Don’t forget that Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 6. You still have the opportunity to vote early at your County Auditor’s office through Monday, November 5 during normal business hours. On Election Day, polls open at 7:00 am and close at 9:00 pm. To finding your polling place, call the County Auditor or visit the Secretary of State’s website. Make sure you exercise your right to vote this fall!
Over the last several weeks, I have seen a lot of misinformation being spread across Iowa regarding the Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS). Unfortunately, there have been folks out there who are crisscrossing the state, holding meetings and panicking IPERS members that their pensions will be cut or eliminated. This is absurd and the worst kind of politics.
I want to set the record straight… There are no planned changes to IPERS or any other public pension system for current employees OR new hires. We will continue to keep our promise to IPERS members and they are in no danger of losing their pensions.
IPERS is well-managed, financially stable, and one of the best pension systems in the entire country. Changes are unnecessary.
In fact, the roaring economies that have resulted from policies at both the state and national levels have only further strengthened IPERS and made it more secure for years to come.
We must always be vigilant to ensure IPERS remains sustainable for the long-term. That means listening to recommendations from the IPERS board and IPERS members, which we have been doing for decades.
IPERS members have dedicated years of their life to public service and have paid into the system. These are our friends, our family members, and our neighbors. We value their service and the decades of work they put into our communities. We will continue to keep our promise to them.
I’m really disappointed that there are people out there who are resorting to these types of tactics. There are folks out there who are truly scared about their retirement security, and that’s not right. These people who are out there fear mongering need to be honest with Iowans.
I hope that by putting the facts and this message out there, it will put to rest any rumors that changes are coming to IPERS, because it is simply untrue.
It’s an honor to represent you in the Iowa House. If I can help you in any way, I can be reached by email at Linda.Upmeyer@legis.iowa.gov or phone at (515) 281-3521.
We are the richest, most productive country on earth. Why doesn’t everyone have a pension plan? Because every dollar taken from 10,000 workers equals a $10,000 bonus for the one percenters.
Vote RED
VOTE JOBS
NOT MOBS
Only mobs I’ve seen are the angry crowds at Trump rallies.
Yeah, you don’t see any crowds at any Dem rallys…and you actually know why.. Six more years, baby!
Has anyone seen any campaign signs or ads in a paper for Linda? I realize she is running unopposed, but I would have thought she would still put our something that shows she’s still interested in the job. Maybe she has put something out, but I haven’t seen it so far.
And speaking of IPERS, wouldn’t the state legislature be covered under that program too?
All state, county and municipal employees.
So, you’re triggered because you haven’t seen any Upmeyer campaign signs? That’s outrageous.
Once upon a time in 1990, the Fortune 500 company I worked for, with a stroke of a pen, eliminated the defined pension plan we had. Those who were close to retirement, got very little for their years of service. I left with nothing.
I looked around the market, and found we were not the only ones. Employees of Wisconsin Steel all but lost their defined pension, and settled for $17,000. An entire neighborhood were left with nothing but unemployment for a time. A majority of them, nearing 60 years old, knew nothing but steel making. Finding new work was hard enough, but their age hobbled them even more.
I did not desire the same fate.
I looked around for an employer that offered a defined pension and other benefits, there were very few left. It took me a year, but settled with two potential fields. With persistence, landed with one of them. Several decades later (and states), it paid off.
There are still some defined pensions out there, still solvent. But you have to make a choice, and some sacrifice. In the end, it’s better than depending on a 401(k) and Social Security. And don’t limit yourself to Mason City or Iowa.
Linda, honey, your credibility is shot! After the collective bargaining fiasco, no one believes you. Does lying come naturally for repubs or do you have to go to a class to learn it?
Riiiiiight, Linda. So why the Governor’s study committee on IPERS? Why was a senate bill introduced to turn it from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan? Any teacher or government employee who is naive enough to believe you will soon learn the hard way you are not to be trusted.
Good points. Also, why did the governor get a $50,000 donation from a Missouri businessman who helped dismantle Missouri’s version of IPERS?
Shouldn’t affect you. You paid for your own retirement. Remember.
Burn it down. Tired of supporting these overpaid, stuff shirt a-holes.
You aren’t supporting us. The money in IPERS is from contributions from employees and employers. If your tax money is going to LEOs, nurses and pubic schools, it is about $10 a year. Well, with your earning capacity, maybe 10 cents a year.
And where do the “employers” and “employees” get their money. Could it be from taxpayers? I know BO-d-assious was your teacher.
Have to have a cite from you due to your proclivity to tell falsehoods. In other words BO-d-assious, honey, your credibility is shot. After the “I paid for my own retirement” fiasco, no one believes you. Does lying come naturally for libs or do you have to go to a class to learn it?!
I did pay for my own retirement. I gave over 30 years to a job that you couldn’t do and I did it well. I reached more people in those 30 years than you have in your pathetic life. I made a difference and you didn’t. You just made money and enemies. Apparently, not enough money to retire comfortably on and not enough enemies because you are still able to type. Besides, you are a moron and everyone knows it.
“I did pay for my own retirement.”
Then back the above statement up with some FACTS. Just answer the two simple questions below. We’ll take it from there.
1. What is the total amount you contributed to IPERS during your employment?
2. How much do you receive a year in pension payments from IPERS?
Where does your retirement come from? How much of it is taxpayer funded? What did you do in your life that required sacrifice? I don’t need to tell you anything about my finances.
You also should know that teachers get paid because they do a job. It wouldn’t matter who paid them but the citizens of this country support public education. They show their support in many ways but paying the people who do the teaching is one way. Would you prefer not to support education? How about paying any ‘public’ employee? Do you think the police and firefighters should be private enterprise positions?
Can you answer my questions? Didn’t think you would because all you do is shoot your mouth off.
F**k IPERS give these lazy bums a crappy 401 k like the rest of us…
Oh and next you can start getting used to overpaying for your crappy health care like the rest of us…
welcome aboard government tit jerkoffs…
My dad was a retired teacher, and his ipers didn’t cover insurance costs, nor did he get subsidized insurance. He retired in 1993 though, so maybe things have changed. 26 years with mason city schools, and all he got from ipers was 1600 a month.
Wa wa wa, sniffle sniffle, feeling left out because you are not qualified for a IPERS covered job.