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PARTASOUNDINGSFEBRUARY 2018P EORIA A REA R ETIRED T EACHERS A SSOCIATIONLUNCHEON MEETINGFebruary 5, 201811:30 A.M.Barracks Cater InnLuncheon: 12.00Greeters.MSInvocation.Frances FarraherPledge.Frances FarraherLuncheon.Chicken Breastw/Tuscan Cream SauceVegetable - RollAssorted SaladsDessertProgram.PERSONALSAFETYPresenter:Aimee L. ShinallVictim Service CoordinatorPeoria CountySheriff’s OfficeMeeting.Chairperson:Abby Humbles,PARTA President------------------------PARTA meetings beginafter lunch, around 12:20.Meetings are free.ROGER HAMPTON, EDITORPRESIDENT’S MESSAGEHappy New Year PARTA Members. Aftera break for the holidays, we are excited tosee everyone for the February meeting.As always, please let us know if you need anyspecial assistance or dietary restrictions. Wewant our PARTA Members to feel welcome andare happy to help if we can. We hope to see youat the February meeting to learn about Personal Safety.Thank you, Abby Humbles, PARTA PresidentUPCOMING PARTA MEETINGS / PROGRAMSMARCH 5Peoria Humane SocietyKitty Yanko, Education CoordinatorAPRIL 2MEMBER BENEFITSLarry NewmanDistrict Manager, AMBARoger Hampton, President, IRTAN O M EETINGS IN J ULY OR A UG USTDetails and updated information about each of our meetingsare online at: pa - rt a .w e e bl y. c o m /(Sally Weber, Webmaster)A T EVERY MEETI NGBook Exchange Table:Bring books, calendars, magazines, and otherpaper goods to share with our members.Used BatteryRecyclingCollectionThere are 9 issues of Soundings published each year. The February andSeptember issues are mailed. The other issues are available at themonthly meetings. All issues are on the PARTA webpage.People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neitherdoes bathing! That’s why we recommend it daily. – Zig Ziglar

SOUNDINGSP ARTA LUNCHEON MEETING MINUTESPresident Abby Humbles welcomed everyone tothe meeting. She thanked today’s greeters,Frances Farraher and Ann Christophel, thecashiers, and the callers. She also thanked PattyMonks for helping with the callers and passingaround cards for Nancy Wing. Jean Thieman gavethe invocation and led the pledge. Attendancetoday was 86. Abby welcomed any new people tothe meeting. She reminded everyone to take a bagof popcorn as a gift from PARTA.After the luncheon, Ann introduced our program,Peoria Area Accordion Club, led by the president,Judy Ernst. They played a variety of songs, endingwith Christmas songs.Abby called the business meeting to order. The minutes were approvedas printed in the Soundings. Copies of the Treasurer’s reports were on thetables. The report was filed for audit. Abby asked for a show of hands of thoseDecember 4, 2017interested in having paper shreddingavailable at a meeting. The book table was explained. Books,magazines, greeting cards, or calendarsmay be brought to the exchange table.Members may take anything that appeals tothem. This will be a monthly table. Members are needed for themembership committee. Substitute callers are needed. If you have a membership question, callJohn Rathbun. The 15 annual dues beginin January. Ann Winget said the February program is“Personal Safety”, presented by Aimee L.Shinall, the Victim Service Coordinator ofthe Peoria County Sheriff’s Office. Frances Farraher reported that PARTAlost no members last month.The meeting was adjourned.Respectfull y SubmittedKathy Simpson, Secretar yP RINTEDIncreasing membership: If youbring a prospective member,you both get 2 off your meal.TREASURERIND ECEMBER 2017 S OUNDINGSAfter discussion with the treasurer andreservation coordinator, this item has beentabled until the next PARTA board meeting.Investment BalanceSavings BalanceChecking BalanceWorking Cash (cash boxes)Post Office Bulk Mail FundPost Office Returned Mail FundGrand TotalJeff Vallosio, Treasurer 41,339.696,945.062,426.17100.00244.6461.52 51,117.08REPORTV ALENTI NE ’ S D AY The holiday's roots are in the ancient Roman festivalof Lupercalia, a fertility celebration commemorated annually onFebruary 15. Pope Gelasius I recast this pagan festival as a Christianfeast day circa 496, declaring February 14 to be St. Valentine's Day.ISSUE: FEBRUARY 2018PARTAPAGE 2

SOUNDINGSPARTA A NNUAL M EMBERSHIP :For many of our members, January represents thebeginning of a new membership year. Dues for AnnualMembers and Associate Members is 15.00. Dues maybe paid at a regular PARTA meeting or sent to:John Rathbun, MembershipChecks should be made out to PARTA .308 James PkwyIf you joined last fall, your first year’s membershipWashington, IL 61571extends thru 2018. If you have a question aboutyour membership, please contact John at genrebun@aol.com. Life Members arenot impacted by this announcement. For anyone wishing to be a Life Member, theonetime fee is 120. For anyone you may know who wishes to join PARTA, amembership form may be obtained from https://pa-rta.weebly.com. Or you maycontact John Rathbun at genrebun@aol.com.I LLINOIS R ETIRED T EACHERS ASSOCIATION (IRTA) MEMBERSHIPW HY J OIN IRTA? Legislative representation and advocacy for improved retirement benefits(health insurance, pension funding, etc.)Former retirees worked for the Legislative Updatesbenefits you have today. Member Benefits, etc.It is now Your Time!T YPES OF IRTA M EMBERSHIPS : Dues Deduct Members - have 2.50 deducted each month from your pensionSign Up for Dues Deduct Membership Online with E -Signature!https://form.jotform.com/73465255545159 Life Members – one-time fee of 400Available to those not drawing a pension from TRS: Associate Annual Members - pay 25 each year Associate Life Members – one-time fee of 125N O T E F R O M N A N C Y W I N G : PARTA Members,Thank you for the calls, cards, visits, and prayers of the past three months.They are much appreciated and have helped me to keep fighting everythingI have endured. Thank you also to all who stepped up and saw that myPARTA responsibilities were fulfilled when I was suddenly unavailable.After three hospital and three nursing home stays, I may be home by thetime you are reading this. I will still face months of therapy and recovery,but my goal is to attend a PARTA meeting before the summer breakarrives. Hope to see you then!Q: Are you a scratch player? A: I sure am! Every timeI hit the ball I scratch my head and wonder where it went.ISSUE: FEBRUARY 2018PARTAPAGE 3

SOUNDINGSN EW SESSION WILL B RING N EW E FFORTS AT PENSION R EFORMIllinois lawmakers are gearing upto start another spring session thatwill include more attempts toaddress an issue that hasremained stubbornly elusive so far.What can the state do to rein in thecost of public employee pensionsand try to address the 129 billiondebt faced by the five state-fundedpension systems? A number ofideas are floating around theGeneral Assembly, from an idea toissue billions of dollars in bonds topay off the existing debt at a lowerinterest rate, to an idea that wouldgive some employees a cashincentive to accept smaller futureincreases in their retirementbenefits after they retire.As always, lawmakers willhave to consider any changeswith an eye to what the courtswill find acceptable, given thepension protection clause inthe state Constitution.There’s alsothe fact thisis an electionyear when the ExecutiveMansion, along with dozensof legislative races, is atstake. “Can you get anythingdone in an election year?”said Representative RobertMartwick, chairman of theHouse Personnel andPensions Committee. “Maybethat’s the problem.”The other problem is that thestate Supreme Court has ruledthat the state cannot diminishbenefits for people oncethey’ve joined one of thepension systems. “I think the(Supreme Court) decision iscrystal clear,” Martwick said.That means Illinois can’tfollow the lead of Ohio, forinstance, where that state’slargest public pension systemrecommended cutting benefitsto cope with its own hugepension debt. The systemrecommended cutting theautomatic 3% increases inpension benefits awarded toretirees each year.L ARGEST BOND SALE IN H ISTORY BEING E XPLORED BY I LLINOISAn idea that will at least getA fact sheet from the association says that“I think the ideassome discussion in 107 billion in bonds wouldand concepts makeSpringfield is a massivebe sold and repaid over 27sense,” he said.bond issue that would beyears. It contends“We are going toapplied to the state’sthe state would save 103pay our pensions 107Bpension debt. The idea is thebillion by 2045 over theone way or another.money could be borrowed atpayment plan currently in effect. MartwickThe only questiona lower interest rate than theacknowledged “this would be the largestis how does thestate is essentially payingbond sale in the history ofrising pensionon its 129 billion pensionthe world” and said additional hearingsobligation affectdebt. The idea is beingwould have to be scheduled with bondour ability to fundpushed by the Stateexperts to see if such a sale is feasible. Butall of the otherUniversities Annuitantshe also said, the idea isthings we careAssociation.worth exploring.about.”Continued on page 5: “Pension Debt”LIFE MORALONP O S S E S S I O N S : Spending wisely andappropriately is a good sign if you do it for a good purpose.Otherwise, a possession is worth no more than the use we make of it.ISSUE: FEBRUARY 2018PARTAPAGE 4

SOUNDINGS2018 IRTA FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPSThe IRTA Foundation awards six 1,500 scholarships ineach of the IRTA Areas of the State to incoming juniorsor seniors in college that are pursuing a degree ineducation. Thanks to a very generous private donationfrom one of our members, Areas 4 and 6 will eachaward a second scholarship of 2,500. Applications areavailable on the IRTA website www.irtaonline.org under theFoundation tab, or by contacting Susan Goetz at the IRTA Office1-800-728-4782 or email susan@irtaonline.org.APPLICATION DEADLINE – MARCH 7, 2018KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROADContinued from page 4: “Pension Debt”Another option is to restructure the existing pension“You do have pressuredebt and take more time to pay it off. The plan wouldcreated by editorialease pressure on the annual payments the state has to boards and others whomake to the pension plans. The idea has beensay if you don’t followpromoted by the Center for Tax and Budgetthe current (payment plan) and you getAccountability among others. CTBA executive director funded to a lesser amount, aren’t youRalph Martire said the plan would set a slightly lowerkicking the can down the road,” Martiretarget for the pension funds to be consideredsaid. “No politician wants to be accused ofadequately funded, although still meeting acceptablekicking the can down the road. That attackstandards. The problem is the date for reaching those has a lot of political value and it reallytargets is extended.makes elected officials nervous.”A M A Z O N If you make purchases from Amazon, a percentage ofall purchases can go to the IRTA Foundation. Foundation money isused to assist retired educators, grants for current teachers, andscholarships for future teachers. Use the following link and starthelping the foundation today:https://smile.amazon.com/ch/37-1183315S a m e C l a s s ? While waiting for my first appointment in the reception room of a new dentist, Inoticed his certificate hanging on the wall; it gave his full name. Thinking hard, I remembered that atall, handsome boy with the same name had been in my high school class some 42 years ago. Uponseeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought. This balding, grey-haired man with thedeeply lined face was way too old to have been my classmate. After he had examined my teeth, Iasked him if he had attended the local high school. 'Yes,' he replied. 'When did yougraduate?' I asked. He answered, 'In 1971. Why?' 'You were in my class!' I exclaimed.He looked at me closely, and then the thoughtless idiot asked, 'What did you teach?'ISSUE: FEBRUARY 2018PARTAPAGE 5