As a newly appointed president of REMCO, please let me take this opportunity to welcome you to our website. Here you will find up to date and useful information that can be used to keep you informed of current events affecting California County retirees.

It is both an honor and a humbling experience to be entrusted with the responsibility of managing an organization as well as being ever vigilant in monitoring the health and welfare of all county retirees. I am frighteningly aware of the haphazard approach members of REMCO have taken toward the management of the organization.

There is a time on our lives when we realize enough is enough, and not wanting to get involved with the responsibilities, after all we did out time and now its time to enjoy our retirement. I fully understand and applaud that decision, however there are those still among us who are willing to participate just a little more.

While we are sitting at home enjoying the retired life there are outside influences that are continuing to attempt to erode those benefits you have worked so hard to earn. All of us spent countless hours going to work each day, sometimes not wanting to, in the realization that we would have a county retirement check and health benefits for the rest of our life. When retirement day finally arrived, we though "Oh Boy".

But today that Oh Boy moment is being scrutinized ever so closely to find ways to reduce the commitments promised by the county. The County maintains that current budget just does not allow for such extravagance. This is very close to being a true statement when you realize that we now have more people on retirement that actively working and contributing to the retirement fund.

Merced County is currently being sued over pensions by one of the unions. Tulare County, through their continued efforts was rewarded by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals who ruled in their favor. This allows them to continue their case to show that the County's written statements and individual testimony consistently told retirees about health benefits they would have during retirement. This should be a wake up call to alert us to the fact it could happen here. Right now we do not have funds to fight these battles.

REMCO needs to stay abreast of these developments as they present themselves in order to provide a quality service to its members. Fortunately, as past secretary to CRCEA, I have continuing access to the newsletters of all twenty county associations. A valuable tool to see what is happening to pensions and healthcare elsewhere in the state. Members cannot remain apathetic to the management of REMCO. Its officers and Board of Directors should be held accountable for reporting related current events as they happen here.

Thank you,

Leon “Sandy” Teague, PhD
President