“We are not and will not be defined by ideological special interests who would like to eliminate discourse that leads to economic vitality, jobs and fiscal stability for the states.”
–Ron Scheberle, Executive Director of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), in a press release lamenting what he described as a “coordinated and well-funded intimidation campaign against corporate members of ALEC.
“It has been brought to my attention that there have been meetings and/or activities with ALEC staff members within the state of Louisiana that I have not been privy to. As a courtesy I believe I should have been notified as to any activities that ALEC staff were expected to participate in within the state of Louisiana.”
–State Rep. Greg Cromer (R-Slidell), State ALEC Chairman since 2010, in his letter informing legislative colleagues of his resignation from ALEC in protest of his being left out of the loop in secret discussions between ALEC representatives and House and Senate Retirement Committee Chairmen Kevin Pearson (R-Slidell) and Elbert Guillory (D-Opelousas), respectively.
Louisiana Voice 
Envy and strife between those in power is always good.
Being left out of the meetings where you are a chairperson is scary in itself, but to know the very people you have worked with for two years are making plans without you should make you want to reach out and tell some Stories of your own.
What is going on in Louisiana? Are we this self-centered to think of no one but ourselves or our cliques. Oh! what a tangled web they have been weaving in what they say will improve this state. Are we paying attention to the headlines on National, State or Local level?
Leaders you OWE the people of this Great state more than excuses.
WAKE UP LOUISIANA!
Why isn’t this on the FRONT PAGE of the Advocate?
This is huge news. ALEC is meeting secretly with, and influencing, the chairmen of the committees that just railroaded this legislation onto the floor. The senators never even read the bills, and now they are being re-written again, having never been made public!
Recall all of these bastards!
ALEC apparently has privatized the legislature. So why are we taxpayers still paying them a salary? Let ALEC subsidize their retirement and health care benefits.
ALEC is a fiction promoted and supported by a so-called rational philosophy — and ideology by the very definition. How insulting to Louisianans willing to question it’s members’ and supporters’ motives.
I agree that what is happening in our state legislature is beyond the pale. If anyone here is interested in joining our recall effort to recall the governor, please visit our website, http://www.recallbobbyjindal.com If you have any other questions, direct them to phyllis@recallbobbyjindal.com. She’ll be happy to answer them.
Help us get the attention of those who are (mis)leading us in Baton Rouge!
Regarding the gun bill pushed by ALEC and NRA: today Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona, VETOED a similar bill allowing guns in public places, including libraries, schools, everywhere….in her veto letter she cited Justice Scalia, who has said communities have the right to limit guns in “sensitive places.” Link is: http://bit.ly/HTDf5q
Florida courts ruled Tuesday that the “state [Florida] unconstitutionally breached its contract with state employees when legislators cut salaries 3 percent last year in an effort to have employees pay into their pensions without renegotiating their contracts.” Employees apparently are getting their money back with interest.
The state spent $500,000 fighting the challenge in court and vows to spend another $300,000 to appeal the ruling.
The new version of the “age 67 bill” aka SB-51 aka SB-749 is far worse than it looks. Now I understand why the senator nervously interrupted the speaker during the committee when he said the new version merely cooked the frogs more slowly. The bill sounds better, but in fact it’s the same exact result, you end up cooked.
The new bill says in effect that you can ‘keep what you have now,’ and new years accrue under the new system. I’m not exactly sure how this works, and I certainly don’t work for LASERS, so this is merely a hypothetical example. If anyone sees a flaw, let me know.
Assuming you don’t get a raise (probably correct) and you don’t get laid off (who knows with Jindal), and rounding off a few hundred dollars here and there to make it easier to read.
Let’s say you’re 50 with 20 years of service and make $50k. You qualify for 20×2.5x$50,000 (minus about 50% actuarial reduction) = $12,500.
1) Under the old system, the reduction would have gone away by age 55, and you could have retired with 25×2.5x$50,000=$31,000 retirement.
2) Under the new system, at age 55 you would get $12,500 (keeping what you had before) plus 5×2.5x$50,000 (minus 33% actuarial reduction because you’re not age 58) = $4,000. So that’s $12,500 + $4,000 = $16,500 retirement.
BUT, there is an interesting third alternative! (I believe)
3) Quit before the bill is signed, but don’t start taking your retirement until age 55. If you did that, then it would be worth the full, unreduced $25,000. You would lose your healthcare with this option, and you would obviously need another job for income (and healthcare). However, the state would be paying you $25,000 retirement instead of $16,500. And you don’t have to worry about getting laid off by Jindal anymore.
I now believe this scenario is wrong. At age 55, this person would get:
20×2.5x$50,000 (minus NO actuarial reduction) = $25,000
Plus 5×2.5x$50,000 (actuarial reduction because you’re not age 58) = $4,000
So, $25,000 + $4,000 = $29,000
I think this is correct, but I cannot be sure.