The Pension We Save May be Ours
Dear RTAC Members:

Please examine your January 2021 CTPF Pay Advice statement.  In particular the line in the ‘Income’ column labeled AAI and the amount indicated in the ‘Messages:’ section indicating your Automatic Annual Increase for 2021.  The Automatic Annual Increase (AAI) in the ‘Messages:’ section represents the 3% increase over last year's payment. CTPF pensioners have had this benefit for decades to help them meet increasing costs of living. This benefit is also the LARGEST TARGET of 'Pension Reform' legislation.

In 2013 RTAC established a Legal Defense Fund (LDF) to engage a legal team which would defend against any legislation that might be enacted which could reduce or eliminate our benefits. It has been estimated that to initiate a credible legal challenge to combat any harmful legislation would require a minimum of $250,000.  As of December 30, 2020, RTAC’s LDF account has about 65% of what would be needed to meet our down payment goal. We are requesting that you contribute to RTAC’s LDF (the donation form is available here). Although we will gladly accept any amount, the suggested donation is the one month’s increase (as listed in the ‘Messages:’ section on your CTPF January 2021 payment notice). Your contribution of $100 or more will include you in the LDF President's Circle. Lesser gifts will be acknowledged as well.

There have already been attempts to lower or eliminate the AAI for other public agency retirees. Thus far, all attempts have been crushed due to legal challenges.  You may recall the 2012 infamous Proposition #49 which was designed to eliminate our and other Illinois public agency retiree’s annual cost-of-living increases. However, we worked together and defeated that attempt.

At this point we do not know what the Illinois General Assembly will attempt in the way of ‘Pension Reform’ during the upcoming session.  RTAC’s Advocates have warned us of potentially harmful constitutional amendments being talked about in the inner circles of Springfield.  The Chicago Tribune and Mayor Lightfoot are both campaigning for a change in the State of Illinois’ Constitution to eliminate the 'Pension Protection' clause.

If you know any retired teachers who are as yet not RTAC members, please encourage them to join RTAC to strengthen our organizational sphere of influence.  (A membership application is available at RTAC.ORG/membappl.pdf.)  Also, please encourage them to contribute to the Legal Defense Fund. RTAC's efforts to preserve and protect our pensions are strengthened when all CTPF pensioners support our efforts on everyone’s behalf.

 REMEMBER, THE PENSION WE SAVE COULD BE OURS!

 John A. Butterfield, President
 RTAC
 111 N Wabash Ave. - Suite 2010
 Chicago IL 60602
 312-750-1522

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