Iowa Republicans Plan To Dismantle IPERS

[rurallib]

https://blogforiowa.com/2017/12/11/iowa-republicans-plan-to-dismantle-ipers/

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Trish Nelson
For the 2018 session, Iowa Republicans already have filed legislation to mess with the retirement of hundreds of thousands of public employees.

Senate File 45 would begin to dismantle IPERS and other Iowa public retirement programs by blocking new Iowa workers from joining them as of July 2019.

It would also require studies on transforming IPERS into a risky “defined contribution” plan, one subject to the whims of the stock market.

This Monday, December 11, Iowa State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald and Senator Matt McCoy are holding a 1 PM Statehouse news conference on the threats that IPERS and other retirement programs face in the 2018 session of the Iowa Legislature.

Video of the news conference will be available on the Iowa Senate Democrats Facebook page.

[bobbieinok]

1. Aren't state pensions supposed to be state's reward of workers for doing their job?

GOP is incredibly evil at all levels of govt.

IIRC many Iowans have contempt for state 'bureaucrats' and think state univ profs are 'way overpaid for working at most 3 to 4 hrs a day per week with 3 month summer vacation.' (Don't remember if public school teachers are in IPERS, but contempt doubled for them.

I lived in IA from 68 to 89. Great state, tons better than OK. Then the religious right took over the state GOP and well, ...see what's there now.

[Frustratedlady]

2. I just KNEW they would get their greedy fingers in that fund.

It was doing just fine when they made a bad investment. They got some of the money back, but not all (if I remember correctly). We've paid into that fund for years and my children/grandchildren are teachers and doing the same thing, today. They've stolen their seniority and union rights. How else do they intend to punish teachers and public employees? God, I hate them!

[rurallib]

4. I think these thieves feel they got one shot and next year is it

once they fuck things up royally, it is nearly impossible to put them back.

[Frustratedlady]

5. I wonder how much Koch crap is now taking over Iowa? Wasn't Wisconsin a lesson to them?

Trashing the unions smelled like the Kochs and so does this. Braindead taught Reynolds well. She should be ashamed of herself.

[rurallib]

6. Midwestern Republicans look at Wisconsin and Kansas as great success stories

My impression of Reynolds is that she has almost no clue what she is doing and she is doing what she is told to do. My guess the most powerful person in Iowa right now is Drew Klein who is the Koch brothers' "minder" (as it were) as the leaders of the Americans for Progress (Koch's lobbying group) in Iowa.

You may remember he was the lone witness to Branny signing the union busting bill: from the Register:

[Frustratedlady]

7. I just watched the video and have to agree about the legislature not being trustworthy.

Leave IPERS alone.

I rarely worried about them in the past, no matter what happened nationally, but that is no longer true. I suspected the Koch bros' influence, but hoped otherwise.

How could Wisconsin and Kansas be considered success stories? Obviously, lying is rampant in the Republican party and, in my opinion, unsalvageable in the future.

This truly makes me ill.

[progressoid]

3. Fuckers. IPERS is one of the best run retirement plans in the country.

Also, it's keeping my parents alive.