Protecting teacher retirement

Dear Editor:

I always enjoy the commentaries of Richard Carpenter, Lester Thornton, and Jerry Wadel. I find their work interesting and thought provoking.

Richard Carpenter's recent article on the Missouri Teachers Retirement System wavered from right on target to snarky, overly broad comments.

As a former member of the Missouri House Retirement Committee, I know the Teachers' Retirement plan is one of the nation's best retirement plans, if not the best. It is expertly managed, weathered the 2008 economic crash, and recovered quicker than any other retirement plan. Active and retired teachers are correct to defend their retirement plan from legislative tinkering.

However, it seems there is occasionally a representative or senator who think they know just how to tinker with the Teachers' Retirement Plan. A few years ago, a former senator tried to tinker with the plan and got absolutely nowhere. His first bill didn't even get a hearing and the bill died. The next session, the Retirement Committee Chairman gave the bill a hearing so the senator could watch a unanimous committee NO vote on his stupid bill.

Our current state representative, Patricia Pike (R-126), is a retired teacher and understands the concerns of active and retired teachers. All teachers should be confident that Rep. Pike has and will continue to defend their retirement plan against further sniping. The Teachers' Retirement Plan is on firm ground and even slight changes stand no chance, but vigilance is still prudent.

As to Richard Carpenter's comments about legislators' pay and retirement, he failed to mention that unlike the U.S. Congress, Missouri legislators' pay is determined by an independent, non-partisan citizens' salary commission. Occasionally, representatives and senators are required to vote on the commission's pay recommendations. As our district's state representative, I had two opportunities to vote on pay recommendations -- both times I voted NO. Also, Richard failed to mention that Rep. Pike recently voted NO on another commission-recommended pay raise. The pay raise was rejected. Legislators are not "trying to vote in new pay increases" but they are required to react to pay commission recommendations.

Concerning retirement vesting, representatives and senators are members of the Missouri State Employee Retirement System (MOSERS) and have the same vesting requirements as any state employee. Also, in the 2010 regular session, we passed a bill requiring all state employees, including representatives and senators, contribute to their retirement. That bill became effective in January 2011.

Who's driving the bus in Jefferson City? Well, the bus driver should be Gov. Nixon.

Barney Fisher