Madison in protecting our pensions, supporting public education, and providing the environment and conditions in Wisconsin conducive to a good life for its retirees and all of its citizens.

Fraud and Identity Theft:  Take Steps to Protect Yourself

By Jane Harred

In view of the recent Equifax data breach, in which it is likely that the confidential information--Social Security numbers, birthdates, and some credit card numbers—of nearly half of all Americans was stolen, it is more important than ever to do what we can to protect this information.  The stolen information could be used to access your accounts, take out loans in your name, or establish a fake online presence (social media or email accounts) in your name.

Equifax, one of the three largest credit-reporting agencies, announced the breach late this past summer, many weeks after it was discovered.  Equifax has set up a website that can supposedly help consumers find out whether their information was stolen.  When I visited the site, though, I learned nothing very helpful.  It told me that my husband’s personal information “might have been” stolen and that mine was “probably” not.  In other words, neither of us learned whether our data were stolen. 

Equifax is also offering free identity-theft monitoring.  Originally, consumers signed up for such monitoring under terms of use that prevented them from later suing or taking part in any class-action suit against Equifax.  After hearing many complaints, Equifax removed these terms of use from its site.

In addition to considering identity-theft protection, we all should, at least, be vigilant.  Check your credit reports with Transunion and Experian, the other two large credit-reporting agencies, looking for credit inquiries and any new accounts opened in your name.  Look carefully, also, at bank, credit card, and other account statements, checking for purchases or withdrawals you did not make.  Consider adding some additional identification information, such as PINs or passwords, to your accounts.  You can also add a fraud alert to your accounts by going to one of the three main credit-reporting agencies.  A fraud alert requires lenders and creditors to verify your identity before extending credit in your name.  A security freeze offers more protection but also more hoops for you to jump through if you yourself want to take out a loan or get credit.  The websites of the three credit-reporting sites offer more information: www.equifax.com, www.transunion.com, www.experian.com.

It’s possible to report fraud or attempted fraud and get help if you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, and you can do so in a number of ways.  You can report internet or telemarketing fraud to the fraud center of The National Consumers’ League:  www.fraud.org or 1-202-835-3323.  The Federal Trade Commission takes reports of all types of consumer fraud and also offers information and publications:  www.ftc.gov or 1-877-382-4357.  The Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org takes reports of business fraud.  You can also report incidents of fraud to the Wisconsin state attorney general, Brad Schimel, at www.doj.state.wi.us.

The organization AARP offers a variety of fraud-prevention aids, including publications that detail common scams and tricks of con artists.  AARP also has a fraud watch network, free and open to anyone of any age, that offers resources to help you avoid scams and identity theft; you can also sign up for email alerts about the latest scams.  You can join at by calling 1-888-687-2277 or by going to www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.  AARP’s hotline at 1-877-908-3360 allows you to report or get advice about a specific scam.

Memorials for Ellen Gulbranson and Ann Krupkat

RFArea REA remembers its members who have passed away with a small memorial of $50 donated in their names.  Most recently, those memorials have been given to the River Falls Public Library.  However, donations more in keeping with family wishes and family history seemed more appropriate for our most recent gifts.

Ellen Gulbranson was a lifelong resident of Ellsworth, Wisconsin. Not only did she grow up there, but she also spent a good deal of her professional teaching life in that small town.  Ellen was a longstanding member of WREA and RFArea REA. She also served as president of our local unit of many years.

A gift of $50 has been sent to the Ellsworth Public Library in her name.

Ann Krupkat was also a past president of RFArea REA and served our local unit in a variety of capacities for many years.  She graduated from UW-River Falls (then River Falls State Teachers College) in 1948, taught in Manitowoc and Milwaukee.  When she retired and moved back to River Falls, she served as the volunteer coordinator of the UWRF’s Senior Outreach program.  

We have sent a memorial to the UWRF Foundation in her name as her family has requested.

Membership

We have five new or new-ish members so far this year:  Victoria Cobian, who was a member a few years ago until pulled away by other commitments and now has rejoined; Kay Fritz, who has been a state member since 2006 but has now joined our local also; Theresa Jonas, a WREA member for a while and now a local member; new member Magdalena Pala, retired professor from UW-River Falls physics department; and Julia Persico, retired administrative assistant from UW-River Falls graduate program.  A hearty welcome to all of these new members!

As of this writing, we have 49 paid local members, 48 paid state members, and 3 emeriti members. Thank you to all of you who have renewed your membership.  Those of you who have not sent in your dues, please do so as soon as possible--$50 state dues and $10 local dues.  You can bring them to the November meeting or send them to Laura Zlogar, 729 River Ridge Ct., River Falls 54022.

RFArea REA has nominated and WREA has approved that three of our members be given Emeritus status:  Robert Krey, Ethel Johnson, and Roberta Wunrow.  Those members, who are in assisted living or nursing homes, remain full members of our organization but are no longer required to pay dues.

Reminder:  You have a number of ways to keep in touch with RFArea REA and with educational, health, and legislative issues that may affect you as a retired educator.

Facebook.  If you have a Facebook account, “like” our page at River Falls Area Retired Educators’ Association.  Please contribute relevant content that you think might be of interest to our members.

Blog.  Find us on the Internet at https://riverfallsareawrea.blogspot.com/.  We post photos from meetings, the newsletter, and other information of interest to our members there. If you would like to contribute content, just let Laura Zlogar know, and you can be made a contributor or you can send it to her, and she will upload it for you.