RETIREES IN ACTION A message from PEF Retirees President Jim Carr 2011 brings new leader, tough challenges PASSING THE TORCH – Steve Muscarella (R) congratulates the new PEF Retirees President Jim Carr in Albany December 1. Muscarella chose not to seek another term. — Photo by Sherry Halbrook At its November 30-December 1 meeting in Albany the PEF Retirees Executive Board, elected: me (Jim Carr), president; Mary Reid, 1st vice president; Richard Magelaner, 2nd vice president; and Marje DeVoe, secretary. Our regional chapter presidents constitute our Executive Board. They are: Buffalo – Steve Muscarella; Southern Tier – myself; Rochester – Rosemary Rossi-Williams; Syracuse – Mark Grasmeyer; Binghamton – Karl Wokan; Utica – Mike Del Piano; North Country – Bill Crotty; Capital District – Marje DeVoe; Mid-Hudson – Jack Lim; New York – Richard Magelaner; and Long Island – Mary Reid. Bob Harms represents PEF Retirees on the PEF Executive Board and also serves on our board. President Steve Muscarella chose not to seek another term, and I am honored to succeed him. Steve did an outstanding job bringing us to the next level of growth and development. I thank him and all the previous statewide presidents for their dedicated service to our members. I hope to build on their successes, as we have grown in different ways under each of them. We have more than 17,000 members in our database, but only 12,000 are current on their dues. It’s a common misconception retiring PEF members automatically become PEF Retirees members. PEF usually pays the first year of dues to PEF Retirees for retiring PEF members. After that, however, you must pay your own dues to continue your membership in PEF Retirees. Each retiree must submit a completed membership form and a payroll-deduction authorization for $18 ($1.50 per month), or a check for $23 to cover the annual dues. If your dues lapse, you must renew to maintain your access to the benefits of active membership. As individuals and as an organization, we face many challenges and we must continue to be a voice of reason on senior issues. Every day the news reports attacks on our hard-earned benefits. Our group will work with PEF and others to protect what we have worked so hard to achieve, such as a secure pension, quality health care, Social Security and Medicare. As your new president, I will work with you to meet these challenges. We must stay informed on the issues that affect us most and act when what we have is threatened by those who say we have it too good at the taxpayer’s expense. As dedicated public servants we earned both our pensions and health insurance.  Send your e-mail address to jtropiano@pef.org to get PEF Retirees news alerts

Attention PEF members Showcase the services you provide Proud of the services you provide as a public servant? Now is your chance to let everyone know. The PEF Public Relations Department will travel across the state to capture your message on video tape to be used on the PEF website, pef.org, and in future advertising campaigns. This is your opportunity to look directly into the camera and let state taxpayers and policymakers know why the work you do is important for New Yorkers. Checkpef.org for schedules to find out when videotaping will take place in your region or call the PEF Public Relations Department at 1-800-342-4306 x277, or email Darcy Wells, PEF PR Director.