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POLICEPAY.NET |
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1824A Atchison Drive – Norman, OK
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Negotiating Against The Wind
Las Vegas, Nevada October 21st and 22nd Golden Nugget Hotel POLICEPAY will present a negotiation
seminar for police associations that addresses current economic and political
reality. No “pie in the sky” claims,
no secret tricks, no condemnation of management, just practical advice that
works – at least most of time. The
program that we advocate requires a lot of time and hard work. There are no shortcuts or easy
solutions. If you are tired of having
a constant war with your employer or sick of getting run over by your
employer, come hear what we have to say.
It is not your grandfather’s negotiating strategy. The human mind is constantly evolving and
expanding. What worked yesterday, may
not work today. Some concepts hold
true forever – not many in politics. $500 for one person $1,000 for three persons from your
association We will have a brochure ready
shortly. In the meantime you can call
to register - (405) 701-8616 Is Your City Claiming
It Is Broke? Sure, the
economy took a dive, but did you know that the economy started to recover
last summer? Did you know that
unemployment is not an indicator of what is to come? Did you know that local governments lag
behind the national economy by about six to eight months? Are you being told that your city’s revenue
will continue to decline for several more years to come? Are you being threatened with layoffs
unless you make major concessions? Are
dissonant members of your department waiting on the sidelines to make a
hostile takeover move the minute you decide which “poison” to take – pay cuts
or layoffs? Is your life miserable
because of these issues? Want to do
something about it? (405) 701-8616 Still
Want To Talk? The Solution to California Public Employee Retirements. I realize you are
impatient and your busy schedule does not permit any drawn out pontification.
I will not waste your time. Fire the actuaries. Fire the
investment gurus. That's it? Well, there is a little more, but
that is the most important. Are you convinced now? Convinced that I am
out of my mind? At least we can continue with a mutual point of
agreement. The old traditional
pension comes with the dreaded taboo of finance - risk. In government there
are few risk takers when it comes to money. Everyone shuns economic
perils. There are not many James Bonds among you. "When you were
young and your heart was an open book Paul McCartney Four things can and
do go awry with a pension promise that will be collected many years out. 1 - Mortality rates 2 - Market returns 3 - Turnover rates 4 - The 9th Circuit
Court of Appeals Here is the plan 1 - Determine the
long-term actuarial assumptions and stick to them. 2 - Use the
long-term contribution rate (ignore the value of the plan's assets) 3 - Force
contributions equal to current cost, good years and bad years 4 - Treat
underfunding due to increases in benefits as a separate item 5 - Amortized this
type of under-funding as a separate matter (15 years) 6 - Let the janitor
do the investing (stock index fund) Listen, all of those
California pension plans are sitting on a mountain of money. Who cares
if the money to pay pension benefits 20 years from now is in the bank today? Strike everything I
have said so far. I am going to be completely candid with you.
The real solution is going back to "pay as your go", but that
would be no fun, would it? Even the city council could understand what
was occurring with that funding plan. Think about this -. a pension
plan with no gurus, no actuaries, no financial prophets. Okay listen
up. This the most important thing to remember: A 90% pension
requires an annual contribution of 25% - every year. Are you listening
Mr. Finance Director? Make your payment every year and you will
not be eating Tums when your investment advisors go into the drink.
It's easy. A 90% pension needs a 25% contribution each year.
Just make the payment every year, It is easy. 25% minus
your employee’s contribution. I know, you are
still not satisfied. You want me to shoot one of my own guys, just
to prove that I am not with the "enemy." What sacrifice do
you require? Okay, I will concede "spiking". I hate
doing that, but here goes. Aaron Hanson is fighting that battle tonight
in Omaha. However, there are places where an employee can manipulate the size
of his pension through overtime and buy backs during the measurement period.
To the police officers in this country - "That has to stop."
And before you go off half-cocked, think about this - who pays for
"spiking"? Everyone in the department. The employer is
not eating the windfall that is received by the few who manipulate the
system. Every single benefit that is not paid directly to you in your
paycheck is nothing but a payroll reduction plan. Want fully paid
medical insurance? Fine, you can have it and we will lower your
paycheck. Oh, something else, it is done on a socialistic basis.
Everyone shares equally. That guy that retired last month with a
150%, even though the stated maximum is 90%? He gamed the system. Did
you hear the mayor complaining the other day on the radio about that matter?
Pretty funny wasn't it. Screw him! By the way, who do you
think will pay for that inflated pension? Hey, you quit laughing. Not
so funny now? Now for the good
news. Grab your reigns and hold on. The economy is about to
explode into a period of extended recovery. Sorry Lou and Keith, it is
out of your control. You will just have suck it up and endure the good
economic news. Updated 3-11-2010
6:45 AM . Public Safety Pensions - Can We Talk?
Police and fire pensions have
become the villains of the 21st century - welfare for fat cats.
Let me ask you a question. Can you listen to a defense of public
safety pensions without going into a cult like melt down? I did not ask
you to agree, only to listen without going into a trance and speaking in
tongues. Can't believe it all that
simple? It is. Jump on here and blast me into orbit with your comments.
I like 'em. I look forward to hearing from you, my friends. Texas' Largest Police Union
Joins Forces With PolicePay.net By: PR Newswire
STIN, Texas, Jan. 25
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Local law enforcement unions across the state will
soon have a powerful new tool available during collective bargaining
negotiations and discussions with local elected officials about officer pay
and benefits. This week the state's largest law enforcement organization has
announced an exclusive new partnership in Texas with the nationally renowned
financial research AU group Policepay.net. "The
members of the CLEAT (Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas)
executive board are excited about this joint venture. This agreement is the
culmination of lengthy discussions and negotiations between the two
entities," said Charley Wilkison, Public Affairs Director. "Policepay.net
is known across the U.S. for its reputation of conducting forensic financial
discovery on government and political subdivision budgets especially as it
relates to police officer pay, benefits and pensions," he said. CLEAT
is making this move as part of its long-term strategic plan to free up
employees, move more contract negotiators, union organizers and lawyers into
the field where officers will have more access to regional services. "For
the past 30 years most of this kind of research has been done inside our
organization and our employees have done a good job but this arrangement will
bring the subject matter experts in to work exclusively for our members in
Texas," Wilkison said. "During
tough economic times some city and county bureaucrats use the temporary
circumstances to make cuts in public safety that hurt officers while shifting
budget priorities to pet projects and cutting secret deals that benefit
themselves and their cronies. Our board of directors wanted to send the
strongest possible response to these kinds of tactics," he said. The
exclusive agreement will immediately impact ongoing and future financial
research projects for all affiliates of CLEAT including 17,800 full-time dues
paying members and over 80 local law enforcement unions. CLEAT
is the state's largest law enforcement organization. SOURCE
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas Published
Jan. 25, 2010 |
Need Lawyers and Bean Counters? Wrong place pal. Exit Now!
You won’t find that here – no green eye shades – no arm garters. Are you in the fight of your
life? About to be run over by a
political locomotive? Has your game
plan tanked? Are malcontents out to
lynch you? Is the finance director
pissin’ on your boots and telling you it is raining. You have found the right place. Come on in. All of this business of governmental
finance and compensation comparability is difficult and complicated. Go it alone and you will get shot
down. We guarantee you that we will
not be gunned down or intimidated. We
are ready, willing, able, available and packing 24-7. Looking for the conventional? Look elsewhere. You will not find it here. We do not habeas your corpus or duces your
tecum. We do not see public sector
collective bargaining as a legal process or a financial transaction. We see
it for what it is – a political process.
Oh, we know governmental finance and statistics inside and out, but
they are only tools and vehicles. We
have just one goal - results. Look at
our client list above. Either we have something going for us or we are the
biggest con artists since P.T. Barnum. Does that even matter to you? Do you really want to go up against
these guys by yourself? You know, you
don’t have to. I want to give you the best advice
of your life. Call (405) 701-8616 Conventional Economic Wisdom aka The Talking Heads On The TV
DOWN DOWN DOWN (Al Gore/Keith Olbermann view) Is this how you see the current
economy? Quit watching television. It
is all lies. Here are the facts. The economy is starting to soar. Real economic growth last Quarter was
5.9%. Real Productivity growth last
quarter was 6.9%
UP UP UP Worst Economy In 50 Years? No, Biggest Lie In 50 Years! Confused? (405) 701-8616 California Pension
Reform Goes Down In Flames The battle is over.
California Public Pensions have survived the onslaught by the
conservative right. Marcia Fritz, a Certified Public Accountant,
and Vice Chairman of California Foundation for Fiscal
Responsibility, officially "threw in the towel." Marcia is a
good and honest person, who is a worthy opponent, but in the end she and her
fellow fiscal conservatives did not have the money and votes to achieve their
goal. While she pledged to try again, the opportunity has probably
passed by. The current
"crisis" with public pensions in California is more a function of a
"knee jerk funding scheme" than economic reality. Most of the
"underfunding" today is simply the result of the decline in stock
prices. Now that the economy is in the recovery stage, most of the
underfunding will evaporate. Public employees in
California need to wake up and make their pensions stealthier than they are
today. Few citizens understand that pensions are only payroll reduction
plans. A majority see public employee's pensions as welfare. Economy Leaps Forward DO NOT SIGN CONCESSION
AGREEMENTS!!! The economy
for the 4th quarter of 2009 grew at a record pace - 5.7%, even after removing
inflation. The economy out-performed our estimates by a small amount. It
totally discredited the pop culture prophets of the media, who were
predicting the apocalypse. The economy began to grow again last August and
has gathered a large head of steam. Hang on to your hats. The economy is
about to explode, but so will inflation - compare today to the sixties and
early seventies. However,
local governments typically lag the overall economy by about six months. The
current quarter will have the first signs of growth for most cities. The
turnaround will not be visible for several months because of the lag in
reporting. Once the good news starts rolling out, cities will go into a
prevent defense, delaying the release of financial data and talking about so
called "Double Dip Recessions." Those who would rip the financial
heart out of your police department will not go away quietly, but kicking and
screaming. Currently, these are heady days for the "slash and cut"
crowd, but it is all about to end. Hold
off on making any concessions until we are able to further analyze the
current economic data. It is our goal to have this done in about seven to ten
days. What would I tell the unions who are being forced to make the
unpleasant choice between large pay cuts or large lay offs? Take the lay
offs! You can help those laid off with financial assistance. Once the
economic leverage for the political extortion melts away, the cities will start
undoing their self-mutilation to public safety. Any economic concessions will
be very difficult to recover. Do not
attack politicians - any politicians. Just lay low and stay under the radar.
Put your effort into controlling your membership. You have to keep them on
board and under control. If you are currently in contract negotiations, go
into the delay game. It is better to operate with an expired contract for a
year than it is to make a deal with a gun to your head. You need to develop a
strategic plan that goes out further than the next contract. Timing of things
is very important. Keep
your head up and do not become discouraged. Relief is on the way - soon. We
will show you where the rocks are in the financial rapids. We will be talking
with you again - soon. 2nd
Edition - Edited by my proofreader in Florida “The Keys To The Game” |
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