City of San Diego Retired Employees' Association Newsletter November 2009 |
|
| Join Our List |
 |
|
|
| Vol. 17 Issue: #11 |
November 2009 |
|
War Memorial Bldg - Balboa Park
Board Meeting .................. 9:30 a.m.
General Meeting ................ 11:00 a.m.
Program .......................... 11:15 a.m.
-------------------------------------------------------------
WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS THIS MONTH
Vivian Fergerson - Metro Waste Water
Charlotte Flenoid - Metro Waste Water
---------------------------------------------------------------
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
DECEMBER 10, 2009 - 11 to 3
Holiday Lunch - Tom Ham's Lighthouse
Reserve by December 3rd - $24 pp
Make check payable to CSDREA and mail to
4185 Galt St., San Diego, CA 92117
Delicious buffet of Virginia baked ham; glazed salmon / fresh seasonal fruit / potato and caesar salad / mixed vegetables / rice and mashed potatoes / assorted dessert selections / open bar upstairs / and entertainment with door prizes.
At our annual holiday luncheon this year on December 10th, we will hold a food drive for the San Diego Food Bank.
Please plan on bringing some canned, non-perishable food items for this SDREA event, or a donation by check. Any amount is welcome!
Especially needed are canned meats, tuna, soups, canned vegetables, canned fruit, peanut butter; packaged goods such as macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, cereal and rice.
Please NO GLASS JARS and NO EXPIRED FOOD
*****A $10.00 donation buys 30 meals*****
If you write a check, make it payable to
San Diego Food Bank
For more information, go to sandiegofoodbank.org
Let's all help some San Diego families in need!
THANK YOU!!
|
|
PROGRAM
|
|
Our November program will be a Q&A with those in the know, with Peter Preovolos handling the microphone.
This program will answer members' growing interest in what it means to be a SDCERS Trustee, SDCERS independence, why retirees may wish to support SDCERS in the courtroom, and what will happen to SDCERS if the City cannot pay the Annual Required Contribution this year or next.
Answering questions will be Elaine Reagan and Mayoral appointed Trustees.
Please come and bring your questions.
|
|
| PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE by Nancy Acevedo |
|
Our October speaker was Tom Blair, Editor of San Diego Magazine. He has worked in print and broadcast media for over 35 years, as well as teaching journalism at SDSU, his alma mater. He has authored two books - Yesterday's San Diego and San Diego World Class City.
We all appreciated his opening comment, that he was glad to speak to us retirees, who "kept the City moving for several years." He said the story of San Diego is really the story of real estate. From when Alonzo Horton bought over 900 acres in what is now downtown San Diego for 27 l/2 cents per acre - and the town fathers thought they'd made a killing. An acre downtown today would bring $5 to $8 million. Then there was Billy Carlson. In the 1890's he sold lots in Ocean Beach for $60. He later became Mayor, but later still spent time in San Quentin.
Mr. Blair asked the question, "When does the cost of Paradise mean that Paradise is lost?" He compared how much house one can get in San Diego for $400,000 versus one in New Hampshire. Here one would get a small two bedroom one bath on a small lot whereas in New Hampshire the same amount could buy a large five bedroom three bath with attached guest house on a two acre lot. And it costs 36% more to live in San Diego versus other like sized cities according to bankrate.com.
In the 14 years since Mr. Blair joined San Diego Magazine, it has changed considerably. They have grown the size of the magazine to over 300 pages and have added investigative reporting - such as the recent three part series on the drug wars south of the border. That article, "Blood of their Brothers", examines the crime and violence associated with the drug trade in Baja. They have also published articles about San Diego successes in science, medicine, the arts and businesses. And they are the source for hard hitting articles on San Diego scandals! One thing I didn't know was that San Diego Magazine is the oldest city magazine in the United States. And it is a good source to keep up with San Diego happenings.
At the September SDCERS Board meeting, April Boling expressed concern that the taxpayers are funding both sides of the Barton benefits lawsuit between SDCERS and the City. Then at the annual SDCERS membership meeting Retirement Administrator David Wescoe stated that SDCERS had made attempts to settle the lawsuit, but the City had not responded or made any offer. Subsequently, I wrote the Council saying, in part, "In the interest of saving both the City and SDCERS, and ultimately the taxpayers, from having to pay expensive legal fees, it is respectfully requested that the City Council seek to reach a settlement with SDCERS on the Barton case."
At our November meeting the nominating committee will present their recommendations for the positions of President, Vice President - Programs, Vice President - Advocacy, Treasurer and three members of the Board of Directors. Nominations from the floor will also be requested. Please plan to attend and cast your vote!
|
|
|
| SDCERS RETIREMENT BOARD UPDATE by CSDREA Board Member Patti Karnes |
|
At the Friday, October 16, 2009, SDCERS meeting, David Wescoe noted SDCERS lost 19% last year, compared to the other pension system losses of 23-24%. In dollars, that was $240 million SDCERS did not lose. Over twenty years, he noted that means a difference of $1 billion.
SDCERS investment returns are back in positive territory, adding $284 million in two months to the fund. SDCERS unaudited assets now are $4,313,228,521. The SDCERS Board is now responsible for 16,000 members. Cost of benefit payments is up 11% over last year due to the increasing number of retirees.
JOIN CITY OF SAN DIEGO RETIRED EMPLOYEES' ASSOCIATION FOR ACCESS TO PREVIOUS NOTES ON SDCERS BOARD MEETINGS, PROGRAMS, LUNCHEONS, ETC. Contact Sylvia Tatum at (858) 272-0494 and ask for a payroll deduction form for the $2.00 monthly dues to CSDREA.
Patti
WEB- Board meetings are archived and are available for viewing on line at any time (after the meeting) via the SDCERS web site.
TELEVISION- If you live in the City limits, Board meetings are on Channel 24 around 5 or 6pm, usually the third Friday of the month, and usually repeat on Sundays at 1 p.m. Official CDs of SDCERS' committees and Board meetings are available through the Board Secretary; visual recordings are available through City Channel 24. Motions and votes are in SDCERS monthly summaries of Board meetings.
For previous reports and announcements about when meetings are scheduled, please logon to our website at www.csdrea.com
|
|
|
General Announcements
|
|
|
THANK YOU October Greeters
Marylynn Hyde and Dora Garcia
Janet Burgess and Mary Lynn Hyde have graciously agreed to be at the door this year to greet you. If you would be willing to help them by doing this one month, please contact Janet at 619-463-7440 or by email at jburgess911@cox.net or Mary Lynn at mlhyde@san.rr.com
Members: We are expanding the CSDREA Newsletter. We invite you to submit articles, items of interest to seniors, tall tales, jokes, poems and where one can find special discounts for seniors, etc. Make submissions brief, (articles less than 500 words please) by E-Mail to: Ruth Ann Hageman at Hageman1@san.rr.com or Bob Korch at rkorch@san.rr.com. We will consider submissions on a space available basis, so your item may appear in a future Newsletter. We reserve the right to print only what is appropriate and to edit for space as necessary. No political stuff, okay?
Winner of Trader Joe's $25 Gift Card for October was Roy Tyler
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Emeline Pineda - 10/14/1919 and
Charles Calabrese - 11/30/1919
TURNING 80? Then your CSDREA membership is FREE. Call Sylvia at (858)272-0494.
Do you know a member who is ill or who is over 80 years old and having a birthday? Notify Sharon Beach (619-934-8202) so the word gets passed along and a card is sent. Also, if you know of someone who has died, please let us know. You may also submit a short bio of that person for publication.
City of San Diego Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to city retirees. This assistance is confidential. Contact EAP at 619-533-3460.
|
| WEBSITE NEWS |
|
SDREA WEB News! Logon http://www.csdrea.com
Members only section for the latest news. Read all the recent postings on subjects important to retirees. You will also discover helpful links to other resources.
Reminder
The Retired Fire and Police Assn. has welcomed CSDREA members to visit their website at
|
| CITY OF SAN DIEGO RETIRED EMPLOYEES' ASSOCIATION BOARD |
|
|
Board Members
The board members who have consented to listing their phone numbers in the newsletter have done so to provide you a way to arrange sending a card to a sick member, and to obtain a password for the "members only" section of the website. They are intended for the use of CSDREA members only. Thank you for your cooperation.
|
|
|
|
