By Al Korach

Many of us felt that after we retired it would be sun, sand and good times. I’m reminded of that old saying. I believe it started out as “The best laid plans of mice and men... I never thought I’d hear that a large number of retirees up north would be confronted with the choice of freezing to death or unable to afford their medications.

We heard that for many the choice was food or medications. We now have to throw another item into the mix. What now confronts many is the choice of food, fuel or medications. It’s three hard choices for those on fixed incomes or pensions or for some that have lost their pensions.

While hundreds of Chicago area retirees are trying to make ends meet we read about Chicago City Clerk James Laski. It seems that Laski has been accused of bribe taking. It seems that his name has been added to the long list of corruption involving city hall employees. Possibly the mayor should distance himself from the school system and first straighten things out around him.

This morning I read the Florida paper and found out that Broward and Palm Beach Counties have both begun to hire new teachers from South Korea. North Carolina and Pennsylvania also have employed South Korean educators. Will they just add to the cars, clothing, electronics and other things we import that affect the American economy? Do you want to ask a question regarding TV, computer and income tax? The odds are you will be connected to someplace in India.

When I first saw the choices regarding the government’s new drug plans, I thought that “Here we go again.” The average individual is going to need a financial and pharmaceutical expert to help guide them to a correct choice. Or is there a correct choice? The only thing I think for certain is that the largest benefit will go to the pharmaceutical companies. Why the full-page ads and phone calls?

Those teachers enrolled in a Chicago Teachers Pension Fund health care plan should note that they are already enrolled in Blue Medicare Rx. By enrolling in a commercial Medicare D program they may endanger their pension fund health care program.

Those of us that are retired planned for the best and hoped for it. No matter how hard we try we still are connected to our financial problems, children and then our grandchildren while trying to plan our own lives and retirement. While in my 20’s I never thought much about medical plans, drugs, co-pays, heating costs. My main thoughts centered on how I could purchase an $800 new Chevrolet sedan.

I was a Depression child, and I soon learned to do without. As time went by, I understood that my family could not afford Yale let alone Harvard. I completed my college education first at Herzl Junior College and the old Chicago Teachers College on the south side — all the time working at various part-time jobs. In June of 1947 I enlisted as a private in the 108th Medical Battalion, Illinois National Guard. With a wife and three children, I received my Masters at the UofC while still teaching full-time and working part-time.

While doing all of this, my wife and I planned for a good retirement without financial worry. Many of my past articles have dealt with this. With this in mind, I still find it inconceivable to realize that with pensions so important only about 50 percent of both active and retired teachers never even bothered to vote in the pension trustee elections. When the trustee election was over, three paid employees of the union are now on the board.

I think that many children today are not too realistic about the cost of educational goals relative to family income. Aside from the few that can receive a college scholarship, the majority of those aspiring to a college degree may have to set their goals a little lower or saddle themselves, parents and possibly grandparents with a large amount of debt at a time of their lives that they can least afford it. I have read that thousands have taken out government loans and have failed to repay them. Did parents or relatives cosign?

I was gratified to hear that the three endorsed retirees from RTAC won the retiree positions on the pension board. This will help to balance the three CTU employees on the pension board. While congratulating themselves on their victory they seemed to have overlooked the large amount of retirees that did not vote. I think some education is needed.

The change in the U.S. bankruptcy laws has contributed greatly for corporations to get out of their pension obligations. V.K. Brown very well covers this situation in the January 2006 issue of the RTAC News Bulletin. I suggest you get a copy or enroll.

A recent article by Sun-Times columnist Terry Savage pointed out a comparison of the costs of three college choices. The comparison of the Ivy League institutions as opposed to well regarded institutions and a state university showed the relative costs. The comparisons included tuition, room and board, supplies and personal expenses.

The costs broke down as follows: Ivy League $44,592, well regarded institution $26,226, state university $18,452 per year. If we take the lowest amount and figure 4 years the total would come to $73,808 yearly. You now have to ask yourself, “What about any other children?” Maybe it’s time to have that family talk with your children before they get you into escape proof debt. Going to college should not be the issue. Rather the issue should be where and how to best pay for it.

I find some of the most interesting news relative to local and world conditions on the papers financial pages. I often wonder how many large corporate companies are now trying to dump their pension obligations while they are listed in the Fortune 500’s. Have you noticed how many companies are fined millions without admitting to any guilt? They then have the resources to pay these fines without making a corporate ripple. It seems that the rich are becoming richer and the poor could be losing their pensions and medical benefits.

I just read that Eli Lilly & Co. pleaded guilty to a “misdemeanor” and agreed to pay $36 million to settle criminal and civil complaints over its Evistra osteoporoses drug. Evistra had sales of $1.01 Billion in 2004. Did anyone see any ripple? Wal-Mart is now fighting a suit of over $100 million. They also have to contend with a state law covering their need to contribute toward health care for their employees.

AARP just wrote an article regarding the coming of the Million-Dollar Medicine. While we retirees are trying to decide on a pharmaceutical plan will we soon be confronted with a top end cost of $250,000 to $500,000 a year and mid end plan of $10,000 to $100,000 a year? A study has shown that the VA drug program is better than Medicare’s.

Now that the holiday season has passed, the sounds of “Give! Give! Give!” have faded. Or have they? Like many middle class families, Marlene and I have contributed to a number of charities and soon discovered that they have sold their contributors’ lists. What does this mean? It means that other charities will soon inundate your mailbox and telephone with solicitations to contribute.

Don’t you sometimes wonder where all that money goes? How much is spent on “Administrative expenses”? There now is a number of ways to check where your money goes. The Web site CharityNavigator.org will help you navigate through 5,000 charities by name and geographic location. The Better Business Bureau’s www.Give.org provides charity reports and details government actions and complaints.

Those of you that have retired on small fixed incomes at times become targets for so called charities. Do not be fooled by the use of religious letterheads as they are sometimes utilized by the unscrupulous. Marlene and I have not stopped contributing, but are now a bit more cautious.

For the time being Delta Airlines and their pilots’ union have avoided a strike. They struck a temporary deal that will include pay cuts thus “saving” the airline $152 million a year. It amounted to a 14% across the board pay cut. Deltas pilots average $170,00 a year — almost as much as some CTU staff bring home. It seems that many unions are stuck between a rock and a hard place when given a choice of a cut or no company to work for.

The pilots’ union and the Delta pilots have agreed to the pay cut. This should bring the average salary down to about $140,000 a year and give Delta some breathing room. Word has it that Delta will go after the pension plan next.

As the U.S. becomes part of a global economy, competition between union workers and non-union workers becomes evident. At the door of the local Cosco wholesale store in Florida was a display of brand name electronic and manual grand pianos. I asked the salesperson, “How can you sell them so cheap?” He replied, “The Company’s president moved the company to China, and the workers in China work cheap.” I wondered if the workers, their medical plan and pensions also moved to China.

I’d like to leave you with a thought from down south regarding Chicago up north. I just read that Berghoff’s Restaurant will close its doors. There are only nine unionized restaurants left in the area. When Berghoff shuts down what will happen to the unionized workers’ benefits? Will health, and pension benefits also shut down?

Florida is a state full of retirees and communities geared to their needs. We soon notice that most of the drivers seem to be the wives driving their spouses. My wife and I went to a birthday party where I felt that the candles on the cake would soon set off the fire alarm. I told my wife, “What am I doing here with all these old fogies?” She replied, “Because you and I are now one of them.”