Get Miles

Questions are starting to arise about contributing to legal defense funds to force PERS to start distributing COLAs on the fixed benefit. Personally, I think it is too early to send money. Moreover, I don't know where I'd send it. OPRI is not my favorite organization these days. Their attitude toward window retirees has been less than stellar although their new Board now has 3 window retirees on it. They participated in Arken by joining the PERS Coalition. The PERS Coalition is mostly about unions representing active employees. They've made it clear that if PERS moves to compensate retirees at the expense of actives, they will fight it (and retirees). There is no evidence that PERS is planning to do much of anything yet. I think waiting until PERS decides whether it will appeal or not would be the most prudent course of action right now. If you do contribute to a legal defense fund, make sure you get miles for doing so.

To keep you up to date, the Oregon Supreme Court has yet to rule in the fee award dispute in the Strunk case. Both OPRI and the PERS Coalition have argued that they should be awarded attorney fees. If OPRI is awarded attorney fees, they will receive back much of what we, as individuals, contributed to their legal defense fund. Should we find ourselves in a position of having to pursue additional litigation, I'd want OPRI to use recovered funds first before asking me for more - especially since they promised to return my donations if they won fees in the Sartain/Strunk case. So, first I want to see if they win. Second, I want them to offer to return my donations and only if they do that would I consider letting them keep those funds and receive more to pursue the final phase of this shaggy dog legal case. I just wouldn't rush to send money to anyone quite yet.