From

Karen Alexander

February 14, 2009

Hi fellow teachers and friends. Most of you know me as a professional educator who has spent my entire career helping fellow teachers get credit for the work they do.

On behalf of thousands of teachers I am asking you for help. This is urgent!

Five minutes of your time could help you, and thousands of other CA teachers, receive the social security benefits you are currently denied, but are entitled to.

You may say, "This doesn't apply to me" or "I don't have time right now", but your fellow teachers are counting on you for support.
Please don't let them down.

Here's why:

1. Do you know that the moment you enter the CA teaching system you forfeit the full amount of social security benefits you had coming to you previously? So if you worked a job prior to becoming a teacher, where you paid into social security, you will not be able to collect the full social security benefits that you should be entitled to?
2. Do you know that if you work a second job while teaching, and put into social security for that second job as required by law, you will not be able to claim the full social security benefits you should be entitled to? They regard it as double-dipping because you are a teacher under the STRS retirement plan.
3. Do you know that if your spouse has always paid into social security through his/her job, and you outlive your spouse, you will not receive your spouse's full survivor benefits because you are a teacher?

In most other jobs, and in most other states, this injustice would not be the case. But because you contribute to STRS in CA., the government says your contributions to social security on any other jobs cannot be fully counted.

The new Social Security Fairness Act H.R.235 was reintroduced in the House two weeks ago with only 80 cosponsors.

We need to build the cosponsor list as quickly as possible. This new bill will repeal two bills that are currently unjust:

The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) reduces an educator's EARNED Social Security from previous employment.

The Government Pension Offset (GPO) eliminates an educator's Social security benefits from a deceased spouse.

We need your voice to get our elected representatives working for us. There are only 14 states in the U.S. that have these unjust laws in action --- laws that actually cheat teachers out of what they should be entitled to. California is one of these states.

A bill (H.R. 235) is being proposed to the House right now, and it won't get the attention it needs unless we speak up quickly.

Your support for the Social Security Fairness Act H.R. 235 will allow CA teachers to collect the Social Security benefits they would legally have in 36 other states.

Two ways you can make your voice heard -- choose whichever way is easiest for you --- by phone or online:

Online:

• Go to www.nea.org/lac
• Click on "Legislative Action Center"
• Scroll down and click on "social security offsets"
• Click on "electronic petition" (under the "NEA Supports This Proposal" paragraph)
• Enter your zip code, near the bottom of the rectangle, where it says, "Take action now"
• Sign your name to the letter and then add sender information requested underneath.
• If you wish to write even more, continue and click on "Social Security Fairness Act". You will have the opportunity to cut and paste and/or write more, and send it off to more representatives.
  

By phone:

• Make a phone call to one of the local congressional offices listed below and ask them to forward your message to repeal the SS Offset Bill by cosponsoring the new bill, HR 235.
• Pete Stark: 510-494-1388
• Ellen Tauscher 925-932-8899
• Mike Honda 408-558-8085
• Zoe Lofgren 408-271-8700
  
• Jerry McNerney 925-737-0727
  
• Nancy Pelosi 415-556-4862
  
• Anna Eshoo 650-323-2984
  
• Jackie Spier 650-323-2984
  
• Barbara Lee 510-763-0370

Five minutes of your time can help teachers for decades to come.
Thank you.

Karin Alexander