--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, ganesha111
<no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Another reading option is the RSS feed available as a button on the
> yahoo page for the group.  I use http://bloglines.com to subscribe to
> all of my feeds, but I hear google reader is good too.
> https://www.google.com/reader/view/?tab=my
>

Excellent suggestion.  This was one of another sore points for me on
OPDG.  Dana wouldn't open the group up to drive-by readers and to
RSS/Atom feeds.  This group does both.  Enjoy.

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, mrfearless47
<no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> --- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "pegppeg" <pegppeg@>
> wrote:
>
> >
> > 27 new members on opening day, good job, Marc!
> >
> > peg
> >
>
> Over a holiday weekend no less.  I'm pleased.  I leave for vacation on
> June 13.  I'd like to see 250 by then.  Invite your PERS friends and
> coworkers.
>
> mrf
>

************************************************

You bet I will (actually already have) and I'm inviting them to invite
*their* PERS friends and co-workers!  250 by mid-June, we can do that!

peg

Marc - Thanks for starting the group.  I also quit going to the OPDG
site, like you said too much to wade thru to see if there is anything
of interest.

As a party in the Arken case I recently received an email from
Hartman's office.  They needed a signature from us on a release form.
Maybe I'm wrong, but it seemed both sides were checking all their
paperwork to make sure they were ready for an appeal.  That of course
really tells us nothing more than we already know but things have been
dead quiet for soooooo long and no communication with us, it seemed odd.

As always, I will keep you posted if we hear anything of interest.
Hopefully next email will come attached with an opinion from the fine
judge in our favor!

Currently I'm waiting for PERS to come up with some reason not to give
us the 2% now changed to 1.97% COLA this year....

Sue

Another reading option is the RSS feed available as a button on the
yahoo page for the group.  I use http://bloglines.com to subscribe to
all of my feeds, but I hear google reader is good too.
https://www.google.com/reader/view/?tab=my

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "mrfearless47"
<mrfearless47@...> wrote:
>
> Many people have expressed an interest in only reading the group via
> the web.  The default, and apparently unchangeable as a default, is
> for new members to receive individual emails each time a new post goes
> up.  I've been changing new members to "No email" to spare them the
> volume of email that I expect to come from here.  If you still want
> email but want to reduce the volume, you should "edit your membership"
> to change to "digest" form.  If you genuinely want web only, then the
> option is "No email".  You can edit your own membership easily on
> Yahoo Groups.  In the upper left-hand corner just below where it says
> "Yahoo! Finance Groups, there is your Yahoo handle and, in purple next
> to it, "Edit Membership".  Click on "Edit Membership" and you can make
> whatever changes to the way you participate in the group you want.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> mrf
>

Marc,

Thanks for starting POD! And a thanks to Peg for agreeing to be a
moderator.
I so happy you've taken on the work of giving us a true PERS forum
again.

Leslie

>
> Welcome to our group.  Fire away.
>
> Marc Feldesman and two (as yet nameless) moderator

*********

Thank you sooooooooooo much for the new PERS information site.

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, jdmccoy54
<no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> I don't get it.I am going to retire in Sept. I will buy back my waiting
> time and 2 months of milatary. By doing this I will be able to retire
> at age 54 and have 30 years time in the system. My first benefit
> request was to buy back 10 months of milatary at a cost of about
> 5000.00. My next was to buy back 4 months of same to cost aprox.
> 3000.00. my last was to buy back 2 months of milatary and they tell me
> it will cost only 300.00 . Its A OK with me but it dos't make alot of
> sense. I called them to make sure that this was correct and was told by
> the rep that it was. I am still going to go for it and retire in Sept.
> but I do not have any faith in the correctness of their
> calculations.One would think that they would want to make damn sure of
> this kind of information.
>


Buybacks of service time are supposed to be a full cost.  I've never
figured out the rhyme or reason of how they arrive at the numbers.
There is no published information at how they compute the costs.  If
you are concerned about the numbers, ask them to provide you with a
spread sheet showing how they arrived at the numbers.  I've known
others to request this information and receive it.

You may want to contact David Crosley at PERS.  He's their public
relations go to guy.  If you tell him that I suggested you write, he
will probably refer your question to the Administrator of the division
that calculates these costs, who will provide you with the basis of them.

I do know that the cost of the buy back increases considerably the
younger you are.  Did you, by chance, cross over an age boundary with
the two months that you wouldn't have crossed at 10 or 4 months.  That
might make a difference in the sense that your actuarial life
expectancy might change dramatically going from 53 to 54.  I don't
know but have seen paradoxes like this in life expectancy tables.

Anyway, David's email address is David.Crosley@...

Hope this helps.

I don't get it.I am going to retire in Sept. I will buy back my waiting
time and 2 months of milatary. By doing this I will be able to retire
at age 54 and have 30 years time in the system. My first benefit
request was to buy back 10 months of milatary at a cost of about
5000.00. My next was to buy back 4 months of same to cost aprox.
3000.00. my last was to buy back 2 months of milatary and they tell me
it will cost only 300.00 . Its A OK with me but it dos't make alot of
sense. I called them to make sure that this was correct and was told by
the rep that it was. I am still going to go for it and retire in Sept.
but I do not have any faith in the correctness of their
calculations.One would think that they would want to make damn sure of
this kind of information.

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "mrfearless47" <mrfearless47@...>
wrote:
>
> I didn't want to do it, but circumstances force me to.
*********************************************

Thanks for starting a new group which will remain on topic.  It may seem
paranoid, but it
may be that those political contributions to OPDG may have been made to
purposely try
to destroy that group.  I'm glad you have safeguards in place to prevent that
from
happening to this group.

I do admire the work you have done, Mr. Fearless, and those of others as well
especially
on behalf of the windowites.  I have tried to get our story out to the public,
but it's hard
to get anyone to listen and to care.  Hopefully when Judge Kantor makes his
ruling,
hopefully in our favor, there will be some good publicity -or maybe we can bring
his
decision to the attention of the public because ultimately, the legislators will
have to
answer to the public.

It seems like everything is context these days.  Black is made to seem white and
white to
be black by changing the context.  Retirees are seen as feeding at the public
trough at
the expense of school children -the very people many of us have sacrificed for
all these
years.  I was laid off three times and had to move with my family because I
happen to
teach music.  I started teaching way back when a starting salary for five years
of
education was $6,400.00 per year.  But, they said I would someday get a very
good
pension!  Now we have to go to court to get what was promised, and have to pay
the
lawyers on both side of the issue from our pension funds and our union funds. 
The
proper context is to see the two sides as what was promised by the State on one
hand
(not PERS) and the retirees on the other hand.  Some judge should recognize what
is
going on and put the ball back in the court of the State of Oregon and out of
the hands
of PERB.  Those politicians have us fighting ourselves with our own pension
money.

Anyway, thanks for starting a new group and for all your excellent work on
behalf of the
retirees.

Rich Young

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "pegppeg" <pegppeg@...>
wrote:

>
> 27 new members on opening day, good job, Marc!
>
> peg
>

Over a holiday weekend no less.  I'm pleased.  I leave for vacation on
June 13.  I'd like to see 250 by then.  Invite your PERS friends and
coworkers.

mrf

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, mrfearless47
<no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> --- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "greengardendogs"
> <greengardendogs@> wrote:
> >
>
> Breathe deeply.  The air you smell is that of freshly mowed lawn in
> the early summer morning.  The smell of lilacs and of beautiful
roses
> just coming out in full bloom.  OK.  Hyperbole, but we hope people
> feel good about this site and will contribute to its ongoing
success.
>  Thanks for being here.
>
> mrf
>

******************************************

27 new members on opening day, good job, Marc!

peg

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "greengardendogs"
<greengardendogs@...> wrote:
>

Breathe deeply.  The air you smell is that of freshly mowed lawn in
the early summer morning.  The smell of lilacs and of beautiful roses
just coming out in full bloom.  OK.  Hyperbole, but we hope people
feel good about this site and will contribute to its ongoing success.
  Thanks for being here.

mrf

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "mrfearless47" <mrfearless47@...>
wrote:
>
  We hope to provide an oasis, of sorts, for those just
> plain sick of irrelevant political blather and the overt hostility
> that seems to accompany it.
>
> Welcome to our group.  Fire away.
>
> Marc Feldesman and two (as yet nameless) moderators.
>


Count me in the oasis.  And thank you for starting this new site.  Politics was
destroying
OPDG.  The air feels much fresher over here.

Hello, Professor, good to have the forum up and devoted to PERS issues.
Looking forwarded to being "in the loop" as things develop. Happy
Holiday to All.

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "gregorr01"
<russgregory40@...> wrote:
>
> I'm looking forward to the new group's discussions.  I feel like I can
> walk into a room full of open-minded people and feel comfortable with
> the topics being shared.  Russ
>


Hi Russ:

Glad to have you aboard.

mrf

I'm looking forward to the new group's discussions.  I feel like I can
walk into a room full of open-minded people and feel comfortable with
the topics being shared.  Russ

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "hillhaus1"
<hillhaus1@...> wrote:
>
> --- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "pegppeg" <pegppeg@>
> wrote:
> >
> > --- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "mrfearless47"
> > <mrfearless47@> wrote:
> >
>
> Thanks Marc,
>
> It needed to be done.  I think you will find a lot of readers and
> hopefully many active participants.  JJH
>

Welcome to all our newest members.  We've picked up about 12 members
so far today alone.

I want to personally thank Dana for his generous mention of this new
newsgroup on his web site.  After all the political smash and grab of
the last few months, I wasn't expecting to get such a warm welcome.

I hope that the two newsgroups can co-exist in peace.  That said, I
hope this one gets bigger than OPDG <g>

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "hillhaus1"
<hillhaus1@...> wrote:
>
> --- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "pegppeg" <pegppeg@>
> wrote:
> >
> > --- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "mrfearless47"
> > <mrfearless47@> wrote:
> >
>
> Thanks Marc,
>
> It needed to be done.  I think you will find a lot of readers and
> hopefully many active participants.  JJH
>

**************************************************

Welcome to the group, we're glad you joined us!  peg

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "pegppeg" <pegppeg@...>
wrote:
>
> --- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "mrfearless47"
> <mrfearless47@> wrote:
>

Thanks Marc,

It needed to be done.  I think you will find a lot of readers and
hopefully many active participants.  JJH

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "mrfearless47"
<mrfearless47@...> wrote:
>
> I just wanted our new members to know that I've sent off an email to
> Greg Hartman to get his take on the two rumors I posted about on my
> blog (http://persinfo.blogspot.com) as "All Along The Watchtower").
> While I consider the sources from whom I've heard these rumors to be
> reliable, the MacPherson rumor doesn't really compute for me.  On
the
> other hand, the rumor about the Arken/Robinson findings being
> postponed until White make much more sense.  I realize that none of
us
> really want that kind of delay, but there is a certain parsimony in
> it.  In the main, the two current cases would be mooted if White
were
> decided in favor of the plaintiffs.  On the other hand, Arken and
> Robinson can proceed on their own if the White case is decided
against
> the plaintiffs.  So, one part of my brain sees the logic in issuing
> separate Arken and Robinson rulings, the other part sees the logic
in
> waiting.  Regardless, all three cases are going to be moving on a
fast
> train to the Oregon Supreme Court after the cases leave Kantor's
> non-functional train station.
>
> Welcome to our newest members.  I am planning to take the group
public
> on Monday towards the end of the day.  PEG is one of our moderators,
> as you may have figured out.  The other moderator-proposed seems to
be
> out of email coverage right now (probably out of town).  We're small
> enough right now that PEG and I can handle the job, but once we go
> public, things may slow down a bit without a thrid person to help
out.
>  I'm hoping my proposed moderator returns by Monday afternoon.  If
> not, PEG and I will hold down the fort.
>
> I hope to have a few hundred members within a month of the group's
> going public.  If those of you reading have friends you communicate
> with regularly and who are interested in PERS issues, please feel
free
> to invite them to join.  If you see the "invite" entry on the left
> side (I don't know what non-moderators see), send them an invite.
>
> Best,
>
> mrf
>

******************************************

Marc, I was interested (horrified, sickened) by your blog post about
a rumors concerning Greg Macpherson that expand on this post.  (All
Along the Watchtower  May 21, 2007  http://persinfo.blogspot.com/
Here I quote what your blog:

"There are some really interesting rumors floating around this day
after the election. One involves the now defeated and out of work
politician Greg Macpherson. Question: how do you keep a politician in
the news for two years when said politician has no political position
to occupy? Reasonable question. Question 2: What if the politician is
a close friend of the Governor and acted as the Governor's "go to"
guy during the 2003 Legislature and managed to get much of the PERS
reform passed. Corollary: Your guy doesn't have any political cache
anymore, but he wants to be your successor (as Governor) in the worst
way? How do you keep him in the news and how do you get in the face
of the very people you blame for his defeat. Bingo: how about if we
appoint Greg Macpherson to the PERS Board to replace one or more of
the members who'd like to move on. That's the rumor I'm hearing right
now. Its source isn't strong compared to others I have, but this
source has earned creds with me. So, those of you right now
celebrating Kroger's stunning victory might want to give some thought
to what a PERS Board with Greg Macpherson might look like."

For what it is worth, here is my 2 cents about this rumor.  The part
that really puts a knot in my stomach is Gov Ted's talent for putting
the hurt on public workers.  Ted the K has, personally, done more
harm to me than any other 3 politicians combined.  Between Workers
Compensation reform and PERS reform he has done a lot to undermine my
financial security.  I just don't trust the man and have no
confidence that he has either my welfare, or the welfare of public
employees at heart.

One of the things I've seen over the years is how Ted loves to come
to the public employee unions, tell us what we want to hear and get
thousands of dollars and volunteer hours out of us to win campaigns.
Once elected it is like he never knew us!  Appointing Macpherson to
the PERS Board late in his final term as governor would be just the
sort of thing he would do to his 'good friends in the unions!'  I
understand this is just a rumor so far, but given the history, I
could see it happening.  Yuck!

peg

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "mrfearless47"
<mrfearless47@...> wrote:
>
> To make it easy for new members, go to my blog and look along its
left
> side.  Just below the counter for "Time Since Arken" is a Yahoo
logo.
>  Below that is clickable area that will take you directly to this
> group and let you set yourself up as a new member.  This will be
> useful for friends and others you want to have join the group.
>

********************************************


This sure makes it easy to invite folks to join.  I just sent an
email to everyone that I know with any interest in PERS to encourage
them to join us here.  Thanks for using the technology to make it
easier for us non-tech types!

peg

Many people have expressed an interest in only reading the group via
the web.  The default, and apparently unchangeable as a default, is
for new members to receive individual emails each time a new post goes
up.  I've been changing new members to "No email" to spare them the
volume of email that I expect to come from here.  If you still want
email but want to reduce the volume, you should "edit your membership"
to change to "digest" form.  If you genuinely want web only, then the
option is "No email".  You can edit your own membership easily on
Yahoo Groups.  In the upper left-hand corner just below where it says
"Yahoo! Finance Groups, there is your Yahoo handle and, in purple next
to it, "Edit Membership".  Click on "Edit Membership" and you can make
whatever changes to the way you participate in the group you want.

Hope this helps.

mrf

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "lilyjackpups"
<lilyjackpups@...> wrote:
>
> --- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "mrfearless47"
> <mrfearless47@> wrote:


> > Welcome to our group.  Fire away.
> >
> > Marc Feldesman and two (as yet nameless) moderators.
> >
> -------------------------------
> Hello.  This should be a great group!
>

***********************************************

I'm glad you joined, lilyjackpups!  Good to have you with us.  peg

To make it easy for new members, go to my blog and look along its left
side.  Just below the counter for "Time Since Arken" is a Yahoo logo.
  Below that is clickable area that will take you directly to this
group and let you set yourself up as a new member.  This will be
useful for friends and others you want to have join the group.

I just wanted our new members to know that I've sent off an email to
Greg Hartman to get his take on the two rumors I posted about on my
blog (http://persinfo.blogspot.com) as "All Along The Watchtower").
While I consider the sources from whom I've heard these rumors to be
reliable, the MacPherson rumor doesn't really compute for me.  On the
other hand, the rumor about the Arken/Robinson findings being
postponed until White make much more sense.  I realize that none of us
really want that kind of delay, but there is a certain parsimony in
it.  In the main, the two current cases would be mooted if White were
decided in favor of the plaintiffs.  On the other hand, Arken and
Robinson can proceed on their own if the White case is decided against
the plaintiffs.  So, one part of my brain sees the logic in issuing
separate Arken and Robinson rulings, the other part sees the logic in
waiting.  Regardless, all three cases are going to be moving on a fast
train to the Oregon Supreme Court after the cases leave Kantor's
non-functional train station.

Welcome to our newest members.  I am planning to take the group public
on Monday towards the end of the day.  PEG is one of our moderators,
as you may have figured out.  The other moderator-proposed seems to be
out of email coverage right now (probably out of town).  We're small
enough right now that PEG and I can handle the job, but once we go
public, things may slow down a bit without a thrid person to help out.
  I'm hoping my proposed moderator returns by Monday afternoon.  If
not, PEG and I will hold down the fort.

I hope to have a few hundred members within a month of the group's
going public.  If those of you reading have friends you communicate
with regularly and who are interested in PERS issues, please feel free
to invite them to join.  If you see the "invite" entry on the left
side (I don't know what non-moderators see), send them an invite.

Best,

mrf

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "mrfearless47"
<mrfearless47@...> wrote:
>
> I didn't want to do it, but circumstances force me to.  I have told
> many people that I cannot stand political discussions being forced
on
> me.  Sure, I can read the "OT" when someone is courteous enough to
> remember to put it on, but I still have to scan the rest of the
header
> to determine whether I want to read the message or not.  Call me
lazy,
> but I don't like being assaulted with messages I don't want to
read.
> There are lots of good sites for intelligent political discussions.
> There are also many sites populated by people with a political
agenda
> and who will brook no disagreement whatsoever.  They profess
openness,
> but in fact, they're only looking for another reason to pick on a
> liberal, a conservative, a progressive, a right-winger, a
> bible-banger, whatever.  As I say, there are some really good places
> for me to read political commentary by very informed sources.  I
don't
> want to read those in a group devoted to issues more near and dear
to
> me and many others - my retirement and my PERS pension.  So, we are
> taking much of our show over here.  I'm hoping to have two
additional
> moderators to share the load.  The group's introduction pretty much
> provides the ground rules here.  If you have questions about Oregon
> PERS, retirement in specific or general, social security, medicare,
> the various Oregon deferred compensation plans, or the rules of
> membership, exit, termination etc of any of the public employee
> retirement plans in Oregon (PERS Tier 1 and Tier 2, IAP, OPSRP,
OSGP,
> 403B, OUS's Optional Retirement Plan, or any others I may have
> forgotten), this is the place.  Jokes are OK, in moderation.  Just
no
> political discussion.  Presidential politics has no place in this
> group.  Congressional politics has no place in this group.  The
> exception is when a President, presidential candidate, or Congress,
or
> a Congressional candidate raises an issue that bears directly on
> retirement planning.  Examples would be changes to health coverage
in
> Medicare, changes to Social Security, limits/increases on
> contributions to 401K, 403B, 457, Roth, or regular IRA, changing to
> the tax-sheltered ceilings on employer contributions to defined
> benefit plans.  The same is true for Oregon Legislative candidates.
> When/if there are proposals to, criticisms of, etc PERS, that is
fair
> game.
>
> I want the group to be as open and hospitable to all points of view,
> but at the same time, there have to be limits on "free speech".
Your
> speech here isn't free.  It comes at the expense of my and two
> moderators' time.  We have the right to delete posts that are
> offensive, are spam, or that violate the relatively limited rules we
> have set up.  We hope to provide an oasis, of sorts, for those just
> plain sick of irrelevant political blather and the overt hostility
> that seems to accompany it.
>
> Welcome to our group.  Fire away.
>
> Marc Feldesman and two (as yet nameless) moderators.
>
-------------------------------
Hello.  This should be a great group!

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "jcb00058"
<jcb00058@...> wrote:
>
> Marc,
> I'm looking forward to what I'm sure will be an informative PERS-
related discussion group.
> Thank you for doing this.
>
> Jim
>

****************************************************

Welcome Jim, I'm glad you've joined us!  peg

Marc,
I'm looking forward to what I'm sure will be an informative PERS-related
discussion group.
Thank you for doing this.

Jim

--- In PERS_Oregon_Discussion@yahoogroups.com, "pegppeg" <pegppeg@...>
wrote:

>
> Thank you Marc for stepping forward and starting a new group to do
> what OPDG *used* to do so well.  I hope that many familiar faces will
> show up here and contribute under that rules you've set up for us.  I
> look forward to participating and having many lively discussions here.
>
> peg
>


You are welcome.  Glad to have you aboard.

mrf

I didn't want to do it, but circumstances force me to.  I have told
many people that I cannot stand political discussions being forced on
me.  Sure, I can read the "OT" when someone is courteous enough to
remember to put it on, but I still have to scan the rest of the header
to determine whether I want to read the message or not.  Call me lazy,
but I don't like being assaulted with messages I don't want to read.
There are lots of good sites for intelligent political discussions.
There are also many sites populated by people with a political agenda
and who will brook no disagreement whatsoever.  They profess openness,
but in fact, they're only looking for another reason to pick on a
liberal, a conservative, a progressive, a right-winger, a
bible-banger, whatever.  As I say, there are some really good places
for me to read political commentary by very informed sources.  I don't
want to read those in a group devoted to issues more near and dear to
me and many others - my retirement and my PERS pension.  So, we are
taking much of our show over here.  I'm hoping to have two additional
moderators to share the load.  The group's introduction pretty much
provides the ground rules here.  If you have questions about Oregon
PERS, retirement in specific or general, social security, medicare,
the various Oregon deferred compensation plans, or the rules of
membership, exit, termination etc of any of the public employee
retirement plans in Oregon (PERS Tier 1 and Tier 2, IAP, OPSRP, OSGP,
403B, OUS's Optional Retirement Plan, or any others I may have
forgotten), this is the place.  Jokes are OK, in moderation.  Just no
political discussion.  Presidential politics has no place in this
group.  Congressional politics has no place in this group.  The
exception is when a President, presidential candidate, or Congress, or
a Congressional candidate raises an issue that bears directly on
retirement planning.  Examples would be changes to health coverage in
Medicare, changes to Social Security, limits/increases on
contributions to 401K, 403B, 457, Roth, or regular IRA, changing to
the tax-sheltered ceilings on employer contributions to defined
benefit plans.  The same is true for Oregon Legislative candidates.
When/if there are proposals to, criticisms of, etc PERS, that is fair
game.

I want the group to be as open and hospitable to all points of view,
but at the same time, there have to be limits on "free speech".  Your
speech here isn't free.  It comes at the expense of my and two
moderators' time.  We have the right to delete posts that are
offensive, are spam, or that violate the relatively limited rules we
have set up.  We hope to provide an oasis, of sorts, for those just
plain sick of irrelevant political blather and the overt hostility
that seems to accompany it.

Welcome to our group.  Fire away.

Marc Feldesman and two (as yet nameless) moderators.