Question 3: Board of Regents Pay Date Scheme

Question: Retirees will take a hit; will you support the Regents' paydate-switch scheme?

Mitch Fargen:

• talked to Tad Perry about it; there are options to move retirement (earlier or later) to avoid the hit
• lack of funding for higher ed (and all ed) pushes Regents to look at this option
• need to research further, talk to more professors and Regents to find out
  

Patricia Stricherz:

• needs to go through Legislature
• should perhaps leave current staff on the current schedule, phase in new teachers
  

Jerry Johnson:

• based on info from Regents, can understand why they're looking for alternative funding sources
• need more info on how many people will be impacted before deciding

Gerry Lange:

• agree with critics that it is a shell game to create wealth out of nothing, just like Wall Street
  

Russell Olson:

• The analyst who came up with this will probably get a bonus if it passes
• need to listen to both sides; right now we've only heard one side
• one-time funding often comes back to bite you; I'm leery, especially if it hurts retirees; why make them work another year when they've been planning otherwise?
  

Scott Parsley:

• not a grey area for me: if it affects folks with whom we've had an agreement for years, then we need to honor that agreement
• willing to make the shift if we can find a way to do it without hurting retirees
• we need the wireless, it's vital, but the state needs to figure out how to pay for it, not the retirees
• not our place to dictate your retirement plans