Forum focuses on retirement

Talk about it

An information release dated Wednesday, Dec. 12, announces a community forum on retirement in Wisconsin taking place 7 p.m. the same day at the River Falls Public Library, 140 Union St., sponsored by the Wisconsin Coalition for Retirement Security.

The release calls the forum “the latest in a series of community forums” being held statewide by the “nonpartisan group that seeks a sound financial foundation for retirement in both the public and private sectors.” Other such events have taken place in Milwaukee, Madison, La Crosse, Janesville, Stevens Point, Richland Center and others.

The Coalition and forums come on the heels of an independent investment research firm’s report that Wisconsin has the strongest-funded public pension plan in the nation, and delivers those benefits at the least cost to taxpayers of any state.

The release says coalition supporters believe that providing a secure retirement is essential to Wisconsin’s tradition of delivering quality public services at an affordable cost.

“We are already seeing faculty leaving because of the cuts,” said Amanda Young, a UW River Falls freshman majoring in animal science. “If they cut retirement, I worry that we may not be able to attract the quality of people we need to work here.”

Freshman psychology major Joseph Norby-White said, “We need the university to help train others in our generation. It takes a lot of people to make everything happen on campus - I think they and workers everywhere should be able to count on fair compensation and an honest retirement plan.”

Nevertheless, some call for allowing UW faculty members to “opt out” of the system, leaving a weaker retirement system for those who remain, the release says.

Tags: uw river falls, education