Sep. 17, 2014
LANCASTER – State Reps. Ryan Aument (R-41) and Mindy Fee (R-37), along with Rep. Mike Tobash (R-125), will host an informational town hall meeting focusing on Pennsylvania’s public pension crisis and the urgent need for reform on Monday, Sept. 29, at 6 p.m. The event, which is open to residents of the 41st and 37th districts, will take place in the Hoffer Auditorium at the Pleasant View Retirement Community, located at 544 Penryn Road, Manheim.
Aument and Fee, who have been strong advocates for public pension reform, said they are hearing from many citizens with questions and concerns about the worsening state pension situation and proposed solutions.
“Rising pension costs and liabilities are consuming an increasing amount of the budgets of our school districts and our Commonwealth. Ignoring this issue and passing it off for another time is neither responsible nor practical,” Aument said. “There has been quite a bit of misinformation circulated regarding the pension crisis and proposed solutions, so it’s important our residents have this opportunity to become more informed and get answers to questions they may have.”
Tobash is the author of a leading pension reform plan actively under consideration in the House, which would enroll new employees of the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) or Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) in a combination of 401(k)-type and traditional pension plan. Benefits of current employees and retirees would not be affected under the Tobash “hybrid” plan.
“The cost of doing nothing grows larger every day this issue is left unaddressed,” Tobash said. “The hybrid pension plan I have proposed addresses ‘step one’ in reforming Pennsylvania’s public pension crisis. It is a proactive, commonsense approach which creates long-term savings and shifts the risk from taxpayers.”
The meeting will feature an update on the pension crisis and proposed solutions, including the Tobash plan, and will be followed by an open discussion where attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and offer input.
“The pension crisis impacts every taxpayer in Pennsylvania, and it’s long past time for action on this critical issue,” Fee said. “Rep. Aument and I want to provide a forum that can lay out the facts, describe a valid initial solution and answer questions. I’m hopeful many local residents will be able to attend.”
Residents interested in attending the pension reform meeting are asked to RSVP in advance. To register, complete the electronic form at
RepFee.com or
RepAument.com. Residents can also register by calling Aument’s office at 295-5050, or Fee’s office at 664-4979.
Representative Ryan Aument
41st Legislative District
Representative Mindy Fee
37th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Abbey Haslam
717.260.6222
ahaslam@pahousegop.com
RepAument.com/ RepFee.com