April06newsletter




	Jubilación
	Jubilación			Retirement
	A UARA publication for retirees			Retirement

	Volume 27, No.3 April 2006


	MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT *Stardust Johnson, President, University of Arizona Retirees Association*			CONTENTS
				President's Message 1 Chele and Bill Logan 2 Office News 2 CatWalks 2 Picnic at Ft. Lowell Park 3 Tri-University Meeting 3 Legislative Update 4 News from ASRS 4 SAGE Society 5 Repertory Theatre 8 Alternatives to Violence 8 If Your Loved One Dies 9 "Who's On First" 11 Pages 6 and 7 have been omitted from this web issue.
	It's a pleasure to announce that Ms. Pat Williamson, retired from the Department of Theatre Arts, has been hired to fill the part-time position in the UARA office, working eight hours per week. Pat is in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you call during her working hours, you will be greeted by a very pleasant real human being! If you call when she is not at work, your call will be returned within a day or two. The Executive Committee and Council feel that this is a positive step in creating better service for you, our members. Although Pat is managing the office on her eight hours per week schedule, volunteers are still welcome to assist in a variety of capacities, such as helping with mailings, helping to develop the telephone tree for contacting legislators, etc. If you might be interested, just give Pat a call (325-4366). A strong UARA is critically important as a voice and presence for University of Arizona retirees with the University, with legislators and other entities. Having that presence with the legislature, particularly, and joining with the retiree organizations from NAU and ASU is fundamental to the well-being of retirees from all institutions. Benefits available to retirees today didn't just "fall as apples from trees." They were wrought by preceding generations of retirees, all of whom were volunteers. It's quite impressive. I was particularly reminded of this at a recent Tri-University meeting when officers and other members of the three retiree organizations met with administrators from the Arizona State Retirement System to share concerns regarding health insurance and legislative issues. The importance of the voice of retirees to these administrative organizations cannot be overstated. Volunteers are the backbone of our retirees' association. Kudos and thanks to all those who have served on the council this past year, as members, as officers, as committee chairs and editor of Jubilación. As the cliche goes, we couldn't have done it without you. We're looking for additional folks to join the council. You don't have to be elected. What you need is interest in issues relating to University of Arizona retirees and a minimal time commitment. Consider joining with those already on (Continued on page 2)

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(President's Message continued from page 1)

the council. Any UARA member is invited to attend council meetings. If someone calls to invite you to the council, seriously consider responding with a "yes." Our meetings are generally held the third Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. in the Swede Johnson Building. We've had a few scheduling problems this year so call the office in advance to make sure of the time and place.

In the meantime, have a refreshing summer of rest and recreation!

Dusty Johnson,

President

The University of Arizona Visitor Center invites you to participate in a CatWalks walking tour on April 19, 2006.

On this tour, guests will see facilities such as the Manuel Pacheco Integrated Learning Center, Special Collections Library and a studio tour of KUAT/KUAZ.

There are plenty of opportunities for interaction with students, faculty participants, and staff. Parking is reserved for CatWalks participants and guests can expect to be on campus for approximately 3 ½ hours for a fun and stimulating U of A experience! Wear walking shoes and bring a bottle of water!

Arrangements can be made for special accommodations if you request them when you RSVP. Sign up by calling the Visitor Center at 621-5130 by Thursday, April 13. You will be asked to provide contact information so that tour details can be mailed to you in advance.

THANK YOU TO
CHELÉ AND BILL LOGAN

Dedication, patience, organization, and seeking speakers with messages of value to retirees were just some of the qualities and activities carried out by Chelé and Bill over the past few years in their roles of Education Co-Chairs for UARA. Now they are moving on, after a job well done. We are appreciative of their service and look forward to their continuing attendance at Council meetings and UARA functions.

YES YOU CAN!

OFFICE NEWS

UARA has taken the momentous step of hiring an office assistant: Patricia Williamson, retiree from the School of Theatre Arts. Now, if you call 325-4366 on a Tuesday or Thursday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Pat will be able to take your call. At any other time, if you leave a message, your call will be returned as soon as possible. During the summer months, from mid-May until mid-August, Pat will work 2 hours per week at varying mid-week times.

Pronunciation guide:

WHO-BE-LAH-SEEOHN = Jubilación

University of Arizona Retirees Association Mission Statement

Purpose: to foster the benefit, interests, and well-being of the retired faculty and staff of the University of Arizona through social, educational, and promotional activities, as well as to encourage continuing contact between retirees and the University.

Membership: open to University of Arizona retired faculty, staff, their spouses, and surviving spouses.



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	Image intentionally removed.	during the "fat" years. The ASRS is trying hard to slowly erase that deficit, and some of the bills outlined below will help towards that purpose. He estimates that in about five years the funding of the plan will start to improve and slowly become 100% funded again. PacifiCare Secure Horizons Direct Health Plan - Of the approximately 11,000 ASRS members who opted to make the transition from the old Senior Supplement Plan to this new plan, on January 1, 2006, 1,054 had serious problems getting through the Medicare eligibility process. By February 15, that number was down to about 100. Dan Cadriel of PacifiCare gave us a brief run-down of the problems encountered and assured us that PacifiCare is trying very hard to resolve them. A special note of thanks should go to Pat Klein of ASRS who worked very hard with PacifiCare and various medical service providers to get the problems straightened out. If any member still has persistent problems, Dan Cadriel of PacifiCare stated that he would try to help them as much as possible (daniel.cadriel@phs.com or 602-681-7823). Problems of surviving spouse - Surviving widows or widowers can often be caught in difficult situations following the death of an ASRS member. In addition to the immediate grief, there are a number of administrative tasks that have to be completed in a timely manner, many of which the surviving spouse is not familiar with. Northern Arizona University Retirees Association developed a brochure of important steps to follow in this situation. Pertinent parts of that brochure are presented elsewhere in this newsletter.

PICNIC AT FORT LOWELL PARK Laughter and friendship were abundant at the second annual UARA picnic. The Accordion Club of Tucson entertained 66 members and guests on March 9. The food was good, the cakes were great and it didn't rain! What a success! Emma Richards and Bill Foster were the happy prize winners of two tickets each to a University play, generously donated by The University Theatre. Jerry Murphy made the best estimate of the number of candies in the jar and took home the jar and candies as the prize.

TRI-UNIVERSITY MEETING Uwe Fink and James Burke, Jr. A meeting of representatives of the retiree associations of the three state universities was held on February 15 in Tempe. Three important guests attended the meeting: Paul Matson, the director of ASRS (Arizona State Retirement System), Pat Klein, ASRS's assistant director for external affairs, and Dan Cadriel, PacifiCare's account executive on the ASRS healthcare contract. In addition to the legislative items described below, the meeting was devoted to the following major topics: General solvency of the Arizona State Retirement System - Paul Matson gave us an excellent summary of the present funding status and plans of the Arizona State Retirement System. The plan is presently slightly underfunded with assets about 85% of liabilities. However, this is somewhat better than most state retirement systems. Mr. Matson stated that this is by no means a crisis; but, does it need to be watched? Yes. It is caused by the legislature approving a number of benefit increases

		Some Things I Bet You Didn't Know · There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange, purple and silver. · Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with. · A duck's quack doesn't echo. No one knows why.



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	LEGISLATIVE UPDATE The bills discussed below were described in detail in the January 2006 edition of Jubilación. The description below concentrates on their legislative progress and only a brief summary of the intent of the bill is given. Spousal Notification (HB 2082) - The original bill as introduced required spousal consent when a member who has a potential beneficiary signs his retirement papers. This encountered some legislative problems and the bill was changed to spousal notification, requiring the member to notify the contingent annuitant before the member names a new contingent annuitant or before the member rescinds the election of a period certain and life annuity or again elects a period certain and life annuity. With this change in wording the bill is presently moving through the Legislature and is expected to become law. Graded Multiplier Equity (HB 2390) - This bill presently appears to be stalled and has not been scheduled for any committee hearings. The main problem with this bill is its cost. The estimated annual cost for this change is $2,360,000 which would add 0.13% to the contribution rate for both the present employees and the employers. HB 2103 - Employers would be required to reimburse ASRS for unfunded liabilities resulting from termination incentives. This bill is presently moving through the legislative process. HB 2340 - This bill would repeal ASRS 38-748 that established a Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP), which would have caused a 0.30% increase in both the employee and employer's contribution rate. Because of federal internal revenue concerns the original bill was never rolled out and there is no one enrolled in that program. HB2340 is presently moving through the legislative process. SB 1167 - (Pop-up, pop-down) A retiree would be limited to one change in benefit option during his or her lifetime thereby eliminating the expense incurred by all ASRS retirees when some retirees "game" the system by making multiple changes. This bill is presently moving through the legislative process.			NEWS FROM ASRS Keith E. Meredith The media continues to bring the status of pension plans to our attention. The front pages of our newspapers highlight the actions of Verizon, Lockheed, Motorola and IBM, among others, with regard to their pension programs. In general, the story is the same. Corporations are in trouble because of underfunded pension plans and to make the plans viable would require infusion of great sums of money. New accounting rules will make it difficult for companies to continue business. The companies cannot be competitive in today's global economy. The solution to many of these difficulties is to freeze or terminate the plan, or declare bankruptcy and turn the responsibility over to the federal government. One should note several aspects of these scenarios. One, most of the examples are from the private sector. Two, most of the benefit plans are Defined Benefit (DB) plans similar to the Arizona State Retirement System plan. Three, many of the articles will expand beyond the private sector and generalize the problems to the public sector as well with little or no discussion as to the wisdom of making this leap. Headlines such as, What Public Pensions Should Learn from Private Sector Pensions, or Death of Defined Benefit Plans leap from the pages as they proceed to describe the crisis that exists. The premise that the private sector and the public sector are interchangeable is suspect, at best. In the private sector, the sponsor of the defined benefit plan is solely the responsibility of the corporate sponsor. Funding, management, reporting and security all rest with this corporate sponsor. In the public sector, the plan is typically funded through contributions shared by the employer and employee. Similarly, the employer and the employee share the risk of the plan. The second major difference is that, in the private sector, the investment risk held by the corporate sponsor drops directly to the bottom line of the business. If there is an unfunded liability, the corporation must infuse cash. In the public sector, the employer and the employee share the investment risk. Unfunded liabilities are covered through contributions from em



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ployee salaries and from employers, usually from a tax base. Researchers at The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College identified at least four developments that could explain the recent surge in DB plan freezes/termination in the private sector: a desire to cut compensation in order to meet competition; a need to restructure current levels of compensation because of accelerating health care costs; concern about the costs and risks associated with defined benefit plans; and the emergence of two-tier pension systems. All of these developments are ram is "giving birth" to a new member service over the next several months. This service will give members access to their most recent annual statement and other basic account information over the Internet. Registration and viewing capabilities are currently being pilot-tested on the ASRS WEB site. This is one of many new services being provided by the ASRS as they continue to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery to members. Stay tuned for further information.

		WHY AM I NOT A MEMBER OF SAGE? *John Guilbert* · It can't be lack of courses - there's a list of 30 terrific courses for next fall on subjects from literature (on Samuel Johnson, George Eliot, or Jane Austen, on short stories and plays, on the Power of the Printed Word), through music (opera or symphony), history (WWI, Vietnam, Ancient China, Islam, or the U.S.), science (Quantum Effects, News, Human Anatomy, Evolution, Energy, or Computers) to current events (WalMart: Friend or Foe? or the U.S.'s economic peril). It's an astounding mix. · It can't be cost - it only costs $225 to join for a year, and you can take as many study groups as you want. That's normally way cheaper per course or per hour than Tucson's other senior programs. · It can't be inconvenience - SAGE classes are given in the University Service's Building, 3^rd Avenue and Euclid, on bus lines and the CatTran route, next door to a covered parking garage and west of the Marriot Hotel. · Could it be that I'm tired of teaching? - SAGE courses are participatory - you can lead one (as a `Study Group Leader') or not, or you can just enjoy the interaction. If you decide to lead one, you pick the topic, length and format. Everything from chalkboard to Power Point is handy. · Maybe I'm not ready for all that enthusiasm - well, there's no help there. SAGE members in general love the organization. In addition to the courses (each two hours once a week for seven or fourteen weeks during the fall and/or spring semesters, no tests or grades), there are optional social events, field trips, and seminars.

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	(SAGE continued from page 5)

	· Well, maybe I should at least check it out! - just call Penny Schmitt at 626-9039 (the SAGE office) or Don Phillips at 299-4406 (SAGE membership chair) for further information. You'll be glad you did! SAGE (Seniors Achievement and Growth Through Education) is a funded Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, 501c3, and an affiliate of the University of Arizona. It will be moving in 2007 or 2008 to new, better, larger quarters at Speedway and Cherry. UA ARIZONA REPERTORY THEATRE 2006/7 The Arizona School of Theatre Arts has generously provided tickets to its productions for UARA raffles. Now, we are pleased to let you know about the exciting season their Arizona Repertory Theatre has planned for 2006/7. The season begins in June with Biloxi Blues, by Neil Simon; Tartuffe, by Moliére (October); How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, music and lyrics by Frank Loesser (November); Betrayal, by Harold Pinter (February); Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare (March); and The Who's Tommy, music and lyrics by Peter Townshend (April). Season subscriptions range from $88 - $130 (six-show season) to $58 - $86 (four-show season). Single tickets to Biloxi Blues will be available on June 5. For additional information, call the UA Fine Arts Box Office, 621-1162.				Project, or AVP, in the early `90s. (Corny Steelink also attended.) "AVP is a positively structured, voluntary, experiential workshop program where people explore the meaning of and alternatives to violence and gain conflict resolution skills in an environment of safety, respect, caring and confidence. Workshops usually fill a weekend - Friday evening, all day Saturday and part of Sunday. This time structure is crucial in building the program's positive effects for all participants. Workshops are held at various locations around town and within prisons; also in schools, women's shelters and for organizations that request them. "But that doesn't give you a clue of how uplifting the workshop experience can be. And it includes a lot of fun! It changed my life. For one thing, it helped me become much more empathic to others. My judgmental tendencies were considerably curbed. For that I am grateful. I became able to be more positive with people I dislike. I learned to be a better listener. "People often arrive at AVP workshops expecting to take notes. They don't usually take very many, because the workshop is experiential - a series of experiences, one building upon another. Two or three volunteer facilitators guide the workshops, selecting exercises from the program manuals. They work to bring the participants together in safety and trust, through caring, openness and responsibility for the welfare of all. They facilitate experiences in communication, cooperation, affirmation and creative problem solving through which sharing and progressive self-disclosure build strong bonds among everyone there. "Some of the AVP facilitators in Tucson provide monthly workshops in a state prison. A few of those who have been released have joined as facilitators. Their stories of how AVP changed their lives are very dynamic. They enrich and strengthen our group, and continue to remind us of our purpose. I helped facilitate several workshops in local women's prisons a few years ago. Those were amazing experiences. "Although AVP was founded by Quakers, it is not a religious activity, although it can be spiritual, and is based on the belief that everyone has an inborn power for peace and that this

	VOLUNTEER WORK THAT CHANGED MY LIFE Nancy Shiley Nancy Shiley retired in 2001 after working 39 years at the U of A. She tells us, "My volunteer work started long before that. One evening a week, I helped with whatever was needed at the Tucson Center for Women and Children, where those who had been abused could find safety and help in planning a new life. I worked for Director Amanda Phillips. It was she who invited me to attend the first workshop in Tucson of the Alternatives to Violence



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		power has the ability to transform violence. That principle is illustrated within the workshop experience. "If you are interested in finding out more about AVP, please contact Barbara Bixby at 490-4548."	Retirement Plan Benefits for the Survivor Retirement plans prefer that the surviving spouse contact their office as soon as possible to report the death. In this manner, overpayment of benefits to your deceased spouse will be avoided, and the survivor's death benefit will be reviewed. Call the number which corresponds to your deceased spouse's retirement plan or call the representative, if known. My Spouse's retirement plan is: ___________________________________ Necessary information when calling: Decedent's name: _____________________ Decedent's Social Security #: ____________ Date of Death: _______________________ Survivor's Name: _____________________ Survivor's Social Security #: ____________ What is the death benefit option? _________ State Retirement Plan Office Arizona State Retirement System 3300 North Central Avenue P.O. Box 33910 602-240-2000 Phoenix, AZ 85067 800-621-3778 Optional Retirement Plans AIG Valic 30003 North Central Avenue, Suite 104 Phoenix, AZ 85012 602-674-2600 888-239-1871 Fidelity Investments One Utah Center, 201 S. Main Street, Suite 200 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 800-343-0860 ING Investment Services, Inc. (formerly Aetna)

	"IF YOUR LOVED ONE DIES" When death occurs, those left behind are faced with obligations at a difficult and emotional time in their lives. Jubilación has received excellent information from several sources given in the generous spirit of helping all of us prepare for this time of need. Northern Arizona University Retirees Association (NAURA) has provided us with a document they prepared for their membership to be used as a guide in reporting the death of a spouse. Louise Anthony, wife of Jim (professor emeritus in the School of Music, deceased 2001), responded to a request and has shared a letter and detailed list she prepared for her children as an excellent guide that might be helpful to a survivor where there has been a revocable Trust and a Living Will. This includes a listing of important papers, names, numbers and documents to have on hand. UARA also has access to a local Police Department document that provides a useful guide on information families should have available. Space limitations preclude inclusion of the latter two documents; however, a copy can be obtained by calling the UARA office at 325-4366. Excerpts from NAURA's "If Your Spouse Dies"

Survivor Checklist Following the death of a spouse, one might ask, "What do I do now?" The following checklist offers some general guidance. ___ 1. Report the death to the deceased's retirement plan and the Social Security office to avoid overpayment of retirement benefits. ___ 2. Consult a lawyer, financial and tax advisors. ___ 3. Obtain 10 or more copies of the death certificate, through the mortuary. ___ 4. Locate all important legal and financial papers, including those in a safety deposit box. ___ 5. Contact life insurance agencies. ___ 6. Notify the appropriate agency to make changes in your health and dental insurance. ___ 7. If the deceased was a veteran, contact the nearest Veteran's Administration office. ___ 8. Gather the deceased's current bills and notify creditors of the death. ___ 9. Keep a record of all telephone calls, correspondence, and copy all documents sent.
			7720 N. 16^th Street, Suite 150 Phoenix, AZ 85020 602-328-8600 TIAA-CREF 1700 Broadway, Suite 770 Denver, CO 80290 800-842-2733 The Vanguard Group PO Box 2900 Valley Forge, PA 19482-2900 800-523-1188 Social Security 928-774-0201 or 800-772-1213 If your spouse was a recipient of Social Security benefits


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(Social Security continued from page 9)	If you have your own individual coverage, there is probably no action needed. If you are the retiree covering your deceased spouse OR you are covered under your deceased spouse's plan, you will have to make a change. ADOA Benefit Options Plan Participants (Health plans administered by ADOA and Employees Dental Service Plans.) If you are the retiree covering your deceased spouse, you may change coverage from family to single as of the date of your spouse's death. If you are not covered by any of these plans as your spouse's dependent, you may continue your coverage as an individual. If you are not covered by any of these plans as your spouse's dependent at his/her date of death, you may not now join the plan.

at the time of death, no benefit is payable subsequent to or during the month when death occurs. For example, if death occurs in July, the benefit received in August, which is payment for July, must be returned to Social Security. If monthly payments were paid via direct deposit, notify the bank or other financial institutions of the death. Request that any funds received for the month of death and later be returned to Social Security as soon as possible. If benefits were paid by check, do not cash any checks received for the month in which the death occurred or thereafter. Return the checks soon. If you were living with your spouse at the time of death, you should receive a one-time payment of $255. Family members may be eligible for Social Security Benefits. ASRS Benefits If your spouse dies and was a member of the ASRS, it is important that you are "Designated Beneficiary of the Estate" in advance of the death. The beneficiary of the estate is entitled to the spouse's regular pension payment up to and including the month of death only. Any subsequent payments received must be returned to ASRS. As beneficiary of the estate, your benefits after spousal death with regard to ASRS depend upon which of the seven benefit options your spouse chose upon retirement. Be sure you are aware of which option was chosen. Documents to Provide ASRS The following documents must be provided to ASRS by mail: 1. Photocopy of the death certificate (a certified copy is required if death does not occur in Arizona). 2. Photocopy of the beneficiary's social security card (copies of W-2 forms, federal income tax returns, or pension stubs are acceptable alternatives). A driver's license is not acceptable. 3. A completed and notarized "application for survivor's benefits" form, provided by ASRS. 4. A completed expedite form for "lump sum" payment, if requested, provided by ASRS. 5. Reimbursement of any pension overpayment received. Health and Dental Insurance There may be several options for your health/dental insurance coverage, depending on your situation at the time of your spouse's death.
	To arrange for your continued individual coverage or to change from family to single, contact the Arizona Department of Administration, Benefits Office, at 800-304-3687 or 602-542-5008. ASRS Health and Dental Plans If your deceased spouse was an ASRS retiree, you may elect to enroll in the ASRS medical and/or dental insurance plans, if you are the dependent beneficiary of your spouse's pension benefit. If you are the insured surviving dependent, in other words, you are already enrolled under your deceased spouse's ASRS medical and/or dental coverage at the time of death, you may continue to be covered for health insurance. In both instances, you must make application to enroll in or continue coverage within six months of your spouse's death. ASRS Health Insurance Supplement If your spouse retired on or after January 1, 2004, you may be eligible to receive a reduced premium benefit from the ASRS to help cover the cost of your health insurance if you continue to participate in an ASRS plan. The ASRS needs to be contacted to determine your eligibility. A Final Word of Caution If you will be enrolling in health insurance as a survivor after your spouse's death, it is important to know the



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	amount of the survivor premium, and how it is going to be paid. It may be possible to have it deducted from your retirement or death benefit or you may be required to pay the monthly premium directly. If you enroll in health insurance as a survivor and do not arrange to have the monthly premium paid, there is the possibility of cancellation of the insurance, or a large bill for back payment. It is critical that this issue be reviewed carefully with ASRS and ADOA. Monthly statements or bills should continue to be monitored for accuracy. ©Northern Arizona University Retirees Association 8/2005

	COMPUTER VERSION OF "WHO'S ON FIRST?" You have to be old enough to remember Abbott and Costello, and too old to REALLY understand computers, to fully appreciate this. For those of us who sometimes get flustered by our computers, please read on... If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, "Who's on First?" might have turned out something like this: Costello calls to buy a computer from Abbott... Abbott: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you? Costello: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer. Abbott: Mac? Costello: No, the name's Lou. Abbott: Your computer? Costello: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one. Abbott: Mac? Costello: I told you, my name's Lou. Abbott: What about Windows? Costello: Why? Will it get stuffy in here? Abbott: Do you want a computer with Windows? Costello: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows? Abbott: Wallpaper. Costello: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software. Abbott: Software for Windows? Costello: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals and track expenses and run my business. What do you have? Abbott: Office. Costello: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?