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Living Longer? Living
Better?
How can Membership in KARSP and your local REA
help you do both?
by Lynda Wheeler,
KARSP Community Service Chair
We are living longer. Are we going to be able to
live better? A major factor in how well you live out
your retirement is financial security. A substantial
part of many KPERS retirees’ financial situation is
their KPERS retirement check. Will the amount you
retired with afford you financial security over the
life of your retirement? Not likely! At least not
under the current legislative plan. Retirees’ buying
power will continue to be diminished each year if we
do not get some sort of automatic COLA, Cost of
Living Adjustment, in place. I suggest one way to be
involved in getting legislators’ attention is for
EVERYONE to be responsible for helping increase
KARSP and local REA membership. Increasing
membership will give KARSP the financial power to
have a stronger lobby and get our voices heard.
There really is strength in numbers.
There are few people who would question the fact
that in order to have our voices heard in Topeka
concerning issues like a COLA, or personal buying
power, we have to have strong lobbying efforts and
lots of support. Who better to do that than your
state retired educator association lobbyist and the
Kansas Public Retired Employees’ Coalition? These
people are only as strong as their supporters.
“Small investment for a strong voice in
legislature…” I borrowed this quote from a Missouri
brochure I picked up at the NRTA, National Retired
Teachers Association, conference in Washington DC
this past August. What exactly are they talking
about? Membership! Our neighbor’s efforts paid off
for them. They have an automatic COLA in place. As
do other neighboring states like, Arkansas,
Colorado, and Nebraska. Fifteen dollar state dues is
indeed a small investment considering the potential
pay off.
Our Governor was impressed with the huge amount of
money the state of Kansas saved through KARSP
volunteer hours. It becomes clearer to her that
retirees are not just a drain on the state budget.
We give back to our communities. We are a force to
be reckoned with when we mobilize. Let’s do just
that. Building membership builds power to affect
change!
Ellis Robinson of NRTA says to build membership you
need to identify activities and concerns of people
in your area that might capture prospective members’
attention. She quotes data that says that we get
around 3000 marketing messages a day. Our message
should be among that number. We need to contact
prospective members and capture their attention
through social impact opportunities, or appeal to
their personal needs. (i.e. legislation that effects
their financial situation or by highlighting health
and insurance opportunities, travel benefits,
collegiality and social interaction.)
Advertise your group and activities! Bring a guest!
Invite someone to join! Reinvent retirement! Bring
your talent, leadership skills, and money to your
local REA and KARSP, and be a part of the solution.
Each member should take up the challenge to get at
least one new member signed up. Let our memberships
in KARSP and our local REA’s help us live longer and
better.
Check out the Coalition website at
www.ksretirees.org to get Coalition updates.
Visit
www.accesskansas.gov for legislative activity
updates. More importantly you can find legislators’
names and contact information in order to write them
about your KPERS retirement concerns.
Kansas Association of Retired School Personnel
515 Kansas Ave., Ste 201.
Topeka, KS 66603-3415
Phone: 785-232-8788
K.A.R.S.P@hotmail.com
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