Our October meeting began with Jon Kosinski, director of government relations and Political Action, explaining about the Maine Education Association initiative, Stand Up For Students.

MEA believes this is a better way to fund schools and give property tax relief to Maine families, especially those on fixed incomes. In 2002 a bill was passed stating that the state would contribute 55 percent for local education.

In 2008, the state contributed 53.8 percent and since then the state's contribution has gone down to 47 percent. Because the state is not paying its fair share, property taxes are increasing. This bill would raise the taxes on those Mainers earning over $200,000. Right now those people are about two percent of Maine’s population.

Jon was asked how we could be sure that those taxes would go only to education. He assured us that the language in the bill would be phrased in such a way that the money gained would definitely go only to education. It would only go for classroom needs that specifically benefited students.

He asked Lincoln County Educators for volunteers to help get the 85,000 signatures of registered Maine voters in their towns to get this bill before the legislature. For every valid signature the volunteers from LCREA get, MEA will give LCREA a dollar to spend in any way we desire.

Some of the other things MEA is working on is the move to change the way new teachers pay for their retirement. If they choose Social Security, the local school districts will have to match six percent from the state. This will affect local school taxes by raising the amount they will need to match the states contribution.

MEA presented the bill to help retired teachers get the 2.55 percent Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) in September (2015). This will happen again in September 2016. After that, teachers go back to the federal standard for COLAs. The retired teachers in Maine have not received a COLA since 2011. In that year a constitutional amendment was passed in Maine to only give COLAs on the retiree's first $20,000. The $20,000 COLA base will be adjusted each year going forward for any COLA paid. For example, the COLA base in 2015 will be the 2014 base of $20,000, plus the 2.1 percent COLA, for a new COLA base of $20,420.

Pat McLean reminded the members that their volunteer hours and physical activity hours will be due to Karen O’Bryan by March 31, 2016. The volunteer hours will be presented to the legislature to express the value and contributions of its retired citizens.

Members present were Pat McLean, president, Susan Hartford, vice [resident, Sandra Crehore, treasurer, Karen O’Bryan, secretary, Anna Barber, Melba Boynton, Ruth Bryant, Sandra Bourgoin, Betty Creamer, Becky Lenz, Debbie Libby, Linda Lupton, Stella Lydon, Jean McAlice, Donna Plummer and Joyce Sirois.