march 2018 constitutional amendment approvedcsuerfa.org/pdf/reporter-mar-2018.pdf · phone: (818)...

Publication of the CaliforniaState University Emeritus andRetired Faculty Associationhttp://www.csuerfa.org

Inside this issue:

Constitutional AmendmentApproved 1

Pre- and Post-RetirementConcerns: “At What Cost?” 1

From the President 2

Letter to the Editor 3

State Council Meets in April 3

CalPERS COLA Amounts 3

CalPERS Reimbursement ofMedicare Part B Premiums 4

ASCSU: Shared Governance 5

Advance Directive/Dementia 5

CSU-ERFA Foundation Funds Six Research Grants 6

Health Benefits: OptumRx andMedicare Part B 7

CSU-ERFA Foundation Receives8th Challenge Grant Award 7

Website “Informed Delivery” 8

Legislative Report: “Much Ado in Sacramento” 10

Personal and Professional 10

New Medicare Scams 11

New Driver’s License to Fly? 11

U.S. Life Expectancy FallenBehind Other Nations 11

Retired Professors Asked toHead Initiative 12

March 2018

Pre- and Post-Retirement Concerns:The New Tax Law: “At What Cost?”By Tom Donahue, Chair, Pre/Post Retirement Comm.Q. What is the cost of the new tax cut legis-lation for CSU retirees?

A. The new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowerstax brackets, raises the standard deduc-tion for individuals and couples, and doesaway with a great many deductions thatwe have been accustomed to use in thepast. The results at this juncture havebeen great for the Dow Jones IndustrialAverage – certainly to the advantage ofCalPERS investments – and stock priceshave continue to rise. But there are hid-den costs to individuals with the new leg-islation, and retirees must be watchful in2018, 2019, and beyond. Here are someissues we should follow:

• Although the new standard deduction is$24,000 for couples, the senior tax credithas been reduced to $2,600 per couple. Butthe personal exemptions are gone. • The measure for calculating SocialSecurity inflation adjustments has beenreplaced by the “chained” Consumer PriceIndex, which yields a smaller estimate ofthe rise of inflation. Social Security futurecost of living adjustments will be smalleras a result.

For those who itemize their deductions,

(Continued on page 8)

Constitutional Amendment ApprovedBy Harold Goldwhite, Executive DirectorIn the recent email and mail balloting,the amendment to the CSU-ERFAConstitution to define all CalPERSretirees from the CSU as eligible for CSU-ERFA membership was adopted. The voteswere 132 in favor and 86 against.

Of a total of 2,204 current members, only1,069 can currently be reached by email.Although there was the option to request apaper ballot, only 4 members did so. Theparticipation rate for email accessiblemembers was 20.4%.

The adoption of this amendment does notaffect membership provisions for campusaffiliates. Some campus affiliates havealready extended membership opportuni-ties to retired staff, and thus anticipatedthis CSU-ERFA action. On other campus-

es, where the local affiliate does notaccept staff retirees, those retirees cannow apply directly to CSU-ERFA formembership.

The adoption of this amendment willrequire further changes. The Statementof Purpose of the association in the con-stitution will have to be changed.

And it may be advisable to change thename of the association. One possibilityis CSU Retired Employee Assoication(CSU REA) or the California StateUniversity Emeriti and Retired Facultyand Staff Association (CSU-ERFSA). Please unleash your creativity and


CSU-Emeritus andRetired Faculty Association

www.csuerfa.org

Executive Committee2017-2018

William Blischke (Dominguez Hills)President

Barry Pasternack (Fullerton)Vice President

Rita Jones (Long Beach) SecretaryHarry Sharp (SLO) TreasurerMark Shapiro (Fullerton) WebmasterBarbara Sinclair (LA) Past President Marshelle Thobaben (Humboldt)Chair, Grant Awards Committee

Alan Wade (Sacramento) Chair, Legislative Affairs Comm.

David Wagner (Sacramento) Chair, Health Benefits Committee

Edward Aubert (Stanislaus) Chair, Membership Committee

Thomas Donahue (San Diego) Chair, Pre- and Post-Retirement

Ted Anagnoson (LA) Reporter Editor Harold Goldwhite (LA)

Executive Director

ArchivistJoanna Dunklee (DH)

LiaisonsLeni Cook (DH) CFAJay Swartz (Pomona)

CSU Academic Senate

Administrative StaffMelanie Mamakos, Office Manager

The Retiree Center18111 Nord hoff Street Northridge

CA 91330-8339

Phone: (818) 677-6522Fax: (818) 677-6511

Email: [email protected] site: www.csuerfa.org

The Reporter welcomes submis-sions by members of CSU-ERFA orother appropriate individuals ofadvertisements for academically ori-ented materials or services, to beprinted at the discretion of the edi-tor. To contact the editor, [email protected].

CSU-ERFA Reporter March 20182

media interactions instead of face-to-facehuman communication and you have aculture of violence.If I were still employed at any of our cam-puses, I would clearly consider the possi-bility that there could be a mass murderand that I could encounter a gun-totingstudent. Later in this column I havestrongly encouraged each of you to volun-teer, after careful training, to engage invarious types of advising. Part of thiscould, sadly enough, include identifyingpotential perpetrators of violent acts. As ifwe and our employed colleagues don’talready have much too much on ourplates!

Membership and ConstitutionalChange. At the CSU Long Beach meetinglast October, the CSU-ERFA State Councilvoted to recommend to our members avery significant change in our membershipcriteria. Since our inception in 1985, mem-bership was restricted to emeritus andretired FACULTY. Our decentralizedorganization allows each campus affiliateto determine its membership. Some cam-puses restrict membership to emeritus fac-ulty; others include non-emeritus, retiredfaculty and/or retired staff members.

The proposed change will retain localautonomy in terms of membership inclu-siveness. As required, we polled our cur-rent members and they voted to broadenour systemwide membership. Therefore,we will be changing the name of ourorganization, possibly to the CSU RetiredEmployees Association (CSU REA),expanding our potential membership base,and revising our constitution accordingly.

Executive Committee Meeting. TheCSU-ERFA executive committee met onJan. 20, 2018 at my most convenientvenue, a two-minute walk to my condoclubhouse, and that of the majority of ourSOCAL members. In addition to the usualreports, we planned the next state councilmeeting, which will be held on April 7,2018 at the CSU East Bay ProfessionalDevelopment and Conference Center indowntown Oakland. As always, it is a pub-lic meeting, and those of you who would like to attend are very welcome to do so.CSU Fullerton’s campus was selected for


From the President...Dear Colleagues,

The Culture of Violence. Please excuseme for doing so, but I can’t resist begin-ning my quarterly report with some obser-vations about the horrific recent events atthe high school in Florida. As you knowthis is one of a continuing saga of massmurders, with the worst being the one inLas Vegas last year. However, many ofthese tragic events have occurred at highschools and colleges. We have beenextremely fortunate not to have one so farat any of our twenty-three campuses. Theonly one I am aware of in California inrecent years was near UC Santa Barbarain 2014.

Many of you may not know that my homecampus, Dominguez Hills, was originallynamed California State College, PalosVerdes and it opened its doors in a rentedbuilding on “The Hill.” After the WattsRiots, the Board of Trustees decided tomove the campus to what was then anoperating cattle ranch in Carson to servehigh school graduates from Compton andSouth Central as well as the South Baybeach communities. As a result, CSUDH isone of the most ethnically and in terms ofsocial class diverse campuses in the coun-try.

I was a professor and administrator atDominguez Hills for almost half a century.During that entire time, I never ever feltthreatened or in danger. I never imaginedthat a student would bring a weapon ontocampus or confront me with one in myclassroom or office. Despite being locatedsomewhat near some gang turf, such apossibility never entered my mind. Whileteaching criminology back in the ‘70’s, Ishared the research findings that docu-mented poignantly the fact that owning agun is much more likely to lead to a sui-cide or an accidental shooting of a familymember or acquaintance than to protectoneself from an intruder. Private owner-ship of guns was relatively limited then;now we have many more guns that people,more than any other country, and theyinclude AR-15’s and multiple ammo maga-zines. This is part of what I term, “the culture ofviolence.” If you look at the most popularmovies, TV shows, some music and themost popular Internet video games, vio-lence is a key component of many of them.Then couple that with the dominance of

CSU-ERFA Reporter March 2018 3

Letter to the Editor

anything about CSU-ERFA. Let’s grow! Michael K. Schutz, Ph.D. 5514 Guadalupe CourtConcord, CA [email protected]

February 5, 2018To the editor and all CSU-ERFA friends,Yes, Yes, Yes. I support the amendment expanding member-ship 100%. It’s long overdue. As things stand, is CSU-ERFAdoomed to die? It sure seems that way. Ted Anagnoson’s dataand points are huge. Is CSU-ERFA in danger of becoming triv-ial and unimportant? “In danger,” hah. Two true incidents. #1:A few years ago, when Tim White became head of the CSU, hecame to visit East Bay. After his talk and Q&A, he said, “I’llstay. If you have more questions, see me.” I joined the line.ME: “What do you know and think about CSU-ERFA?” TW:“I’ve never heard of them. Who are they?” ME: “I’ll be rightback.” We have an ERFA chapter, and the president and vicepresident were quietly there. I told them, “I have an assign-ment for you two.” They talked with him. #2: When I retired, Italked with the HR people. ME: “What is CSU-ERFA andshould I care?” HR: “Some sort of faculty group.” ME: “Can lec-turers join?” HR: “Don’t know.” ME: “Do you have anybrochures about them?” HR: “No, we don’t.” (!!) Implication:staff can’t join, so why should we care about them? With prod-ding, they found ERFA’s contact info, and I joined.

Can CSU-ERFA survive? Could it live long and prosper? Yes,but I think it would take two things. (1) Per the amendment,expand the membership, revise the organization’s mission, andgive “CSU-ERFA” a new name. (2) Embark on a serious butinexpensive marketing campaign. Ted said rightly that we aretiny and getting tinier. It’s crazy how few faculty retirees joinand stay as members. But faculty alone won’t give us enoughclout and respect. And we need clout and respect for futureeffectiveness. The nightmare is real people. Our benefits are onthe political table, and who knows how deep the knife may cut.Do we need to care? Darn right. Yes, we have our pensions andbenefits. But what about the members who come after us?Faculty, staff, and administrators all see the knife coming ifthey’re smart. If we talk, we want CalPERS and Sacramento tolisten. But we don’t want to be only an advocacy group. Wewant to have fun, too. Luncheons with speakers are great. Anddon’t assume only faculty are interested. Speakers with broadappeal have that: broad appeal. And “ERFA” is an elitist name,even for a faculty group. How about “CSU Faculty, Staff, andAdministrators Association (CSU FASAA) or something? And ifit’s true that service time required for vesting may change,maybe we need a separate membership category for not-yet-vested retirees. Could there be people in this situation?

Should CSU-ERFA survive? Absolutely. Ted makes sure TheReporter prints articles on vital topics, from academic qualityto benefits. Re: a serious marketing campaign, I suggest wedesign a great brochure, appealing to all potential membershipgroups. Print maybe 5,000. Get a member/rep at every CSUand give him/her 100-200 copies. The rep goes to every logicalplace and gives them a stack, with special attention to thosenearing retirement. Payroll, Academic Senate office, etc. ThinkHR. They need to know that they can join too! And HR shouldgive a copy to every retiring person. A memo should go to everyacademic department (with a brochure) suggesting they tell allretiring faculty about CSU-ERFA and reminding departmentsecretaries they can join too. My department didn’t tell me

CalPERS Posts COLAAmounts for Next YearCalPERS cost of living adjustments or COLAs take effect in theMay 1 pay warrant each year. For this year, CSU employees, sub-ject to the 2% COLA provision, will have COLAs ranging from 2%to 2.13%, depending on the year of retirement, with those whoretired in 2017 not eligible. • For those retiring 2004 or earlier, the amount is 2%.• For those retiring 2005-2015, the amount is 2.13%. • For those retiring in 2016, the amount is 2%.

The COLA typically begins in the second calendar year of retire-ment. The COLA is dependent on three factors: (1) the ConsumerPrice Index for All Urban Consumers, published by the U.S. Bureauof Labor Statistics; (2) the employer-contracted COLA provision,which for CSU retirees is 2%; and the year the retiree retired.

For more information, see CalPERS’ COLA page:https://www.calpers.ca.gov/page/retirees/cost-of-living/cola.

State Council Meets in April;AAUP’s Reichman to SpeakCSU-ERFA’s highest governing body, the State Council, will meetfor its spring 2018 meeting Saturday, April 7 at the CSU East Bayconference center, located in the heart of downtown Oakland. Thekeynote speaker will be Professor Emeritus of History HenryReichman from the CSU East Bay campus. Prof. Reichman is a for-mer member of the CSU statewide academic senate and is current-ly first vice president of the national American Association ofUniversity Professors and chair of Committee A on AcademicFreedom and Tenure. He also chairs the AAUP Foundation.

Dr. Reichman delivered the opening plenary address for theAAUP’s 100th annual meeting in Washington DC in 2014. The titlewas “Can I Tweet That? Academic Freedom and ElectronicCommunications,” on the impact of digital documentation and com-munication on academic freedom. In the November/December 2015issue of Academe, he authored an article entitled “Does AcademicFreedom Have a Future?”

The CSU-ERFA executive committee is expected to present a seriesof bylaw amendments to conform with the approved change to theconstitution opening CSU-ERFA to all CSU retirees, including achange in name for the association. Discussion is expected to belively!


CalPERS Reimbursement of Medicare Part B PremiumsBy John G. Kilgour, CSU East Bay ERFAThe Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and ModernizationAct of 2003 became effective 1/1/06. Part II of the Act establishedthe (Part C) Medicare Advantage (a/k/a “Senior Advantage” and“Medicare Supplement”). It also changed the way in whichMedicare Part B premiums are calculated by introducing theIncome-Related Monthly Adjusted Amount (IRMAA).

Calculating IRMAA. Beginning in 2007, Medicare Advantagebeneficiaries earning more than specified amounts in ModifiedAdjusted Gross Income (MAGI) would pay more than the standardpremium for coverage. The MAGI consists of the Adjusted GrossIncome from our income-tax filings plus any tax-free interest orearnings.The IRMAA thresholds first established in 2007 were indexedbased on the percent increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).Thanks to the Great Recession beginning in 2008, price inflationhas been zero or very low in recent years. During the eight-yearperiod 2010 – 2017, the average Cost of Living Allowance (COLA)was 1.1%. For 2018, it is 2.0%.

IRMAA Amounts. The IRMAA is paid in addition to the standardMedicare Part B premium which is $134 per month for 2018(unchanged from 2017). For 2018, the thresholds and IRMAAs are:

IRMAASingle, Widow(er), etc: Married Filing Jointly: Part B Part D$85,000 – $107,000 $170,000 – $214,000 $53.50 $13.00107,000 – 133,500 214,000 – 267,000 133.90 33.60133,500 – 160,000 267,000 – 320,000 214.30 54.20More than 160,000 More than 320,000 294.60 74.80

These data are provided on page 2 of the annual Social SecurityAdministration benefit notice mailed to each Part B enrollee (andspouse) in November. The notice also includes a Part D (prescrip-tion drug) IRMAA, shown above, but not discussed as it is notreimbursed by CalPERS.

The 1997 Balanced Budget Act requires that the beneficiaries pay25% of the cost of Medicare Part B. The remaining 75% comes fromthe federal general fund. To achieve this, the Center for Medicareand Medicaid Services (CMS) updates the threshold amounts eachSeptember for the following year.

The law also requires that all beneficiaries for whom the Part Bpremium increase would be more than the Social Security benefitCOLA be “held harmless.” CMS reports that in 2017, about 70% ofMedicare Part B enrollees were held harmless. Their averagemonthly premium was $109, substantially less than the $134 stan-dard premium. CMS estimates that in 2018, 42% of Part Benrollees will be held harmless. Their average monthly premiumwill be $130. Thus, about 28% of Part B enrollees will see a premi-um increase averaging $21 in 2018.

CalPERS. CalPERS reimburses state and CSU retirees automati-cally for the $134 per month standard Part B premium ($268 for acouple). However, it does not automatically reimburse us for theadditional Part B IRMAA premium. We have to make the initial

application. After that, CalPERS sends us an annual reminderletter. However, we then have to reapply each year (see“Health Benefits” article on page 7 in this issue).

If your MAGI is over $85,000 (individual) or $170,000 (marriedfiling jointly), and you apply for an IRMAA reimbursement,the increase will appear as a credit larger than the $134 (indi-vidual) or $268 (couple) on the left side of your CalPERS pen-sion benefit warrant. It is labeled “MEDICARE REIMBURS.”If you apply late and/or if it takes a while for CalPERS toprocess the request, there may be an additional entry precededby an asterisk indicating that it is a “one-time adjustment forearlier months.” The amount of the reimbursement may not exceed the differ-ence between the maximum employer contribution and theamount of premium for the health plan in which you areenrolled, or the Medicare Part B premium, whichever is lower.The health plan premiums vary by location. For zip code94546, and presumably other Bay Area locations, for the sixhealth programs sponsored by the CSU in 2018 they are:

• Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Preferred PPO $740.68• Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage HMO 632.68• PERS Choice Medicare Supplement PPO 691.94• PERS Select Medicare Supplement PPO 691.94• PERS Care Medicare Supplement PPO 764.60• United Healthcare Medicare Advantage HMO 661.52

The IRMAA reimbursement does not apply to any late fees,penalties or interest. Nor is it available to other than Stateand CSU CalPERS members.

Application. To apply for the IRMAA reimbursement, write abrief cover letter requesting reimbursement for the Part B pre-mium over the standard premium adjustment and send it,along with the SSA’s annual benefit notice (all of it) for youand your spouse to: CalPERS Health Account ManagementDivision, Attention: Medicare Administration, P.O. Box942715, Sacramento, CA 94229-2715

If you have tossed or misplaced all or part of the annual SocialSecurity benefit notice, as I once did, you can get a replace-ment copy from your local SSA office. I used the SSA office atSouthland Shopping Center in Hayward. They were very help-ful. No hassle. No charge.

Retroactive Application. Yes, you can apply retroactivelyfor IRMAA reimbursements for past years for which you wereeligible but did not apply. I don’t know whether a local SSAoffice can provide benefit notices for past years.

If you have not yet applied, and your MAGI is over $85,000(individual) or $170,000 (couple), go for it. An IRMAA reim-bursement of $53.50 amounts to $642 per year for an individ-ual. For a couple filing jointly, that would be $1,284. Freemoney!


At a typically characteristic week ofstatewide Academic Senate meetings inJanuary, the focal point remained on theeternal topic of shared governance amonga myriad of other issues.ASCSU Chair Chris Miller, Sacramento,reported that the body’s executive commit-tee had begun a series of meetings withsenior CSU administrators and that sheand others expressed optimism going for-ward. Another member stated that thesediscussions should go beyond breakingbread and happy talk and called for realis-tic timelines for goals as well as keepingeach campus involved in the discussions.

Faculty Trustee Report. FacultyTrustee Romey Sabalius (San Jose),recently named by Governor Brown,offered a stirring message that he person-ally supports CSU-ERFA being includedon future Board of Trustees meeting agen-das and pledged that he would continue topress the issue with fellow trustees includ-ing its leadership.

He further indicated that he intends tovisit all 23 campuses and has completedsite visits at six, with more scheduled inthe near term.Trustee Sabalius added a familiar theme,that the CSU budget remains underfund-ed by the state legislature, pressed for all

constituent groups including CSU-ERFAto step up their lobbying efforts with ourrepresentatives, and suggested thattrustees will be compelled to consider yetanother tuition increase no matter whathappens with respect to the CSU portionof the state budget after the May revise.

Tuition Increases. In turn, the ASCSUconsidered a first reading item indicatingthe Senate’s opposition in principle to fur-ther tuition increases. Tuition increasesshould be predictable and based on a long-term funding strategy. This resolutionwill return to the senate for final action atits March 2018 plenary meeting.

The body also sought to begin revisingselection procedures for future facultytrustee nominees.

CFA Report. CFA President JenniferEagan (East Bay) announced that CFAhas endorsed Gavin Newsom asCalifornia’s next governor. She statedthat his knowledge of higher educationissues and support of common themes,such as DACA and tuition hikes, influ-enced the decision most.

Chancellor’s Report. Chancellor TimWhite reported that he had spent consid-erable time recently working with legisla-tors in Sacramento, as the CSU developeda very short list of budgetary priorities,

ASCSU Report: Shared GovernanceBy Jay Swartz, CSU-ERFA Liaison to the ASCSU, and Barry Pasternack, Emeritus Academic Senator

but that even with considerable winnow-ing the governor’s budget did not comeanywhere close to even a short list of sys-temwide needs.

Other Presentations. In addition toChancellor White and CFA PresidentEagan, the ASCSU heard presentationsfrom Executive Vice ChancellorBlanchard, CSSA liaison to the SenateRyan Brown, Assistant Vice Chancellorand State University Dean of ExtendedEducation Sheila Thomas, and CSU-ERFA Liaison to the ASCSU Jay Swartz.We also heard a report on the Governor’sbudget from Brad Well (AVC Business &Finance) and Kata Perkins (CSUExecutive Budget Director), as well asfrom Shawn Whalen (Senior ProjectOfficer, College Futures Foundation) andElizabeth Gonzalez (Portfolio Director,James Irvine Foundation). Their reportfocused on the grants their organizationsprovide annually in support of highereducation in California.

Resolutions. The ASCSU unanimouslypassed a resolution in support of ProjectRebound (see AS-3310-17/AA (Rev)) andhad first readings of resolutions opposingthe governor’s proposal for a “StateMandated Online Learning Lab” anddetailing the Senate’s positions on legis-lation that will come before the state leg-islature this spring and summer.

An Advance Directive Form for Dementia IssuesA primary care doctor at the University ofWashington General internal MedicineCenter has developed a new advancedirective form that uses language specifi-cally pertaining to dementia, so that fami-ly members and doctors will have direc-tions from the patient on specific issuesthat come up in dementia care.Dr. Brian Gaster says that ” For familymembers and doctors, guessing whatsomeone would have wanted in terms oflife-prolonging medical care is often awrenching process, such that having adementia-specific advance care directivecan relieve a lot of the anxiety and uncer-

tainty. It can give guidance that will helpcaregivers make medical decisions betteraligned to their loved ones’ needs andwishes.”

For each of the three stages of dementia,mild, moderate, and severe, the formallows the patient to state what the goal oftreatment should be. The goals range fromliving as long as you can to receiving “com-fort-oriented care only, focused on reliev-ing my suffering such as pain, anxiety, orbreathlessness. I would not want any carethat would keep me alive longer.” In between are two other stages. The first

focuses on prolonging life, but with aDNR requirement: “To receive treat-ments to prolong my life, but if my heartstops beating or I can’t breathe on myown then do not shock my heart torestart it (DNR) and do not place me ona breathing machine.”

The second focuses on not going to thehospital under certain conditions: “Toonly receive care in the place where I amliving. I would not want to go to the hos-pital even if I were very ill.” Each levelhas more explanation. The form can be found at www.dementia-directive.org. For an interview with Dr. Gaster, see:https://goo.gl/XdZHaE.


In MemoriamChico – Estella J. Denney

Leo KirchoffWilliam ShrumBuck Ware

East Bay – Jane A. HeblerFresno – Richard W. Francis

Robert GlimLester Pincu

Fullerton – Mary E. CrimminsCarolyn Johnson

Maryanna C. Lanier

Humboldt – Jack H. MunseeNathan Smith

Long Beach – David C. HoodElizabeth S. KaufmanArlene LazarowitzHenry L. Reyna

Northridge – Joseph LaunieRaymond McHughWilliam Stryker

Sacramento – Hazel L. AngellHarry GustafsonHerbert A. Perry

San Diego – Marjorie J. HawleyRoy McDonald

Sherwood M. NelsonMarvin H. Platz

William E. SpauldingRolf K. Vanderbilt

San Francisco – Maurice BassanJohn DeCeccoStanley Tick

San Jose – William M. EvansWilliam Tidwell

San Luis Obispo – Gordon VanDeVanter

Stanislaus – J. Carlyle Parker

The CSU-ERFA grant committee, com-posed of Professors Sally Hurtado deLopez (SO), Judith Hunt (SO), BeatricePressley (EB), with Marshelle Thobaben(HU) as chair, recommended that six ofthe eight applications received in the cur-rent grant cycle be funded. The CSU-ERFA executive committee concurred withthe recommendation, as per the bylaws.The following were awarded a total of$6,000, the amount available this year:

James Forsher, CSU East Bay:“Development of the Center for theStudy of Media and Intolerance.” Prof.Forsher will be working with faculty atthe University of Vienna to create theinfrastructure for the Center for the Studyof Media and Intolerance, which will serveas a resource for students and academicsin Europe to explore how films and televi-sion have dealt with issues of racism, sex-ism and religious intolerance over the pastcentury. His film archive dates from early1970s to the late 1990s. His future plansinclude setting up a satellite center in theU.S. at another CSU campus.

Anna Hamre, CSU Fresno: “CoroSolare Concert, April 22, 2018.”Professor Hamre, the Artistic Director ofthe nonprofit Fresno Community Chorus,is organizing a concert that includingearly music edited by Dr. Arthur Huff, aformer Director of Choral activities atCSU Fresno. A few editions of the music ofthe Spanish composer Alonso de Tejedaare well known, but his editions of lesswell-known works by Franco-FlemishFlemish composer and Giaches de Wertand others are important to preserve.Professor Hamre's grant will to help payfor professional instrumentalists and arehearsal accompanist for the concert.

Susana Hernández Araico, CPSUPomona: “Sor Juana and theIndigenous Roots of her Musicality.”Prof. Hernández Araico will surveySpanish chronicles describing musical per-formances by various native tribes in cen-tral Mexico prior to and during the life-time of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, one ofthe most accomplished and important

writers of the second half of the seven-teenth century. Prof. Hernández Araicohas been invited to present her researchfindings at the International Conference ofAmericanist Scholars to be held at theUniversity of Salamanca in Spain in July2018. Her presentation will be developedinto a publication.

Laurence Houlgate, CSU, Cal PolySan Luis Obispo: “How to Publish &Market Your Own College Textbook:An Educator’s Guide to Self-Publishing & Self-Marketing.”Professor Houlgate plans to publish an e-book on “how to self-publish and market atextbook.” It is based on what he learnedwhen he published a textbook in 2016 thatwas also supported by a CSU-ERFA grant.His new book will give educators a valu-able head start by providing them with astep-by-step guide to publishing and mar-keting their own text. He hopes to publishit early in 2018. Further information maybe obtained from Prof. Houlgate [email protected].

Lynne Osman Elkin, CSU East Bay:“Essential Contribution of RosalindFranklin to the Discovery of theStructure of DNA.” Professor OsmanElkin, an authority on Rosalind Franklin,is completing a book on the factualaccount of the history of the DNA discov-ery, including the role Rosalind Franklinhad in the discovery. The book will also becorrecting misinformation in JamesWatson’s memoir, The Double Helix. Prof.Osman Elkin has interviewed numerousexperts, including DNA Nobel PrizeWinners Francis Crick, James Watson,and Maurice Wilkins. She hopes her bookwill inspire women scientists. Her requestis for computer assistance to complete herbook due to macular degeneration disease.

Catherine Turrill-Lupi, CSUSacramento: “A Savonarolan Legacy:Three Case Studies of Art Producedfor the Florentine Convent of SantaCaterina da Siena in the 1500s.”Professor Turrill-Lupi’s research will bepublished in an anthology of interdiscipli-nary essays addressing the various typesof networks formed within and beyond

CSU-ERFA Charitable FoundationFunds Six Research GrantsBy Marshelle Thobaben, HSU

Italian convents during the early modernperiod.


The November 2017 Reporter introducedtwo health benefits topics which were sub-ject to additional reports and briefingsfrom CalPERS staff: OptumRx andMedicare Part B premium reimburse-ments. This column will highlight addi-tional information on both subjects.

OptumRx. Discussions between pharma-cy benefit manager OptumRx andCalPERS staff continued during the pastmonths with the goal being to improveservice, reduce problems with priorauthorizations, ascertain pharmacy costsavings in the formulary, and improve theuse of technology. The impetus behind thiswas the CalPERS board’s desire to fix anumber of problems identified in publicfeedback at the October board meeting.Various stakeholder groups, includingCSU-ERFA, were included in several ofthe public discussions. The full report willbe transmitted to the board’s pension andhealth benefits committee at theirFebruary 2018 meeting.

The highlights of the modifications imple-mented by OptumRx include improve-ments to the phone Help line. There arenow special agents trained to deal withMedicare related issues. The caller will beable to reconnect more easily with the ini-tial intake agent. There have been signifi-cant improvements in the number of callssuccessfully handled at the initial point ofcontact. Improvements to the prior author-

ization process include enhanced outreachto pharmacists and providers, acceptanceof provider authorization attestations, andgreater use of member prior usage history.OptumRx’s Medicare formulary, in com-parison to the CVS Medicare formulary,offers a greater number of covered drugsand lists more drugs at lower tiers.OptumRx reports that the average mem-ber cost share per prescription is lower in2017 than in 2016.The past six months have seen a dramaticdecrease in the number of complaintsCalPERS has received about OptumRxservice. Your experience may differ fromthese aggregate statistics. OptumRx willreport back to the CalPERS Board in June2018 on the progress made in improvingservice.

Medicare Part B Premium Reim-bursements. You may be eligible for areimbursement of higher Medicare Part Bpremiums. The standard Part B premiumin 2018 is $134. Based on your modifiedadjusted gross income for 2016, as report-ed to the IRS, you may pay a higher pre-mium. This higher charge is called anIRMAA, an “Income-Related MonthlyAdjustment Amount.” If you have beenenrolled in Medicare for more than a year,you should have been notified of your 2018premium in late November in a letter fromSocial Security.

Health Benefits: More on OptumRx & Medicare Part BBy David Wagner, CSU Sacramento and CSU-ERFA Health Benefits Director

If you are paying an IRMAA, all or part ofit may be reimbursed by CalPERS. Yes,that is correct; as a state or CSU retiree,you may receive a reimbursement for allor a portion of those higher premiumsabove $134. If you have a retired depend-ent receiving CalPERS health benefits onyour health benefit program, their higherIRMAA premiums may also be eligible forreimbursement.CalPERS will automatically calculate thereimbursable amount, if any, you are eligi-ble for. The reimbursable amount is basedon the difference between your Part B pre-mium and the CSU employer health plancontribution for you and your dependent.

If you cannot find the original NovemberSocial Security letter, you can get a copyfrom your local Social Security Office oronline. CalPERS will also calculate pastyears’ IRMAA premiums if you submit acopy of the annual Social Security notifica-tion letter for the prior year(s).

Send a copy of the entire letter you andyour dependent received from SocialSecurity by mail or fax to: CalPERSHealth Account Management Division,Attention: Medicare Administration, P.O. Box 942715, Sacramento, CA 94229-2715, Fax: (916) 795-1277.

CSU-ERFA Charitable Foundation Receives 8th Challenge Grant AwardThe CSU-ERFA Charitable Foundation recently received an eighth$500 challenge grant from a CSU-ERFA member. The donor willmatch all donations from individuals received by the foundation byJune 30, 2018 up to a total of $500. (We are pleased to report thatseveral members made contributions between July 1 and December31, 2017, and our previous challenge grant was fully matched.)The CSU-ERFA Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)3 organizationthat provides competitive grants to CSU-ERFA members to supporttheir research and scholarly activities. Recently the foundation wasawarded a Gold Seal by GuideStar for its level of financial trans-parency and operational efficiency. This award is granted to onlythe top 1% of non-profit organizations and is based not on size buton financial transparency and operating efficiency.

Donations in any amount from both CSU-ERFA members and thegeneral public are welcomed. Donations to the foundation generallyare deductible from state and federal income taxes, and all dona-

tions are acknowledged in writing.

You may donate to the foundation by sending a check made outto the CSU-ERFA Charitable Foundation to CSU-ERFA, 18111Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8339. Members also canchoose to donate to the foundation monthly through a deductionfrom their CalPERS pension warrant. In addition, credit anddebit card donations can be made through the foundation’sGuideStar page.

If you wish to contribute through a deduction from yourCalPERS pension warrant, please download our donationagreement form, fill it out and return it to the foundation at theabove address: http://csuerfa.org/pdf/Donation-Agreement.pdf. If you wish to make a donation via credit or debit card visit ourGuideStar page at https://www.guidestar.org/profile/30-0109115and click on the “Donate Now” button.


(Continued from page 1)• According to CNN Money as of December 17, 2017, there will atotal of $10,000 permitted for deductions for sales tax, stateincome tax, or home property taxes.• Casualty losses may no longer be deducted unless they areincurred in a disaster declared by the President.Of continuing interest to retirees are the facts that:• Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid will be at risk forcuts.• The value of employee health programs may come under thethreat of new taxes.• The interest on present and future home equity loans is nolonger tax deductible.For those in the earlier stages of a career,• Moving expenses are no longer deductible.• There are likely to be taxes on university sponsored tuition sup-port for the children of professors.• There will be no deductions for private activity bonds, if a uni-versity considers issuing these.• Investors will find that there is no exemption for the costs ofrefinancing municipal bonds, and there will be no 4% tax creditfor affordable housing.• University endowments that contain an invested amount of$500,000 for each enrolled student will be taxed. The tax is 1.4%of the endowment income from the previous year for colleges of at

least 500 students and with endowments worth at least $500,000per student. At the same time, as their deliberations continued, legislatorsshowed that they would respond to outside pressures from influ-ential constituents. Consider the following:• Deductions on interest for new mortgage loans will be permit-ted up to a total home loan value of $750,000.• Deductions for medical expenses are expanded from 7.5% to10% of adjusted gross income in 2018 and 2019.• Child care tax credits have been provided with a maximum of$3,000 for one child, and a maximum of $6,000 for more.• Both Coverdell contributions in support of youngsters under 18and 529 instruments for future college students will be sus-tained.• Interest on student loans remains deductible.• Tuition waivers for graduate students will not be taxed.• Out of pocket expenses for teachers are sustained, but at a ceil-ing of $150 instead of $250.

The new tax cut legislation, which was drafted in haste and willsurely undergo revisions in the near future, had as its primaryimpetus the intent to cut taxes for American business and for thewealthy. Yet that legislation diminishes the range of choices fornearly everybody else. It is good advice to adopt what is in factthe motto of the city of San Diego: semper vigilans!

If you have questions for this column, please write Tom Donahueat [email protected].

CSU-ERFA New Members

Chico – Wallace R. LeeseDominguez Hills –

Cheryl A. Jackson-Harris

Fullerton – Nek M. BuzdarIrene L. Lange

Long Beach – Carey L. KillianRichard P. Nguyen

Timothy K. WilliamsonTianwei Xie

Los Angeles – Henry R. Mendell

San Francisco – Julia M. LewisSan Jose – Elba Maldonado-Colon

Jacqueline Snell

San Luis Obispo – Philip S. Bailey

Pre- and Post-Retirement Concerns: “At What Price?”

Website of Interest: “InformedDelivery”By Barry Pasternack, CSU FullertonA few months ago I received notice fromthe US Post Office that they had a newfree service, Informed Delivery. InformedDelivery scans your incoming mail eachday (with the exception of Sundays andholidays) and sends you an email with pic-tures of the envelopes. This allows one tosee in advance who is sending you mailthat day. The website for InformedDelivery is: https://goo.gl/i7MGdvWhile not yet available everywhere, it cer-tainly is worthwhile to get if it is. This hasproved useful to us when we are travelingand getting our mail either held at thepost office or forwarded to a temporaryaddress. It is also a good check to see if allof the mail sent to you is really beingdelivered. (We have some neighborhoodchildren who like to use mailboxes for bat-ting practice.)

You can find if Informed Delivery is avail-able for your zip code by entering thenumber on the Informed Delivery webpage.

I have not been a fan of the post officeever since I tried mailing a letter to mydaughter when she was a freshman at CalPoly SLO. The address she gave me hadtwo of the numbers of the campus zip codereversed and, after several weeks, the let-ter was returned to me from the centralSan Luis Obispo post office with a notethat they could not locate Cal Poly. Hence,it is nice to see the postal service doingsomething right.

9CSU-ERFA Reporter March 2018

(Continued from page 2)the fall state council meeting scheduled for October 13, 2018. I will cover several otherissues discussed at the meeting in subse-quent sections.

CSU Board of Trustees Meeting. Onceagain, I was restricted to one minute inmy presentation at the Jan. 30-31 Boardof Trustees meeting. Also, as usual, theydid not ring the bell or turn off my mic, asthey did with some of the other speakersduring the public session. You can viewthe video of my presentation on the BOTwebsite. I rapidly and too succinctly dis-cussed the eighteen contributions of ourmembers on their campuses in terms ofthe time and the monetary support weprovide. I emphasized several new initia-tives including Dreamer advising,Soles4Souls, and working with the hous-ing and hunger initiatives on our campus-es. I also informed them that the CSU-ERFA Charitable Foundation SmallGrants Program had received the GoldSeal award from Guidestar, based on itsfinancial transparency and operating effi-ciency.

I mentioned the constitutional amendmentto add staff to our organization, and onceagain, reiterated our desire to join lobby-ing efforts in Sacramento and locally insupport of the CSU. Once again, the CSU’sbudget request is not being fully funded bythe state. Therefore, the trustees are con-sidering another tuition increase as wellas a reduction of academic and non-aca-

From the Presidentdemic programs and services. Both as anorganization and individually we mustlobby for more adequate and reasonablefunding.

Student Mental Health. There havebeen a number of articles in newspaperslately concerning the mental health crisisamong our youth. The first one thatcaught my attention was titled, “CaughtOff Guard: Spike in mental health needssurprised colleges; now they’re trying tocatch up” (Daily Breeze). The percentageof CSU and UC students with substanceabuse problems, eating disorders, suicidaltendencies, and financial problems includ-ing hunger and homelessness is exponen-tially higher than it was twenty years ago.

As this horrific challenge has confrontedour campuses, the budget cuts we haveendured has decreased the number of staffand faculty advisors. A group of studentsthe vast majority of us never even heard ofduring our careers, the Dreamers (thereare tens of thousands of them enrolled inthe CSU) need very specialized counseling.I strongly encourage each of you and yourcolleagues to volunteer, after training, tohelp advise and counsel as many of theseyoung folks as you can. The crisis is realand ruining or ending the lives of many ofour students!

Soles4Souls (S4S). On Nov. 27, 2017 Ihad an article published in our local newswith the headline, “Fighting global povertywith one pair of shoes at a time.” Itdescribed my background and how I got

involved with Soles4Souls. Though a num-ber of additional campuses have joined thebattle, many have not and have notinformed me regarding the reasons fortheir non-participation. Please do so if youare among the non-respondents. I had the pleasure of delivering over 7,000pairs of shoes collected by CSUDH to thenew S4S Regional Donation Center inRiverside using a donated U-Haul truck. Apicture of the CSUDH athletes that loadedthe truck with 425 bags of shoes from thewarehouse is below on this page. Pleasejoin this non-monetary, campus-wide effortto provide shoes for the billion in the U.S.and the world who lack them!

Volunteer Survey. Several years ago, wesent a questionnaire to each of the campusaffiliate presidents asking them to delin-eate the types of volunteering in whichtheir members are engaged. The responsesindicated eighteen different types. I wouldlike to update the list and the campus-by-campus activities, including new ones suchas Dreamer advising. Harold Goldwhiteand I will be sending a memo to the cam-pus presidents shortly. Since theChancellor’s Office and the Board ofTrustees were unaware of these contribu-tions, this is valuable, organization-enhancing information. We appreciateyour responses.

Otra vez, Pura Vida (my favorite valedic-tion, from Costa Rica).

Bill Blischke President CSU-ERFA

CSU-ERFAPresident BillBlischke (center,rear) picturedwith the CSUDominguez Hillsstudent-athleteswho volunteeredto load 425 bagsof shoes fortransport toSoles4Souls

donation centerin Riverside. Theload inauguratedthe new dona-tion center.


Legislative Report: “Much Ado in Sacramento” By Alan Wade, CSU Sacramento and CSU-ERFA Legislative DirectorWe are in the first month of the secondyear of a two year legislative session end-ing August 31. Some legislation is heldover from the first year and can be actedupon before the end of January if passedin its house of origin. New bills can beintroduced after February 1 but notbefore. More bills of importance to retireeswill be available for review as they areintroduced.

This report is based on information fromthe January 11 meeting of the RPEA leg-islative committee and the February 12SCORE session. Of special note was theattendance at the SCORE meeting ofProfessor Sue Holl from our SacramentoState campus. Sue has just retired aschair of the CSUS MechanicalEngineering Department, and is exploringthe possibility of serving as my successoras CSU-ERFA’s legislative director. Shehas recently embarked on the FERP pro-gram, and is completing her term as astatewide academic senator. It is my hopethat Sue will enjoy her gradual introduc-tion to this post, which has always beenoccupied by a Sacramento retiree.

Bills carried over are the following:

AB 592. Dahl. Two year bill. Aimed at thefinancially stressed city of Loyalton,requiring that any contracting agency ter-minating a CalPERS contract for itsemployees is liable to CalPERS for costs.Failed to pass first session but will proba-bly be re-introduced with a new number.

SB 562. The well-publicized Californiasingle payer health care bill. Passed thesenate, dumped on the lower house, withno real attention to financing and costs.Could be the wave of the future, but dis-cussion is largely rhetorical, and yet vital-ly necessary. My question: can or should asingle state seriously entertain thoughts ofsuch a reform at this time? The RPEAHealth Committee is continuing to studythe issue; the nurses’ union has no inten-tion of giving up on it, and they are tough.We need to watch, inquire, and discuss.

COLA. Calculation. RPEA wantsCalPERS to use California cost of livingdata in calculating COLA increases, alleg-ing that national data currently usedunderstate our true cost of living in the

Golden State. CalPERS board membershave been contacted. Fears that it wouldcost too much or would be “too complicat-ed” are comments frequently heard fromCalPERS staff about this and other rela-tively minor policy changes of benefit tomembers. One veteran observer at theRPEA Legislative session commented that“CalPERS is out of control.”

Court Cases. Three different ones arebeing watched closely, all threatening insome way to dilute the so-called“California Rule.” Currently, activeemployees are the main target. Canretirees be far behind? A constitutionalamendment through the initiative processcould be a game changer – powerful forcesare gathering for continuing attacks onpublic employees, pensions, and benefits.They are not kidding around. So far, we’vedodged a really big bullet. The feeling isbuilding that retirees can no longer be asconfident as in the past about the preser-vation of our retirement benefits.

OptumRx. Donna Snodgrass, RPEAhealth benefits director, opines that she is“at the end of my rope” on toleratingOptumRX as CalPERS’ pharmacy manag-er. Some CSU-ERFA members have sub-mitted complaints, but apparently irrita-tions among other retirees are overwhelm-ing. Some complaints seem to be ordinarybureaucratic friction, but the volume com-ing through other retiree organizationspoints to more systematic issues.

VBID Program. The SCORE meetingdevoted some time to complaints frommembers concerning the so-called VBIDprogram, introduced by CalPERS in eight-een mostly rural California counties. VBIDstands for Value Based Insurance Design,intended as an experiment by the Centerfor Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)to assure accountability in health care sys-tems by encouraging enrollees to utilizemore cost-effective preventive services.

Some see it as a well-intended programdesigned to improve health and lowercosts. The more cynical see it as a meansof increasing insurance company profits atthe expense of consumers by forcing “bet-ter” choices on the consumer. Anecdoteshave been received that some individualshave had increases in co-pays and

deductibles exceeding the amount of theirCalPERS pensions. The negative resultsmay be related to the more limited healthinsurance options offered in rural coun-ties, as compared to the more urbanizedareas where CSU-ERFA members seem tobe concentrated. Some new bills will be introduced in thesecond session. Toni Atkins will be takingover as Senate Pro Tem leader, from deLeon who will be termed out. Some sayshe is a friend of retirees and publicemployees. Others define her as arrogantand a “my way or the highway” type. Waitand see.

“Fair Share” issue – before SCOTUSsoon! Public employee unions seriouslyworried – if Gorsuch provides the decidingvote as expected, the result will be a GAP-ING HOLE in the bucket available forunions to retain what power they have leftin supporting public employment and fairpensions and benefits.

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Personal and ProfessionalProfessor Emeritus of Psychology,Beverly Palmer, from California StateUniversity, Dominguez Hills, has just pub-lished Love Demystified: Strategies for aSuccessful Love Life. Making the latestscientific research accessible, this bookprovides a guide to how people meet, fallin love, create love, fall out of love, andlove again. Self-assessments, livelyvignettes, and revealing activities, makethis book highly interactive.Love Demystified: Strategies for aSuccessful Love Life is attractive to read-ers in any stage of a loving relationship—finding a new love, fixing a current rela-tionship, loving again after a loss. It givesthem the tips and techniques they need toget through many difficult times in loving.This guide is available fromBookLocker.com and all online and neigh-borhood booksellers.

Harold Goldwhite (Los Angeles) alongwith co-authors has published the 5th. edi-tion of Experiments in General Chemistry(Macmillan Learning, 2018).


New MedicareScams AboundMedicare is sending new ID cards, elimi-nating your SSN as the identificationnumber and replacing it with a randomlygenerated 11-digit code. We have alreadyseen phone calls from scam artists posingas Medicare representatives asking forpayment in exchange for the new IDs. The new Medicare IDs are free and will besent between April 2018 and April 2019.

Another scam is to try to persuade you topurchase Part D coverage, which generallyis included in CalPERS health plans. Youshould not enroll in any parts of Medicareoutside of the CalPERS framework. Ifthere is any question, call CalPERS.

Also seen is someone calling to say thatyour insurance company owes you arefund, which can be deposited directly inyour checking account if you give thecaller your account number and SSN.

Another one involves the caller saying heor she is with Medicare, and they need toupdate your information. Medicare doesn’twork that way – if they want information,they will mail you.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose(Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, editor of LeFigaro, 1839-, known for his epigrams).

New Driver’s License Required to Fly After 10/2020If you want to board an airline or enter afederal facility or military base afterOctober 1, 2020, your existing Californiadriver’s license will not be accepted asidentification. You will have to use a newCalifornia license that meets federalREAL ID standards or another form ofacceptable ID, such as a valid U.S. pass-port or military ID. The DMV began accepting applications forthe new licenses and identification cardson January 22, 2018. The DMV has issuedmore than 26 million valid driver’s licens-es and another seven million ID cards.Congress approved the requirement forthe new REAL ID licenses in 2005 in thewake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Abouthalf the states have conformed so far.

To receive the new license, applicants will

have to make an appointment at a DMVfield office (recommended) and provideproof of identity, such as a certified U.S.birth certificate, valid U.S. passport,employment authorization document, per-manent resident card, or foreign passportwith an approved form I-94. In addition, applicants must show aCalifornia residency document thatincludes your physical California residentaddress. Documents addressed to a P.O.box must include the physical residentaddress. Another requirement is to pro-vide proof of your Social Security number,such as a SSN card, W-2, or paystub withyour full SSN. Name change documents,such as marriage certificate or divorcedecree, may be required if your identitydocument name is different from the nameon your application.

Why has U.S. Life Expectancy FallenBehind Other Nations?A recent brief from the Center forRetirement Research at Boston Collegefocused on U.S. life expectancy for menand women compared with nine othercountries in the industrialized world. Lifeexpectancy in the US and other industrial-ized countries has improved substantiallyin recent decades, measured at birth, atage 50, and at age 65.

In recent years, however,the U.S.’s life expectancyhas fallen relative toother nations. In 1960, forexample, only Canadaand The Netherlandsexceeded the U.S.’s lifeexpectancy at 65. Canadawas at 14.7 years, and theU.S. was at 14.3 years. By2016, however, France’slife expectancy led the group at 22.7 years,and the U.S. was 10th out of 10 nations at19.4. The average French citizen couldexpect to live almost to 88 at the age of 65,but the average American will only live tojust over 84.

The decline is particularly striking forwomen, who are now 2.5 years behind theother countries. Men’s life expectancy inthe US has started to slip in recent yearsalso.

A major reason for the difference betweenthe U.S. and other nations is that, histori-cally, the U.S. has had higher rates ofsmoking and obesity. As a result, the U.S.has made less progress at reducing deathsrelated to strokes, respiratory diseases,and diabetes.

If U.S. smoking and obe-sity rates had matchedthose of its peer coun-tries, U.S. life expectan-cy would have exceededthe average until recent-ly. Going forward, smok-ing is no longer a majorcontributor to the lifeexpectancy gap; the realchallenge is curbing obe-sity.

The brief is available athttps://goo.gl/PYnVWc.

If U.S. smoking andobesity rates hadmatched those of itspeer countries, U.S.life expectancy wouldhave exceeded the

average until recently

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Update on pre-dispute arbitrationagreements in long term care - CMSproposed new federal regulations ditchinga 2016 Obama administration order whichstopped the practice of nursing homesrequiring that new residents upon entrysign an agreement to use arbitration inthe event of a dispute, thus negatingaccess to the judicial system. Please noteBill Blischke’s 7/26/18 letter protesting thechange. There has been no final action onthe matter. Instructive, and perhaps areason for delay: you might wish to readthe seven page letter from the AmericanBar Association, a powerful indictment ofthe Trump administration proposal, com-ing down strongly on the side of citizenaccess to the judicial system. File CodeCMS-3342-P. Access viahttp://www.regulations.gov.

One other little problem, which could getbigger. At least three and maybe more ofour “friends” in the legislature have beenidentified among the “naughty boys” who

(Continujed on page 12)

Legislative Report

s


CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITYEMERITUS AND RETIRED FACULTYASSOCIATIONThe Retirement Center18111 Nordhoff StreetNorthridge, CA 91330-8339http://www.csuerfa.orgHave you moved? If so, please report your newaddress to the CSU-ERFA office at the aboveaddress.

Address Service Requested

CSU-ERFACalendar of Events

April 7, 2018 - CSU-ERFA State Council meets at CSU East Bay conferencecenter, in downtown Oakland, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

August 18, 2018 - CSU-ERFA Summer Executive Committee meeting, inTorrance. For more information contact the President.

October 13, 2018 - Fall State Council meeting at CSU Fullerton, PollakLibrary North 130.

October 31, 2018 - Applications for the CSU-ERFA Charitable FoundationResearch Grant program are due.

Retired ProfessorsAsked to Head InitiativeA charity-originated concept called"California Standard(sm)" is looking for anownership team including retired profes-sors. Not only will the professors choosethe how, how much, and where of theirinvolvement, but, also, the professors willhave a vote on disbursing surplus funds,as, by definition, California Standard willbe self-funding and generate surplus rev-enue. Pay will be for occasional consulting, part-time and full-time positions, as chosen bythe professors and available from the pro-gram. California Standard is to become an original public service to benefit allCalifornians and, through inspiration, thepopulation of other states. For details and contact information, go tohttp://www.mymontebello.com/cs.htm.

(Continujed from page 1)forward to me other possible names and(mellifluous) initialisms. Proposed changes will be discussed by theexecutive committee and brought to theState Council as necessary.

ConstitutionalAmendment Approved

Legislative Report(Continued from page 11)

have for many years carried on the strongin-house (and senate!) tradition of sexualpredation. Some of them have quit or willbe forced out and will not be available tosupport retiree interests. Probably goodriddance, but we’ll have to wait and see.Still, there is consternation and a shake-up going on. To be accompanied by realchange?