Eye On Boise

Retiree: ‘Leave our money alone!’

Feb. 18, 2010 3:59 p.m. • 4 comments

Vern Bisterfeldt, who worked as a Boise city police officer for 28 years, then served as an Ada County commissioner, and now serves on the Boise City Council, is speaking out against the move by the House State Affairs Committee today to block a 1 percent cost-of-living adjustment for PERSI. Bisterfeldt is a PERSI retiree, and he said, “I’m so mad I could just spit.” Bisterfeldt said the COLA would mean “30 bucks for me a month. What’s that going to do for the state? And it’s not their money to start with.”

Bisterfeldt said he has a message for lawmakers: “Leave our money alone! You know, we worked hard and paid into that for a lot of years, it’s still being paid into, and it will recover. It’s always been healthy, and just because they’re looking for ways to cut the budgets in the present-day state budget, for God’s sake leave us alone.” Bisterfeldt said blocking retirees’ cost of living increase won’t save the state budget a dime. “What I can’t figure out,” he said, “is why?”

Four comments on this post so far. Add yours!

powderfarmer on February 18 at 6:32 p.m.
“What I can’t figure out,” he said, “is why?”

Because Wayne Hoffman said so.
Wapshilla on February 18 at 7:18 p.m.
Awesome! A voice of reason. Thanks Vern. I appreciate your long public service, and you outspokenness. These legislators just don’t “get it”. If you need to borrow a 2x4 to make a dent, just let me know.
future_tense on February 19 at 7:25 a.m.
Since the fund is in great shape (the Pew Report), this seems to be a case of dog politics. The medium sized dog gets hit by a big dog he can’t handle (massive cuts in things that matter to his constituents, education, etc). It pisses him off and makes him feels powerless. So he beats up on the smaller dog to take out his frustration. An Idaho politician once said no one ever went wrong in an election year bad mouthing state employees. Focus people, get the job done and go home. Those few bucks you keep in the fund now won’t get spent in your communities.
fortboise on February 19 at 10:07 a.m.
I didn’t go through the Pew Report in detail, but it did seem that its timing did not take into account the recent market debacle.

Nevertheless, go Vern! How many of those people in the Legislature have a building named after THEM?