Connecticut Retired Teacher's Healthcare Fund Almost Bankrupt

A group of retired teachers grilled outgoing Majority Leader Denise Merrill and Rep. John Geragosian, chairman of the legislature’s spending committee, Monday over the state’s decision to delay its payment to the Retired Teachers’ Health Insurance Fund.

In order to balance both the 2010 and 2011 budget, the state’s $60.5 million contribution to the fund was delayed for the first time in the fund’s history.
“By 2014 and 2015 it will be bankrupt,” Cathy D’Agostino, co-chairwoman of the Association of Retired Teachers in Connecticut, said. She said the recent teacher retirements and salary reductions, in addition to more retired teachers seeking to participate in the fund, have compounded the problem. The organization represents more than 10,000 retired teachers.

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City Attorney Specializing In Land Use Law Fired

The New Haven Register and the CT Post each are reporting that that a Richetelli aid fired a city attorney. "Lisa DiLullo, the aide to Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr., handed Anger two cardboard boxes at the end of the workday Wednesday and told her to gather her things and leave."

The Mayor confirmed that Anger "no longer works for the city." Speculation on why she was fired is running rampant. Some believe her firing has to do with the formation of a city union, other speculators have argued that her firing is a result of ongoing issues in the Building Department, and Land use issues.

Anger has not spoken about her termination on advice from her legal counsel. While no lawsuit has been officially filed challenging her termination one may be in the works in the not so distant future.

Milford Legislators Under Pressure To Save Teachers

Yesterday, I was out dropping my step daughter to baseball practice. While completing my sponsorship donation to the little league, I was approached by a young gentleman and his mother.

The young man was armed with a petition in his hand and was remarkably upset that his favorite teacher at school was told she may not have a job next year. Accompanied by his mother, we discussed his concerns directed at mayor Richetelli. His story was heartfelt, and the amount of money requested small so Terri and I both signed his petition. At this point I felt honored to express my support of our town teachers and I indicated my opinion about the whole unfortunate situation.

To explain my view I will first remind the people of Milford, that our state has found over a Million Dollars for a boardwalk, money for random parks on bridges, expensive clocks, 60+ thousand to move a scaffold for a party at the Capitol, and money for Tax Exempt church schools, but so far nothing from the state to close what I believe to be a one million dollar gap to save the jobs of apx. 200 teachers.

Milford has several representatives, and the Almighty "Speaker Of The House" AKA Gubernatorial candidate in 2010. I suppose our energy in closing this gap should be directed toward the person who has the most authority in our district Speaker Amann. My personal belief is, that other influential House Speakers have been able to accomplish a great deal for their home towns by way of their authority, whereas Amann has fallen embarrassingly short in delivering us the funds.

With all the money spent in town over the last several years you would think that it would be possible to close a simple one Million dollar gap to save 200 jobs. The petitions are now circulating and the heat is on all our elected leaders to save 200 jobs. Should Amann alone fail in his quest this will mark 250 lost jobs at Bic in his district and now 200 more in the school system.

Anyone truly interested in saving the teachers of our town should direct their attention to our legislators as I believe the city has laudably exhausted it self in making cutbacks to the present budget.