Retired Public Employees Council of WA Working to protect and enhance the pension and health care benefits of Washington retired state, county and local government employees
RPEC Weekly ACTION Newsletter – 12-01-2017
In This Edition
- PEBB Phone Issues
- Senate Tax Bill
PEBB Phone Issues
We are hearing from members that they are experiencing problems trying to reach PEBB, especially during the recent open enrollment period. If you experienced issues such as extremely long waiting times, busy signals, or disconnections, we want to you to contact us with a description of the problem you have experienced. Please send a detail email to info@rpecwa.org with the Subject line: PEBB Phone Issues.
Senate Tax Bill
The Senate was poised to vote on their tax bill on Thursday, but delayed the vote as several key votes were in question. However, last-minute changes brought wavering senators on board and the Senate would vote later today on a bill whose final contents are still not publicly known.
Republican leaders said they have agreed to a host of tweaks, including a provision that would allow taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 in state and local property taxes paid
It is projected that the plan would cost middle-class families $5.3 billion and enrich the top 1 percent by $5.8 billion — not to mention deep cuts to Medicaid and Medicare and the destruction of the Affordable Care Act.
This bill would cut $25 billion from Medicare in the next year alone. The bill also changes the index for figuring out tax brackets from the consumer price index (CPI) to a “chained CPI,” the alternative index that accounts for substitution spending in consumer purchases. If the chained CPI is already being used on taxes, it’s going to be easier for lawmakers to start screaming about the necessity of cutting Social Security and changing it to the chained CPI, too. Because the elderly have more fixed costs—prescription drugs, housing—where they can’t spend less on alternatives, the new index would constitute a cut in benefits for them, one that would get bigger every year as their benefits are keeping up with the inflation they’re experiencing.
Call your Senators’ at (202) 224-3121. Tell them to vote “no” on the Senate tax bill.
Your Voice for Retirement Security!
