Retirees Don't Want to Pay for Tax Free New York

ALBANY, NY (02/27/2014)(readMedia)-- The Retired Public Employees Association (RPEA) is urging the legislature to reject Governor Cuomo's effort to decrease retiree benefits in order to raise revenue to help fund his Tax Free New York proposal, among other initiatives. Edward C. Farrell, Executive Director, stated "Why on earth would you want to give ten years of paying zero taxes to new employees who move here at the expense of retirees who have spent their entire careers living and working in New York, delivering essential services to the people of New York? It makes no sense and is, in fact, insulting".

The governor's budget seeks as a revenue source cuts in health insurance reimbursements to state employees in the New York State Health Insurance Plan who are enrolled in Medicare. Furthermore, the percentage of premiums paid by state retirees for health insurance was administratively increased pursuant to language inserted in the ratification of the CSEA contract in 2011. RPEA is urging that those percentages be rolled back and any new increases apply to future retirees only.

Farrell concluded "Retirees remain an important part of the fabric which is New York. With the state projecting budget surpluses in the billions, we should not be looked upon as cash cows, which we are not. Retirees have paid their fair share throughout their careers and continue to do so in retirement".

There are more than 400,000 retirees of the New York State and Local Retirement System, eighty percent of whom remain in the state. The average pension is $20,000.

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