| Retired Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin |
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DAVE WENZEL, SECRETARY - TREASURER S68 W17281 ROSSMAR CT. - MUSKEGO, WI 53150 262-679-3212, ddrywl@sbcglobal.net January 2009 Members & Spouses Is it just me or does it seem like only yesterday we were told that havoc would come at the end of the century, the computers would shut everything down and Y2K was the big scare. Where did 10 years go? Well the good news is the market and our pension rebounded from last year’s dismal performance, unfortunately not quite enough. The latest figures available at this time are from the end of November and they have the core fund at +21.1% and the variable at +30.4%. Using these numbers we would receive a minus 1.4% to a minus 2% for the core in May. The variable should show an increase of around 22% to 24% on the few bucks we still have left. I am enclosing a renewal application to those of you who I have not received 2010 dues. A few of you who recently sent in your dues (last 2 weeks) may receive a notice if your one of these disregard it. If you fell you have paid and still received a renewal form check your records and drop me an email or note letting me know you paid. If you are one of the 30 or so members who are over 80 and are no longer required to pay and have not filled out the renewal and returned it to me, PLEASE DO SO. I have received forms back from 80 members who are over 80 not counting the 30 or so who haven’t sent theirs in. I would like to thank the 45 of you over 80 who still donated to PAC and a special thanks to the 12 who still decided to pay their full dues. Keep in mind that our RPFFW Golf Outing will be on June 28th, details in the next newsletter. Please try to attend. As always visit our website at rpffw.org for the latest updates as well as viewing our line of clothing and other items for sale. Rich Placek is doing a superb job with getting the orders shipped in a very short time. He also has decals and license plate frames. I know some of you wonder just where does my 40 bucks go and what does it do for me. The RPFFW’S main goal is to protect our pension and to do that we actively attend monthly coalition meetings in Madison with 20 or so other retirement and active membership groups. The RPFFW also hired Joe Strohl the PFFW lobbyist to be a political advisor to the RPFFW. Joe lets us know what bills are in the works that could have an effect on or pension as well as bills that will affect our brothers and sisters that are still on the job. We in turn work with the PFFW to pass bills that benefit one of us or both of us. We also have funds invested ($45,000) for that rainy day we hear about. In the past funds were used to help a local whose retiree’s had benefits taken away by their city as well as the fight to get Gov. Thompson to return our 80 million dollars (plus interest) back to our pension fund. These are just some of the things your dues support. Grandma and Grandpa were watching a religious healing program on TV. The evangelist called to all who wanted to be healed, to put one hand on the TV and the other on the body part they wanted healed. Grandma hobbled over to the TV and put one hand on the TV and the other on her arthritic hip. Grandpa made his way to the TV and put one hand on the TV and the other on his crotch. Grandma looked at him in disgust: ‘you just don’t understand you, you old coot … the purpose of this program is to heal the sick, not raise the dead’. Take care and stay healthy. Dave. |
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