PPOA Retiree Liaison
LASD retired
jschallert@ppoa.com
In my last article, I asked those who left California what reasons they had to leave. California has arguably the best weather in the world for those who like two seasons — hot and hotter — but it is nice to barbecue on Christmas, and our Rose Parade shows the world what life can be like here in January. But those decisions to stay, leave or go “hybrid” are always so complicated.
Well, I received more emails from that article than any other I have written in my many, many years at PPOA. The responses came from recent retirees and retirees who left in the ’80s. I received responses from people I had not heard from in 20 years — old work buddies and several from double-digit class numbers! And what did you say?
Almost everyone said that quality of life was the main reason for leaving. More recent retirees pointed to crime and politics. Older retirees left so they could be with family or “return home” to their roots.
A few said cost of living was a main concern, and a few pointed directly to California’s high taxes. It was great to read all of the responses, but one thing held true in every one of them. Everyone who left and contacted me did not regret their decision. Now, I am not saying to flee California, but it was very interesting to see the different lifestyles there are out there, mainly revolving around outdoor activities and active lifestyles. It pleased me so much to hear how active you all are!
Many respondents did mention how health care was different in other states. I have written about this before, but I will just say it again. Different state laws mandate different things in health care plans. California law requires health care plans to have certain benefits. LACERA covers health care plan costs. If the state you move to does not mandate that the plans sold in that state offer things like preventative or wellness benefits, then health care plans like Anthem will not have it in those plans.
LACERA pays for the plan, but the plan differs from state to state. The solution to this is to get those laws changed to match the benefits California mandates. When you turn 65 and most of you roll into Medicare, things get different again, and you need to see how the supplemental insurance plans stack up. The benefit of lifetime health care cannot be appreciated enough, however, even if you do need to pay for an additional test. It is a disappearing benefit for sure, and generations to come will be missing it.
It appears I am to be your director on the Board of Directors at PPOA for another two years. I have been honored to help hundreds of you with health care issues and other concerns you have had since I retired in 2019. I have loved attending the Roundup every year and look forward to continuing to be here for you.
I am sure many of you have received the call to action on the effort to repeal the WEP penalty in Social Security benefits. We are closer now than we have been in … forever … to getting that passed. The FOP has done a tremendous job with that, and as we move closer to a fair outcome, please respond to those emails and help as you can.
I will add one more thing, and that is FOP membership. When you were working as a sworn member, PPOA paid for your FOP membership. The legal defense and other political actions they do were well worth it to any working member. As a retiree, I would encourage you to keep FOP or join it again. The benefits outweigh the minimal cost. (A cup of coffee a month, maybe?) and the work they do for retirees is tremendous. They are making the effort and working to educate politicians all the time in order to make your lives better.
A few of you cancel your PPOA membership on occasion, and I was going to “call out” those few who have, but then I realized they don’t get the magazine, so they will never read about me bashing them!
PPOA also is very involved with retiree issues, and we are very proud that so many of you continue to contribute to our efforts to help you.
In closing, I would like to thank all of those who responded to last month’s question as to why you left the state.
HOW ABOUT ANOTHER QUESTION?
Right now, it is virtually impossible to hire in the law enforcement profession. Some departments are offering up to $100,000 signing bonus! LASD does not have DROP. LASD has the new PEPRA pension system that some other agencies do not have. LASD has massive mandated work hours and is completely understaffed. We have to get ready for the Olympics, and we are behind the curve on that. Current IODs related to long work hours and exhaustion are up. People are retiring at 52 instead of 55 or higher. As a cadre of retirees with hundreds of thousands of combined work years among you, what would you do if you could wave your magic wand?
(Keep in mind that the Board of Supervisors claims poverty at every turn and seems to prioritize social spending programs over public safety.)
Shoot me an email, and who knows, we may get in someone’s ear!