This is the email that was sent out to the membership. Please tell your fellow members who may not have computer access about this cancellation. We regret this necessary action had to be taken..

Dear members:

A few days after our recent membership meeting at Spuntino's Restaurant on September 6th, several members who were at the meeting started feeling various health discomforts, most notable was a throat irritation that led to other symptoms consistent with the COVID virus.

Being cautious, and considering the ever increasing numbers of COVID cases arising from the latest variation, several individuals took the COVID test, whether at home or at a walk-in clinic. Unfortunately, at least five of those members tested positive and are now in the isolation stage of the virus, and a few are taking the anti-virus drug Paxlovid.

We had an unusually high turnout at that meeting and it became evident that the room became too small for the large crowd that attended. The room became fully packed with individuals sitting almost shoulder to shoulder. Unfortunately, and even though the food and service are above par, there is no expansion of the meeting room available.

Because of this unfortunate occurrence, and to prevent a future similar situation from happening, we have no recourse but to cancel the October 4th meeting at Spuntino's and have our next scheduled meeting for the Christmas & Holiday Party at Verdi's on December 6th.

At Verdis there will be plenty of room for our Christmas party and we will ask for no more than 8 at a table

We regret taking this action, but in the sense of protecting the health and safety of our members and their families, we felt it was necessary to do it.

Sincerely,
Bob Valentino, President
and the Executive Board

We received this information both from our Historian JJ Sullivan dadacnt@aol.com , and from Tom's widow, Anna.

The late Ret. P.O. Thomas Marrinan

This has been in the works since Tom passed away in June 2021 when he was killed, when, though retired, he tried to stop an armed robbery.

The street namimg ceremony will take place on Saturday September 23rd from 1:30 - 3:00 PM on the corner of Church Avenue and East 3rd St in Brooklyn NY near Korner Pizza. All are invited to attend.

Minutes of the NYCTPOA Meeting held on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023 from Recording Secretary Bob Forrester and his able assistant, his lovely wife, Fran.

The meeting was called to order by President Bob Valentino at 1:15 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance to The Flag and a moment of silence for the sick and departed. We had over 60 members attend this meeting.

Treasurer Tony Lomanto reported that since our last meeting we have lost 16 fellow retirees. They were 14 Police Officers and 2 Honorary members.  He asked us to pray for our sick members, especially Mike Lanning who is receiving precautionary chemo treatments and for family members who have passed away. Please check our Sick List page for current information.

Not mentioned at the time was our Editor Frank Crisa is going into the hospital on Friday. September 8^th for a cardiac procedure to regulate his heart rhythm. We pray and wish him well.

 
President Valentino advised us that the COLA increase this year of $37.50 a month will be starting with the September pension deposit.  Payment of the 2022 IRMAA (if applicable to those who paid more each month for Medicare in your Social Security check) will be made the third week in October. If you haven’t filed for it, you can do so and go back 3 years.
Go to the Office of Labor Relations website: health-retiree-medb-irmaa (nyc.gov) 

Bob announced that we are celebrating birthdays to these three members present at the meeting - Emily Sicoli, John White, and Sam Sapienza. Happy Birthday to them and to all our members with September birthdays

Because of ever increasing legal fees incurred in this fight, we urge our members to make a small donation to the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees, P.O. Box 941, Venice, Fl. 34284.  They work very hard and are our hope to keep winning.  Donations can be made by Check, Zelle, PayPal and Venmo. Check details on their website www.nycretirees.org

New York City residents are urged to contact their NY City Council members to protect the NYS Retirees and dependents by supporting legislation that will be introduced in the City Council. It is called INTRO 1099 and will allow Medicare eligible retirees and their eligible Medicare dependents to remain in Medicare and have a Medigap plan with benefits equivalent to or better than those available to City retirees and dependents as of December 31, 2021. Right now they have 17 sponsors but need 34. Go to the Retirees Organization to see who your representative is with contact information.

The NY Reunion will take place this year on Tuesday, November 14^th from 4-8PM at Antuns in Queens Village. The cost is $65 per person by mail or $70 at the door. Payments should be made out to Paul Murphy and mailed to him at 190 Floral Parkway, Floral Park NY 11001. Information is also posted on the Retirees website.

President Valentino reports that Association Treasurer Tony Lomanto will be honored at this year's Christmas Party on Wednesday, December 6th at Verdi's.  Tony has devoted 37 years of service to the organization.

The date and location of the next FOP meeting will be posted on our website when finalized.

Bob urged members living in Queens to vote for George Grasso for Queens County DA.  He is a retired NYPD Chief and has worked in their Legal Department for many years. On Long Island, Association member Mike Sapraicone is running for office to replace George Santos.

Treasurer Tony Lomanto gave the financial report. We have sufficient funds in our checking and have received, since our last newsletter was sent out, over $5,100 in donations and have paid out $115,000 in death benefits since it was started in 2002. Tony also reported we have 19 new members joining since March.

He further reports that we are winning our health insurance battle, but the City is appealing our win.  The City is appealing Judge Frank’s ruling on the Permanent Injunctions to stop the City from moving Medicare retirees into the Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan. Besides that, GHI/Emblem Health is appealing Judge Frank’s ruling about no co-pays with GHI.

Frank Crisa and Tony are working on the next issue of “Beyond The Line” and they expect it will be out by early October. If you have any photos or articles you would like to see in future issues, please send them to Frank Crisa at fcrisa2886@gmail.com or Tony Lomanto at alomanto@optonline.net

Henry Melchiona was thankad for making a plaque of shields of police officers who gave their lives and for bringing it to all the meetings.

Executive Secretary Tom Greer reported the Mets-Yankees games went well this year and we will do it again in 2024. Prices are not known at this time, but probably will go up. The seats should be in the same location as this year or closer. More details to come out as Tom gets information from the Mets Organization.

Legislative Director Tony Piazza reported on VSF bills presented in the Spring. At this time, only about 300 members remain eligible for the VSF. It appears Police oriented bills don’t get favorable attention.

1^st VP Deo Fasolino gave suggestions on how to recruit new members using the various social media platforms and informing fellow retirees who are not members.

Member Joe Asti, who was assigned to the Firearms Range in Transit and NYPD, urged members to make sure their pistol permits are in order.  If they expire and you do not have the HR 218 permit, you will be required to take the 18 hours firearms course and it will take a long time to have them reissued.  Also background checks will be required if you buy ammo after September 13th.

If you have a new email or have moved, please contact Tony Lomanto with the new information to update our records.

Bob Valentino urged members to visit the Retirees Website at least once a week to keep up to date. It is www.beyondtheline-tpa.org

After a delicious meal, President Valentino adjourned the meeting at 2:40 pm. On a side note, we changed the meeting menu from pizza to a full course meal and it appears everyone was well satisfied with this. We will continue this practice at future meetings here at Spuntinos.

Respectfully submitted,

Bob Forrester

A few photos taken at the meeting:
        
President Valentino addressing the membership              Our Official Greeters, Tom Greer and Greg Stripp

      
                                                   Good friends enjoying good company and good food

From the Organization of Public Service Retirees https://www.nycretirees.org

Judge Frank rules in our favor in a short decision which is attached. He bases it on the promise made to us and on the provisions of Admin. Code Section 12-126.

You can read the PDF of Judge Frank's decision HERE

In short, they won the case and you remain in your current plan. The City cannot move you into the Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan.

From Alan Berkowitz berky4@aol.com

The September 2023 COLA is 2.5 percent, for a maximum annual increase of $450.00, or $37.50 per month before taxes. If you are eligible for this COLA and you receive your pension payment through direct deposit, you will also receive a notification of the net change in your monthly pension amount at the end of September.

From the Organization of Public Service Retirees https://www.nycretirees.org

The parties in our most recent case in front of Judge Frank (the attempt to offer only Advantage plans to Medicare retirees) have agreed to request that he issue a decision in the case without further submissions from the parties. (while stipulating that some previously-submitted documents will be included in the record).
This means that the City will not appeal the preliminary injunction granted on July 7 and that both parties will wait for a decision in the case from Judge Frank.  

Below is the link to the letter to Judge Frank and the attachment outlining the previously-submitted documents. Please look at. numbers 99 and 100: 
https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=1j624zh88boFXBUbyYK2TQ==

Here's an interesting article about the Organization of Public Service Retirees at a ‘Save Medicare’ rally in Washington DC. The full article can be read here:

https://www.work-bites.com/view-all/dc-welcomes-nyc-retirees-as-heroes-in-the-fight-to-save-medicare

We received information from Rose Amengual, Assistant Deputy Director, Administration Employee Benefits Program, in response to inquiries we received from surviving spouses who passed away and selected the COBRA benefits from the City of New York health plan.

"Please advise all surviving spouses on COBRA that the judge’s ruling has halted the move to Aetna for them, as well."

This means they will continue in the current plan they now have.

From the Organization of Public Service Retirees www.nycretirees.org

The City has filed a notice of appeal in our most recent case. The link is below. We have no idea how long it will take to have the appeal heard by the Appellate Division:

https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=dfZ8lpe_PLUS_DwVNjs1cGPwaZQ==

Let's hope the City's failure rate continues in this case.

To all our members:

We are very happy to announce that Judge Lyle Frank has granted a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against NYC to stop the implementation of the Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan that would have started September 1st.

From the Retired Sergeants Association:

As reported, an “Interim Order on Motion” (Motion 001) was made for “Injunction/Restraining Order” regarding the Aetna MA plan.  Yesterday, July 6^th, Hon. Lyle E. Frank came down with a “Decision & Order On Motion”.  He stated that “the petitioners’ application for a preliminary injunction is granted”.

He goes on to say, “the Court finds that the petitioners have shown by clear and convincing evidence that there is a likelihood of success on the merits. The Court agrees that it is likely that this Court will ultimately find that the respondents are estopped from switching retirees into a Medicare Advantage Plan and that New York City Administrative Code section 12-126 does not permit the action that the City plans to take. Moreover, the Court also feels that some of the petitioners are likely to succeed on the merits based on the “Moratorium Law” and that there is too much uncertainty as to what doctors and other medical providers will accept the proposed new plan, this rendering the plan arbitrary and capricious as things presently stand.”

So, this means is that the Aetna MA plan is on hold and will not be implemented on September 1^st.  We are sure that the City will appeal Hon. Frank’s decision. However, based on the strong words used by Hon. Frank’s “Decision & Order On Motion” we believe that this Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) will stand.

We are awaiting the City’s next move and more importantly Aetna’s next move.  It is possible that Aetna may withdraw.

The full Judge's decision can be read here:
https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=AP/FOvxASbEUkuDjB8jy2g==

From the Organization of Public Service Retirees:

WE WON THE TRO!!!

DO NOTHING!    SEND IN NO FORMS!   MAKE NO CALLS TO OPT OUT!   EVERYTHING STOPS!

IF YOU ALREADY GOT YOURSELF INTO A PLAN FOR SEPTEMBER 1, YOU NEED TO CALL AND FIND OUT HOW TO PAUSE IT OR WITHDRAW.

IF YOU ALREADY FILED YOUR WAIVER, NOTHING HAPPENS.  YOUR CURRENT PLANS STAY IN PLACE!

SUSCRIBE TO THEIR EMAIL LIST TO RECEIVE THEIR NEWSLETTER & IMPORTANT UPDATES:
Click here to Subscribe 

We now have THREE full court cases running, so please make a donation and get your friends to do so too, especially those who doubted us!  

We won EVERY TIME SO FAR!!

Make Your Check or Money Order payable to: 

NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees

Mail to:

NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees
c/o JSH Accounting Services, LLC      

PO Box 143538      

Fayetteville, GA 30214

https://vimeo.com/843243697/8794090307?share=copy

The meeting called to order by President Bob Valentino at 12:15 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and a moment of silence for departed and sick members.  Since our last meeting we lost 4 members.

Treasurer Tony Lomanto reported 14 members still did not pay dues.  12 members were removed after no response to numerous emails and phone calls where necessary. We have received many donations that are still coming in.

Regarding our health care issues, the City is filing on June 16th and our law firm will file on June 20th.  We should know something before June 30th.  There is a rally scheduled for June 20th at which time a bill is scheduled to be introduced at the City Council to have the GHI/Senior Care plan remain in effect. All the information is on our website.

Executive Secretary Tom Greer was congratulated on his promotion to Sergeant in the Nassau PD. He is assigned to the 7th Pct., NCPD.  We also celebrated several birthdays and anniversaries, in particular, Fran and Bob Forrester on their 60th.

Bob Valentino reported there are still some rooms available for the Florida Reunion on July 24th to the 26th.

Bob Valentino was honored at City Field on June 3rd and will be honored on June 30th at Yankee Stadium as Vetran of The Game.  Tickets to games at Citifield can cost $285.00, but Bob can get tickets for $100.00.

Bob mentioned he bowled a 300 game on Tuesday, June 8th. Congratulations, Mr. President!

Member Joe Asti gave a very informative summary on Concealed Carry Permits for members living in New York and Nassau County.  For example, in Nassau County there is an HR218 class given by Safety Quest at SafetyQuestLtd.com or call 631-876-5438.
  
Bob wished everyone a good summer and urged the members to visit the website often for updates.

The next meeting will be held at Spuntino's on September 6th at 12:00 pm, and the meeting wasa adjourned at 1:50 pm.

Respectfully submitted, Bob Forrester (with able assistance from his wife, Fran)

This is the latest information form the Organization of Public Service Retirees NYCorgOfPublicServiceRetirees@gmail.com
 

Comptroller Lander Declines to Register Medicare Advantage Contract Pending Litigation 
 

New York, NY – The Comptroller’s Office declined to register the City’s contract with Aetna to transfer City retirees to a Medicare Advantage program for their health care coverage. A pending lawsuit, brought on behalf of retirees, questions the City’s authority to enter into such an agreement. 

Comptroller Brad Lander issued the following statement:

“The Comptroller’s Bureau of Contract Administration carefully reviewed the City’s contract with Aetna and returned the contract to the Office of Labor Relations without registering it. Pending litigation calls into question the legality of this procurement and constrains us from fulfilling our Charter mandated responsibility to confirm that procurement rules were followed, sufficient funds are available, and the City has the necessary authority to enter into the contract.

“As a matter of public policy, beyond the scope of our office’s specific Charter responsibility for contract registration, I am seriously concerned about the privatization of Medicare plans, overbilling by insurance companies, and barriers to care under Medicare Advantage. 
“I appreciate the work of the Municipal Labor Council and the Office of Labor Relations to negotiate improvements to the Aetna contract to address some of the concerns raised by retirees. However, the broader Medicare Advantage trends are worrisome. Recent investigations identified extensive allegations of fraud, abuse, overbilling, and denials of medically necessary care at 9 of the top 10 Medicare Advantage plans, including CVS Health, which owns Aetna. 

“As health care activist Ady Barkan wrote last month, noting that half of Medicare enrollees nationwide have been transferred from traditional Medicare to private Medicare Advantage plans: ‘Once corporations privatize every inch of the public provision of health care, we may never get Medicare back.’”

This article also appeared in The Dialy News today and this item was added:

Lander’s Advantage move may end up being mostly symbolic, as the Charter gives a mayor the power to override a comptroller’s contract rejection.

From the Organization of Public Service Retirees:

As we said yesterday, we CANCELLED the rally for today, June 8th. The air quality is very bad and we are very concerned for your health and safety. We have been advised that the legislation WILL NOT be introduced from the Council Stated Meeting as to keep Councilman Barron safe too!  We WILL RESCHEDULE THE RALLY for EITHER JUNE 20 or 22.  STAY TUNED!

This was sent out yesterday, June 7th, by the Organization:

Justice Lyle E. Frank, the same judge who decided our first two cases (and who was upheld unanimously twice by the Appellate Division!) will be handling our current case. That is good news!

We have learned that he has set a briefing schedule for the case: the City will file its responsive papers on Friday, June 16 and our lawyers will file our reply papers on Tuesday, June 20. Soon after, there will be oral argument, which retirees may attend.

For those of you who are worried about this: the judge will definitely issue a decision before the June 30 deadline to opt out or waive our City health insurance: he will either issue an interim order to push back the June 30 deadline or he will rule on the preliminary injunction before June 30. We definitely will know before the June 30 deadline!

So what should you do now? 
If you are planning to waive your City health benefits, don't file the City form just yet. The OLR form is on its website here: 2023-retiree-special-enrollment-form.pdf (nyc.gov)

You can see that you can mail it, fax it, or submit it electronically.

You should investigate your options if you want to remain in traditional Medicare with a Medigap plan, and if you need it, a Part D prescription drug plan. If you live in New York, you have plenty of time to get those plans with an effective date of September 1: I was told that you can apply as late as mid-August, but no need to wait that long, of course. In some other states, you may have to apply for a Medigap plan soon to have it effective on September 1. Find out whether you should start the process now and whether you can withdraw your Medigap application if we win our case. You can apply for a Part D plan online (if you need one) and that does not take very long to do.

Marianne emphasizes that you should check to see whether you can get out of your Medigap plan in the event that you need to sign up for one soon but then don't need it because we win our court case. (At least for the Medigap plan I am likely to take, I can cancel before it takes effect or get out of the Medigap plan easily if our court case drags on and the Medigap plan has already taken effect, and only pay for the months that I was enrolled in it). But check on this!

They are still pushing for Council legislation that would protect our choice of a premium-free Medigap plan. The draft calendar for the Council meeting on Thursday indicates that Council Member Barron will introduce our legislation but it remains to be seen if he actually does it.

For the spouses of a deceased retiree currently taking the COBRA benefits from NYC for their health plans, we inquired as to their standings and were informed of this from the Office of Labor Relations (OLR). That benefit is for life as opposed to the line organization benefits which are only for three (3) years.

This was their response:

Thank you for your correspondence to Commissioner Campion regarding COBRA recipients.

COBRA recipients will go into the Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan, as the current health plans will cease to exist for these individuals as of September 1, 2023.

Please be advised that a communication from Aetna to COBRA recipients regarding the change in health coverage went out last week.

Below is a link to COBRA information, including rates.

https://www.nyc.gov/assets/olr/downloads/pdf/health/cobra-package-january-2023.pdf

https://youtu.be/QLdUL0fczy0

We are very proud to announce the promotion to Sergeant of our Executive Secretary, Tom Greer. Tom will receive his Sergeant stripes on Tuesday, May 30th at the 7th Nassau PD Pct.

Tom was also honored by radio station WBAB as their Friday's First Responder Recipient last week and received a $100 gift card at a Moes Southwest Grill restaurant.

In the celebration story, it was mentioned that Tom followed his father's footsteps (also Tom Greer) and started in the Transit Police in 1986, rolled over to NYPD in '87 then into Nassau PD in '94. He worked in Highway from '98 to the present and hopes he can stay in Highway until he retires.

Well done, Tom! Hearty congratulations and much sucess.

At the NY Black Patch Reunion held on Saturday, May 20th, a number of our members, specifically, Floyd Holloway, along with
Joe Carney from the Transit PBA, Ken Chiulli and Steve Mona from the Vandals Unit, and Hugh Lennon from the Firearms Range Unit, were honored. Unfortunately neither Floyd or Joe were able to attend, but Floyd had a video made of his thanks for the honor.

It can be seen here https://youtu.be/viDlKDGhX8Y

Minutes of the NYCRTPOA on May 3, 2023 held at Spolini's Restaurant, Richmond Hill, Queens, NY.

The meeting was called to order at 12:15 pm by President Bob Valentino with the Pledge of Allegiance to The Flag.
Since the last meeting we lost 14 officers.

Financially, we are doing well and have received many donations since the last donation period ending on March 12th and we have 20 new members.

Bob spoke about the Defensive Driving Course which will be held on Saturday, May 20th, 10:00 am at 51 Atlantic Ave. in Floral Park.  Those interested can contact Robin Becker at tigercat824@verison.net.

Other items discussed were the Bowling Dinner/Dance to be held at Verdi's on June 9th; the NYCTP Florida Reunion July 24th to the 26th at the Radisson Resort, Cape Canaveral, FL and the Black Patch Reunion in Myrtle Beach, Sept. 14-18, 2023.  For more information please see our Website.

Frank Crisa and Tony Lomanto were again congratulated on the great work done on the Beyond The Line magazine.  Frank encouraged members to send stories to him which they would like to share.  He also requested photographs which would be returned to you.

Two Birthdays were celebrated - Frank Crisa and Vinnie Servedio. 

The NYC Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan was discussed with help from Jay Finn of the NY 10-13 Association.  Members were urged to do nothing until we hear from the organization.  Updates will be posted on the Website and by email.

Members were also encouraged to send donations to the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees.  They are litigating very hard on our behalf.  See their Website www.nycretirees.org for more information.

Bob also suggested we visit our Website every week for updated info.

Tom Greer spoke about Bob Valentino, a Military Vet, who will be honored on June 3, 2023, at 4pm (end of the third inning) by the New York Mets at Citi Field for his Vietnam Military Service. It may or may not be televised. Bob was an Army Sergeant and is a Purple Heart Recipient. He also received a Presidential Citation and 50 Year Commemorative Medal.  He served from 1967 to 1968.

Congratulations, Bob, from the Board and members, and thank you for your services.

Tony Piazza gave an update on the VSF.  Our new bill will be presented to the Committee, and we will keep at it.

Bob thanked everyone for coming.  The meeting at this new location was a success, and there was a great turnout.  Members were happy to see those they haven't seen in a long time.

The next meeting will be June 7th at Verdi's in Westbury.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 pm.

Respectfully submitted
Bob Forrester, Recording Secretary

Thanks to Alan Berkowitz berky4@aol.com for forwarding this information for members who have extra deductions taken out of their Social Security checks because "they made too much money!"

The Office of Labor Relations has put the 2022 IRMA form on line. They suggest you submit by scanning and sending to them on thier website.

For members who receive their pension via direct deposit the reimbursement went to that account so check your October statement. Checks for Retirees who still receive a check were sent to the same address as your pension check. More information and the forms are below and at the Office of Labor Relations website link at the bottom.

All Medicare retirees are reminded to compare their Social Security 1099 form for 2022 to the reimbursement that they just received.

For more information about the reimbursement program go to health-retiree-responsibilities (nyc.gov)

This is the FORM  to copy and use for processing.

Information from the Employees Organization regarding "opting out."

First, do not do anything yet. The organization will let you know when you need to take any action. There is no May 1 “deadline” – even under the current information from OLR, you have until the end of June to “opt out.”

Second, unless you live in the 10 counties which are covered by HIP VIP and want to join that plan, you do not want to “opt out” of Aetna; to do that would mean that you would be put into the HIP VIP plan.
 
If you want to keep traditional Medicare, and we do not prevail in court or at the City Council, you will need to waive your insurance coverage, and must fill out a form to do so. But again, do not do that yet.

If you have any questions, please email NYCOrgofPublicServiceRetirees@gmail.com

Below is the relevant text of the OLR web page: health-retiree-responsibilities (nyc.gov)

On September 1, 2023, the City will discontinue the Senior Care Plan and all other retiree plans except Aetna Medicare Advantage and HIP VIP. All Medicare-eligible retirees and Medicare-eligible dependents, with the exception of HIP VIP members, will be automatically enrolled in the Aetna Medicare Advantage PPO Plan.

HIP VIP members who wish to leave HIP VIP and enroll in the Aetna Medicare Advantage PPO Plan must complete the Health Benefits Program Retiree Special Enrollment/Waiver Form (available May 1, 2023).

Retirees who reside in the HIP VIP service area (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Staten Island, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland and Orange counties) and wish to participate in HIP VIP instead of the Aetna Medicare Advantage plan may do so by contacting Aetna at 1-855-648-0389 or by visiting Aetna's website at CONY.AetnaMedicare.com  and indicating that they wish to "opt out" of Aetna Medicare Advantage PPO Plan.  No opt-out form will be required.  They must contact Aetna between May 1, 2023, and June 30, 2023 in order to do so.

HIP VIP members who wish to remain in the HIP VIP plan do not have to do anything.

Retirees who do not wish to be enrolled in the Aetna Medicare Advantage PPO Plan or HIP VIP can waive City health coverage. Retirees must complete the Health Benefits Program Retiree Special Enrollment/Waiver Form (available May 1, 2023) to waive City coverage. Retirees who waive health coverage are not eligible for Medicare Part B reimbursement.

Contact the Aetna NYC Retiree dedicated call center at 1-855-648-0389 (TTY: 711), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Aetna will work with you to resolve any questions about the benefits, the network, or clinical transition questions.

Our own Al O'Leary & the Midlife Crisis Band and THE BEATLES STORY has been CANCELLED.

Full details can be viewed on the MEETINGS & EVENTS PAGE

Thanks to Alan Berkowitz berky4@aol.com for sending this out

NEW PROCEDURE FOR TPD ID CARDS

We received this current information from BJ's:

Thank you for partnering with us to offer BJ’s Corporate Membership Discount Program as an exciting benefit to your NYC RTPOA members! We have a new way of doing things!

To better serve you, all membership enrollments and renewals for your members will now be processed through our BJ’s Partnership Support Center.

The attached flyer includes everything your  NYC RTPOA members will need to take advantage of their membership benefit. Please include this as an attachment when sending the announcement. The expiration date of the offer is January 27, 2024.

The PDF can be viewed HERE

Please note, listed on the flyer is your organizations ‘Group Promo Code’. This code is unique to your organization. When any of your employees/members call our Partnership Support Center, they will need to reference this ‘Group Promo Code’ to qualify for the discount.

BJ’s Partnership Support Center details -

Here is the current offer: The membership levels are now Club (formerly Inner Circle) and Club + (formerly Rewards).

NEW MEMBER OFFER: (These new member rates are amazing!) (plus tax in NY and NJ)

Any employee may OPEN a NEW Club membership at the discounted rate of $25/12 months (with a $10 Award) ($30 savings off the In-Club rate of $55/12 months) or 

may OPEN a NEW Club + membership at the discounted rate of $75/12 months (with a $20 Award) ($35 savings off the In-Club rate of $110/12 months).

Both offers also include one household member card at no charge. (2 cards total on membership.) This applies to NEW members only…previous or existing members are not eligible.

EXISTING MEMBER OFFER: (plus tax in NY and NJ)

This program also enables your employees to EXTEND their existing Club or Club + memberships at the rates below:

The Club renewals are $55/12 months with $10 being loaded back to the card.  They will have $10 in awards waiting for them to spend at the Club once processed.

The Club + renewals are $110/12 months with $20 being loaded back to their card.  They will have $20 in awards waiting for them at the Club once processed.

With payment, 12 months will be ADDED onto current expiration date of existing members.

The award is electronically loaded to their membership card and will be available at the register in 24 hours from when the form is processed. Award must be used within 30 days on an In-Club purchase. These are ELECTRONICALLY LOADED so they will NOT RECEIVE A COUPON OR GIFT CARD.

Thank you for all of your efforts in making this an exciting event for the members of the NYC Retired Transit POA members! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me on my cell phone number listed below.

Debbie Lisonbee
Corporate Membership Sales Rep
Email: Dlisonbee@bjs.com

Meeting was called to order by President Bob Valentino with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, followed by a moment of silence for the 18 deceased police officers since the last meeting as well as their families and also for sick members. We mentioned member Jack Rossiter’s grandson, NYPD PO Colin Rossiter, who he lost last week.

Bob mentioned that there is much information on the website and encouraged the members to avail themselves of it.

On May 20^th, there will be a Black Patch Party at Verdi's from 12:30 to 4:00 pm.  Floyd Holloway, Joe Carney, Hugh Lennon and Ken Chiulli will be honored.  There will be a few new members inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at the affair, but future inductees will only be held at the annual Association Christmas / Holiday Party.

Treasurer Tony Lomanto reported we have $32,139 in checking and so far, we received $18,000 in donations. This helps to offset the increasing number of members attaining Lifetime Membership status as dues are no longer required. Every donation is well appreciated. He also mentioned that 55 members have not yet paid their dues, and they may be removed from membership if not received in the next 2 months..

The cost of publishing the newsletter has gone up along with postage and mailings. The next issue, 2023-1, will be finalized by this coming Sunday, March 12th, and will consist of 48 pages.  Any letters or donations received after that will be in the next issue. Tony and Frank were thanked for all their hard work.

For New York City residents only, information on renewing your carry permits can be found on the website below. Unless you completed an HR218 course before August 31, 2022, you will be forced to take the 16-hour training course and the 2 hours at the firing range. The alternative is a permit but only for your home premises.

The Labor Council is in favor of the new Medical Plan and will be voting on Thursday, March 9th. Members are encouraged to donate to the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees so that the litigation can continue at PO Box 941, Venice, FL.34284

FOP Lodge #317 will hold a special Memorial Gathering to honor Joe McGarry from 12:00 to 4:00pm on Saturday, April 15th at The Hartigan House, 517 Central Ave., Bethpage, NY. There will be a Chinese Auction. Full details will be posted on the “Meetings and Events” page when finalized and emails will be sent out to Lodge 317 members. All proceeds of the event will go to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in memory of Joe McGarry.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 3rd From 12:00 noon to approximately 2:00 PM at Spolini's Restaurant 116-25 Metropolitan Ave. (off Union Turnpike), Richmond Hill. Members asked for another location closer to Brooklyn & Staten Island and this place was found to have a large function room and good food. Attendance at this meeting will determine it as a future location.  Tony and Bob will be sending information on parking and directions.

June 9th there will be a Bowling League Dinner/Dance at Verdi's.  Emil Stucchio and the Classics will be performing.  The cost is $140.00 per couple but could be less depending on the number of people attending.

Last year we had 50 new members join.  This year so far, we have 43 new members. Please advise Tony Lomanto if you have a new email address or have recently moved.

The meeting ended at 2:15 pm.

Bob Forrester

 As mentioned above, the MLC voted today in favor of accepting the proposed Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan. Today, March 9^th, they actually voted in favor of the plan. 79% of the voting unions voted YES and the voting is based on the number of union members. The UFT, DC37 & the Sanitation union have the most votes.

Crane's Business magazine posted this article about the vote. It can be viewed in this PDF

There are also a number of videos on You Tube with Marianne Pizzitola from the NYC Retirees Organization describing the latest events in their fight against the City.

We will post ongoing information here as they develop.

INFORMATION FOR RETIREES LIVING IN NYC WITH CONCEALED CARRY PERMITS

NYC CC PERMITSFOR NYC RETIREES LIVING IN NYC 5 BOROUGHS ONLY FROM THE LBA BREAKFAST MEETING JANUARY 2023

THIS SHOULD ANSWER ALL THOSE QUESTIONS I HAVE BEEN GETTING.
IF YOU ARE NOT DUE TO RENEW I SUGGEST YOU PRINT THIS OUT AND KEEP IT

NEW TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR SOME RETIREES RESIDING IN NYC TO RETAIN CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT: We would like to acknowledge and thank Marty Browne (Retired Sergeant) and Director Nicole Berkovich, from the NYPD License Division, for coming to the LBA meeting to answer questions from the membership regarding the new requirement mandating that some retirees attend a sixteen (16) hour Gun Safety Course and a two (2) hour Live Ammunition Firing Course to renew their Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) permit issued by the New York City Police Department. This requirement, as of now, only applies to those retirees whose licenses are issued via the NYPD License Division. The different requirements apply in the following three (3) unique scenarios:

Retirees Who Retired Prior To September 1, 2017:

For those retirees who separated from service prior to September 1, 2017, and who receive their Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) permit from the NYPD License Division, must satisfy the following requirements to successfully renew their permit:
- Attend a sixteen (16) hour Gun Safety Course and a two (2) hour Live Ammo Shooting Course – This is currently a once in a lifetime attendance requirement. OR - Possess proof of attending at least one HR 218 course (ID Card) between the periods of September 1, 2017, through August 31, 2022. OR - Proof of having attended any other Gun Safety related course during the periods of September 1, 2017, through August 31, 2022. (check with pistol license of the course is acceptable)

Retirees who retired between September 1, 2017, through August 31, 2022: As per the stipulations spelled out in the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, retirees who separated from service during this time period are NOT required to provide any additional proof (training or HR 218) to renew their Concealed Carry Weapon Permit.

Retirees who retired on or after September 1, 2022: If they were employed/Active between September 1, 2017, through August 31, 2022, are NOT required to provide any additional proof (training or HR 218) to renew their Concealed Carry Weapon Permit.

If a retired member who resides in New York City and who receives their Concealed Carry Weapon permit from the NYPD License Division does not satisfy the renewal mandates stipulated above, the likely results are as follows:
IF RETIREE POSSESSES A: Retired ID Card, Expired Concealed Carry Permit, Does NOT Have a Valid HR 218 = License Division will eventually attempt to confiscate and safeguard your weapons. License Division will usually allow approximately six (6) months after the members current permit expires for member to renew application for Concealed Carry permit.
Retired ID Card, Expired Concealed Carry Permit, VALID HR 218 = Allowed to retain and carry weapon(s). However, will be unable to purchase ammunition and buy/sell gun(s) in New York State. The License Division may eventually contact you to ascertain if you wish to renew Carry or convert to Premise Permit.
Retired ID Card, Expired Concealed Carry Permit, Valid HR 218, Valid Premise Permit: Allowed to retain and carry weapon(s). Premise Permit also allows you to purchase ammunition and to buy/sell gun(s) in New York State.
**Please note that a valid HR 218 is a key requirement in retaining and carrying your weapon when you do not satisfy the CCW renewal requirements and therefore do not have a CCW Permit issued by the NYPD License Division.**
Routinely, retired members will receive a mailed notice from the NYPD License Division, three (3) months prior to their current CCW Permit expiring advising them how to apply for their renewal and what requirements are mandated to successfully renew their CCW. If a member switches from a Concealed Carry Weapon Permit to a Premise Permit, the member may switch back to a CCW permit if they can now satisfy the requirements. However, this conversion cannot take place until the next scheduled permit renewal date (usually three years).
If you are a retiree who receives your CCW Permit from the NYPD License Division and have additional question regarding this matter, please contact 646-610-5872.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IT WAS ASKED ABOUT OTHER COUNTIES OUTSIDE NYC WHO ARE NOT AS STRICT WITH THESE RULES FOR RETIRED NYPD COPS LIVING THERE AND RENEWING.
THE REPLY WAS THAT THOSE OTHER COUNTIES "ARE NOT OBEYING THE NEW LAW"

All this information can be viewed on the NYC Health Benefits page https://tinyurl.com/3tt9wru4 sent by Lou Hollander.
Please note you can go back as far as 2019 if you haven't already filed.

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY BILLS - PROHIBIT DIMINUTION OF HEALTH BENEFITS

ASSEMBLY BILL A3768 -

SUMMARY - 2023-02-07 Assembly referred to governmental employees SPONSOR- Stacy Pheffer Amato [D]

Prohibits the diminution of health insurance benefits of public employee retirees and their dependents or reducing the employer's contributions for such insurance; defines employers to include the state, municipalities, school districts, and public authorities and commissions. Assembly Member Email | New York State Assembly (nyassembly.gov)

SENATE BILL S2728

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: 2023-2024 Legislative Session

Section one provides that the level of health insurance benefits, and the employer contributions made toward such health insurance, for certain retired firefighters, police officers, and their dependents
shall not be diminished below the benefits. and contributions in place as of May 1, 2008.
S2728 (nysenate.gov) member-directory-1-31-2023-updated.pdf(nysenate.gov)

SPONSORED BY
James Sanders Jr.
(D) 10TH SENATE DISTRICT
CURRENT BILL STATUS -IN SENATE COMMITTEE CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS COMMITTEE

February 4, 2023                                OUR VSF LEGISLATION RE-INTRODUCED IN ALBANY &
                                                          LATEST NEWS ON THE CITY'S PROPOSED HEALTH PLAN 
From Alan Berkowitz

S5107 (the Variable Supplements Bill) was reintroduced in the 2023 legislative session under a new print number: S4158.

Senate Bill S4158

Extends the benefits of the variable supplements fund to all New York city police officers, firefighters, housing police, transit police, correction officers and registered domestic partners

Sponsor: SEN. SANDERS

Recent Actions:
• Feb 3, 2023 - REFERRED TO CITIES 1      Review S4158 on WWW.NYSenate.gov

As soon as we hear of an Assembly bill introduced, we will post that and urge all retirees to contact their Senators and Assembly representatives to vote in favor of these bills.

LATEST NEWS ON NY CITY'S PLAN TO CHANGE OUR HEALTH PLANS

One good news is the recent judge's ruling that Emblem Health / GHI Senior Care cannot charge for co-pays. This took effect on January 22nd. It is recommended that should your doctor insist on charging for the co-pay, either show him the judge's ruling or pay it and keep a receipt. Emblem Health is contesting this ruling in court and if they fail to win, they will set up some way to reimburse you.
                                                                      

Senior Care members, EmblemHealth has suspended the $15 co-pay for certain services offered through the GHI Senior Care Plan due to on-going litigation and pursuant to court order.

Until further notice, no $15 copay will be required for the services listed below.

• Office visits (PCPs)
• Office visits (Specialists)
• Allergy Testing/Injections
• Chiropractic Services
• Podiatry (non-Routine)
• Cardiac Rehab
• Pulmonary Rehab
• Vision Care (Medicare-covered)
• PT, OT & Speech therapy
• Diagnostic lab/X-ray (including Hi Tech Imaging)
• Radiation therapy
• Partial Hospitalization - Mental Health
• Partial Hospitalization - Substance Abuse

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams
The bill is a last resort in the Adams administration’s longtime effort to enroll the city’s roughly 250,000 retired workers in a cost-cutting Medicare Advantage Plan that critics say would result in inferior health coverage.
Courts have twice blocked the administration from implementing the plan due to a provision that would slap $191 monthly premiums on retirees who want to opt out of it in favor of staying on traditional Medicare. While Advantage would be free, the courts have said the administration’s proposed financial penalty for other coverage runs afoul of a local law known as 12-126 that requires the city to provide its retirees with no-premium coverage for life.

As a result, the mayor has for months pressed the Council to rewrite 12-126 in such a way that the $191 fee would become legally feasible — but Speaker Adrienne Adams said Thursday afternoon that her body has no plan to vote on legislation introduced at his request that would achieve that end.
“There is no scheduled next step,” the speaker said during a news conference at City Hall.

During a contentious Council Labor Committee hearing earlier this month, Adams administration officials said that if the Council does not adopt the 12-126-tweaking bill by Jan. 26, they would move ahead with the drastic option of eliminating all health insurance options for retirees besides Medicare Advantage.

The administration has maintained that option would comply with the court rulings since there’d be no financial penalty at play.
Given that the Council’s final meeting of the month was Thursday, Speaker Adams confirmed the body will not act by the stated deadline. That presumably means the administration will follow through on its pledge to make Advantage the only available plan for municipal retirees.
Related video: Mayor Eric Adams says 'no room in for migrants' in New York City (WION) Play Video Mayor Eric Adams says 'no room in for migrants' in New York City UnmuteView on Watch

Adams spokesman Jonah Allon declined to disclose the administration’s next step. Instead, Allon reiterated that the mayor and the Municipal Labor Committee believe the administration must move ahead with Advantage because it could save the city hundreds of millions of dollar per year at a time of great fiscal uncertainty for the municipal government.

“The city and the Municipal Labor Committee worked together to take advantage of the federal funding for Medicare Advantage plans that would permit us to continue providing high-quality, premium free coverage for retirees while saving approximately $600 million a year — savings that are especially critical as we continue to face a skyrocketing health care crisis and other fiscal challenges,” Allon said.
Before the full Council would ever be able to consider the bill favored by Adams, the Labor Committee would have to approve it — and a source inside the panel said that’s highly unlikely.

“The appetite isn’t there to move this bill,” the source told The News, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Another source close to Council leadership agreed. “It’s dead,” the insider said of the bill, noting that no Council member came out in support of it during this month’s hearing in the committee.

In her press conference, Speaker Adams declined to speculate on whether there’s any support for the bill in the chamber.
She cast doubt over the Jan. 26 deadline floated by the administration, though.
“It’s not even clear that the deadline was ever [active],” she said before lamenting that the administration hasn’t yet provided the Council with a detailed contract for its preferred Advantage plan. “One of the questions at the hearing was, ‘Where’s the contract?’ ... We didn’t even have a contract to deliberate on as a body, so for me, that was a very important piece of information that we would need to go forward in any decision.”

The NYC Organization for Public Service Retirees filed the lawsuit that prompted courts to block the first iteration of Adams’ Advantage push — and has indicated it will seek additional legal intervention if his administration attempts to make it the only health plan available to them.
“If they did that, I’m sure we’ll see them in court pretty quickly,” Marianne Pizzitola, a retired FDNY EMT who leads the retiree group, said at last month’s hearing to cheers from her members.

Ever since former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration first tried to roll out the Advantage plan in the fall of 2021, thousands of retired teachers, EMTs and other municipal workers have argued that such a switch would destroy their coverage. They’ve pointed to federal studiesshowing that Advantage plans — which are administered by private health insurance providers, unlike traditional Medicare — can deny “medically necessary” care for beneficiaries.

Adams’ administration has disputed such concerns and said Advantage would provide retirees with robust coverage, while allocating savings to hedge against a city budget deficit that could grow as large as $6 billion in coming years.

From the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees  NYCorgOfPublicServiceRetirees@gmail.com

Greetings! 

Good Morning everyone! The City Council will NOT be voting on Intro 874 tomorrow. We will now THANK the Council for NOT taking this bill up.. Please call and email the Civil Service and Labor Committee. See below the draft message for the contact Info. We will have more information coming!

Script for Members

Good Morning/ Good Afternoon
My name is ________________________and I am a retiree. The purpose of my call is to “Thank” the City Council Member for not supporting the passage of Intro bill 0874 from the Civil Service and Labor Committee. By having this bill laid aside, you have restored some of our faith in the system. We appreciate that your member heard our message to not listen to the Mayor and that retirees should not bare the burden of the city's budgetary issues. The Medicare Advantage Plan will not provide us with proper healthcare coverage and we should not have to pay more to receive less care. We discovered there are several funding programs totaling over 300 million dollars that can be used to help balance the budget. There will be a bill introduced soon that will protect the status of our future healthcare, and we hope that your member will continue to stand with us and support it.
Thank you for hearing my statement, and being the voice for retirees. Thank you for listening.

Respectfully,
(Your name), retiree, # years, Department
****************************

List of City Council Members on the Civil Service and Labor to be called: (CALL BOTH NUMBERS)

28 Speaker Adrienne E. Adams Legislative Office: 212-788-6850
District Office: 718-206-2068

10 Hon. Carmen De La Rosa Legislative Office: 212-788-7053
District Office: 917-521-2616

3 Hon. Erik Bottcher District Office: 212-564-7757

5 Hon. Julie Menin Legislative Office: 212-788-6865

11 Hon. Eric Dinowitz Legislative Office: (212) 788-7080 District Office: (718) 549-7300

15 Hon. Oswald Feliz Legislative Office:212-788-6966 District Office: 718-842-8100

21 Hon. Francisco P. Moya 212-788-6862 District Office: 718-651-1917

22 Hon. Tiffany Caban 718-274-4500

37 Hon. Sandy Nurse Legislative Office: 212-788-7284 District Office: 718-642-8664

40 Hon. Rita Joseph Legislative Office: 212-788-7352 District Office:718-287-8762

49 Hon. Kamillah Hanks Legislative Office: 212-788-6972 District Office: 718-556-7370

EMAIL THE CIVIL SERVICE & LABOR COMMITTEE:
Copy/Paste these email addresses into your email:
aeadams@council.nyc.gov
CDeLaRosa@council.nyc.gov
ebottcher@council.nyc.gov
tcaban@council.nyc.gov
JMenin@council.nyc.gov
edinowitz@council.nyc.gov
ofeliz@council.nyc.gov
fmoya@council.nyc.gov
SNurse@council.nyc.gov
RJoseph@council.nyc.gov
KHanks@council.nyc.gov

The File for the List of CM is here if you want to save it: https://mcusercontent.com/.../b8e.../Civil_Service_labor.pdf

If you are on Twitter and Instagram, please comment and share our messages.
We also created an OPEN FaceBook Page https://www.facebook.com/NYCRetirees

And Please send your donations in to continue this fight!  We have THREE lawsuits running concurrently, and if the Mayor eliminates all health plans, we WILL have a 4th!!

There will be NO Vote on Intro 874!  You do NOT need to come to City Council!

From Alan Berkowitz  berky4@aol.com

Dear DEA Member:

Effective February 1, 2023, the DEA is launching a new prescription drug program. This new program will replace our Benecard prescription drug plan. The new prescription drug program will be administered by Express Scripts. Our members should experience significantly enhanced prescription drug benefits with no disruptions to your current prescription drug needs.

By mid-January of 2023, you will receive a letter from Express Scripts introducing you to our new program. You will also be receiving a “welcome package” and a new prescription drug card.

For the past several years, the DEA Board of Officers has been committed to making improvements to the union’s health benefits for both active and retired members. In 2021 and 2022, we introduced our new Cigna dental plan for active and retired members, increased life insurance benefits for active members, and instituted our new Northwell Health body screening program. And in 2023, we expect to make improvements to our mental health and wellness programs. We will continue to examine other benefits to enhance the lives of our members and their families.

Beginning February 1, 2023, we look forward to you — the “Greatest Detectives in the World” — experiencing our new pharmacy benefit through Express Scripts.

In the interim, have a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season and a joyous New Year!

Fraternally,
Paul DiGiacomo
President

The meeting was called to order by President Mike Lanning with the Pledge of Allegiance to The Flag and asked for a moment of silence for the 7 departed members since our last meeting in September, any deceased family members, and all fellow retirees on the Sick List.
Mike then introduced our Editor, Frank Crisa, and thanked him and Treasurer Tony Lomanto, for their work in putting together our great newsletter, "Beyond the Line."

The finances of the association are doing well. We have received donations from many of the members, especially from many Lifetime Members who no longer have to send in dues..

Mike welcomed Robin Becker, the President of the Transit Police Memorial FOP Lodge 317, and her board.

Our next meeting, the annual Christmas and Holiday Party,  will be held on December 7th at Verdis. Any paid member who attended the Black Patch luncheon in October will not have to pay the $25 door charge.

The NY Reunion will be held at Antun's on Tuesday, November 15th at 4:00 pm The cost is $65.00 in advance and $70 CASH at the door.

Nominations and election of Executive Board Members for 2023 was conducted by Vinnie Servedio.  The results are as follows:

President - Bob Valentino
First Vice President - Deo Fasolino
Second Vice President - Vinnie DiMaio
Executive Secretary - Tom Greer
Financial Secretary - Gregory Stripp
Treasurer - Tony Lomanto
Recording Secretary - Bob Forrester
Sergeant At Arms - Mike Lanning

Tom Greer reported there were 192 people at the Mets-Yankees game this year at $163.00 per ticket. To change to a location closer to home plate would cost about $200.00 per ticket. 
It was decided to stay in the same section for the 2023 games.  A total of 100 tickets will be ordered.

Several members in Queens requested a meeting location closer to them and a location in Howard Beach was suggested.  A meeting starting at 12:00 noon and ending at 2:30 pm before the rush hour traffic was proposed.

Legislative Director Tony Piazza spoke at length about the problems facing the new medical coverage plan. The City, faced with the possibility of the City Council not amending the city charter section 12-126, is now using the threat of only having one health plan for all employees, both active and retired. It would be, of course, the Medicare Advantage Plan currently being negotiated with Aetna Health Insurance.

We have 50 new members as can be seen in the latest issue of "Beyond the Line."  Deo spoke about the need to get new, younger members to join and said that at the Black Patch Meeting and the FOP State Convention, he distributed 200 applications.

1st VP Bob Valentino requested that prayers be offered for the 2 police officers shot in Newark, NJ. Thankfully, the culprit was apprehended.

The meeting adjourned at 2:45 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Robert Forrester, Recording Secretary

Regarding the issue of the City Council amendment change, the Organization of Public Service Retirees has put together a chart that shows the possible changes the City and the Municipal Labor Council as compared to what we now have.
It can be seen in the PDF HERE

Thanks to Alan Berkowitz and Lou Hollander for forwarding this information as received from RETIRED LIEUTENANTS' ASSOCIATION NYPD

Dear Members,

Below are some excerpts from info we have gotten related to the new law affecting the renewal of your NYS/NYC Concealed Carry Permits.
It is unclear how the State/City will verify how long you have maintained your HR218. I would recommend checking with the County that issued your permit regarding their policies. You may want to consider saving your old HR218 cards in case they are needed to prove your years of certification. Some Counties had permits with 5 year expirations, NYC had 3 year expiration, and some did not expire.  Per the new NY State law, all permits now expire every 3 years. Some of the HR218 schools are already offering the new course for those needing it.

Fraternally,
Michelle Schaefer
President 

From the NYC Pistol License Section:

The new law for carry licenses has changed.  Per the new law, you need 16 hours of classroom instruction and 2 hrs. range time. 
MOS retired over 5 years who do not have an HR218 are required to complete this training class.  If you are retired over 5 years and have an HR218, send a written statement that you have an HR218 and kept it active for how many years. Include a copy of the HR218 front and back.  An HR218 dated before 9/1/2022 which is in effect at this time will be enough to satisfy the requirement. If no HR218, then the required training has to be completed to renew the license.

From the DEA: Update on Firearms License Renewal for Retirees

As of September 1, 2022, all licensees, including retired members of law enforcement, must have sixteen (16) hours of training and two (2) hours of shooting practice. The State of New York plans eventually to check back three (3) years of the applicant’s social media accounts, but, as of this writing, personnel is not yet in place at the Licensing Division to conduct social media checks. H.R. 218 certification will be accepted only if it was acquired prior to September 1, 2022. The caveat is that the Licensing Division will assume the retired member of the service had H.R. 218 certification for consecutive years and didn’t just newly acquire it. We hope more information will be forthcoming, but as of this writing, this is what is known at this time.

For Nassau County residents,

I called the Pistol Permit Section and was told that Nassau County Supervisor Blakeman has a bill on his desk that will allow renewals on a 3 year basis rather than the current 5 and training will not be required for those with HR 218 certification. I am assuming Suffolk County will have a similar exemption. More on this when this matter is finalized.

From Recording Secty Bob Forrester (and his wife, Fran)

President Mike Lanning opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag followed by a moment of silence to remember 21 departed fellow retirees since our last meeting, their family members, fellow police officers, those on the Sick List, and our Armed Forces serving in harm’s way.

Mike informed the membership that the next issue of “Beyond The Line” is coming out by the end of September or early October, and thanked Frank Crisa and Tony Lomanto for doing a great job with the magazine.

Mike also thanked Tom Greer for doing a great job on the Subway Series held on July 27th.  Tom is currently working on the one for next year.

Bob Valentino asked the members present to ask any fellow retirees who are not members, to join the association. He also spoke about the Black Patch Meeting to be held on Saturday, October 1st, 12 Noon at Verdis.  Your $60.00 fee for the Black Patch Meeting includes free admission to the Retirees Christmas Party.  There were five new members inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame and will be honored at the Black Patch dinner

Bob also mentioned the NY Reunion at Antun's on Tuesday, Nov. 15th starting at 4:00pm, with thanks to Paul Murphy and Marilyn Scahill.

The Bowling League meets on Tuesday mornings, and anyone is welcome.

Tony Lomanto spoke about the new PBA Dental Plan which is a good one. It is important that you go the PBA website and click on the link to register with CIGNA. This plan is only for PBA members.

The negotiations between Emblem and Blue Cross came apart.  The City is now negotiating with Aetna.  There will be a speaker at the Sept. 29th meeting at 12:00 Noon at the LI Shields meeting at the Coral House in Baldwin addressing this issue. (See the important update below)

Sun. Sept. 11th was to be the last day to be registered in the 911 Victims Fund for any illnesses suffered as a result of 911. Today, (9/10) the Governor signed (S9294A/A10416) which extended the deadline to file a Notice of Participation under WTC Disability Law. The new deadline is September 11, 2026.

Tony spoke about the new Gun Law Bill.  It might be a good thing to obtain an HR218 Permit - you could carry your gun from state to state.  For those living in the NY Metropolitan area, you can call Instructor Roland M. Grant of SAFETY QUEST at phone number 516-446-0127. Various law enforcement organizations are seeking to have amendments added as this bill, like previous gun laws, was rushed through without much thought and input. This law does not pertain to active or retired LEOs regarding "sensitive areas" as mentioned in the bill which can be read in the State FOP posting below. It is important that you have a current Transit Police or NYPD Police Identification card to get the HR 218 certificate.

Mike introduced the new President of FOP Lodge 317, Robin Becker, who said a few words to the membership.

The next Retirees meeting will be held Wednesday, November 2nd, 1:00 pm at Spuntino's Restaurant in Williston Park. We still do not have the OK to resume meetings at the State FOP building because of renovation issues.

Respectfully submitted,
Robert Forrester
Recording Secretary

The NYS Fraternal Order of Police has put out a "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ) about the latest Gun Control laws recently passed by New York State. Please keep in mind that as a retired Police Officer, many of these laws do not apply.

That report can be read HERE   Note Questions #17 & 25 as it relates to retired Police Officers.

From Lou Hollander and Alan Berkowitz

The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for September 2022 through August 2023 benefit payments is 3%.

As a result, an eligible retired member with a maximum retirement benefit of $18,000 or more will receive a maximum increase of $45 per month beginning with the September 30, 2022 payment. (Eligible members receiving a maximum retirement benefit under $18,000 will receive a lesser monthly increase.)

This latest COLA brings the cumulative maximum monthly increase since COLA legislation was enacted in 2000 to $444 (see chart be- low).

New York's permanent, automatic COLA is designed to help offset inflation's adverse effects on the fixed retirement benefits of the state's public retirees. By law, the COLA can be no less than 1% and no more than 3% annually and is applied only to the first $18,000 of the retirement benefit. The COLA percentage is calculated by taking 50% of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase from one March to the next and rounding up to the nearest tenth. The CPI increased 8.54% from March 2021 to March 2022.

To be eligible for a COLA, you must either be:
• · At least age 62 and retired at least five years; or,
• · At least age 55 and retired at least 10 years; or,
• · A retiree receiving a disability benefit for at least five years (regardless of age); or,
• · A surviving spouse of an eligible retiree receiving a lifetime benefit. (By law, the spouse receives an increase equal to one-half the COLA the retiree would have received.)

Retirees who become eligible for the COLA after September will receive their adjustment when first eligible.

That should be good for at least a tank of gas in your car.

President Mike Lanning and I, along with Dan McGowan and his wife Emily, and Associate member Eric Wollman, were among the few Transit Police Retirees Association members along with other City agency departments retirees who attended the special meeting sponsored by the NY 10-13 Club with special guest speaker Marianne Pizzitola from the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees.

It was somewhat disappointing that there was such a small turnout of retirees there.

Jay Finn, a 10-13 Club Officer, introduced Marianne and her colleague, Michelle Robbins, to a warm applause from the audience.

Marianne mentioned that their organization was getting negative comments from many labor unions that what the Organization was saying was wrong, When the unions were asked exactly what information was wrong, there was no response from them.

Marianne started with the history of the Health Insurance Stabilization Fund (HISF) that was formed many years ago to maintain the cost of health insurance plans for City workers.

In 2011, The Mayor, City Council members and labor leaders actively discussed ways to prevent the layoffs and cuts proposed to balance the budget in fiscal year 2012.

One option under consideration was to divert money from the HISF.  Ultimately, around 2014 or so, monies were "borrowed" from the Fund to settle a contract with the Teachers Union as they had been without a contract for several years.

From then on, and with no oversight in place, monies were taken from the HISF by the City and yet, there was no paying it back. This has led to the City now looking to offer a different medical plan to employees and retirees and to implement the current MAPP plan for Medicare eligible retirees in order to reduce costs. With the proposed MAPP, the City was to have saved approximately $600 million by passing the cost of coverage onto the Federal government. That money was “supposed” to be used for contracts and health plans and be added to the HISF.

With Supreme Court Justice Frank's decision in March of this year that the City cannot charge a monthly premium for Medicare eligible retirees who do not want the MAPP, the City had no choice but to set aside starting the plan. Immediately after the decision, the City filed an appeal that is scheduled to be heard some time in October. Along with this delay, Anthem Blue Cross tried to push the City to start the new health plan in January 2023, but they received negative response from NYC and as a result, pulled out of the plan.

The City is now in the process of finding another health insurance company to handle the benefits for the employees and retirees. It remains to be seen what that outcome will result in.

With this new snag in the City's plan, the website for Office of Labor Relations (OLR) has updated their website and has now removed the Opt-Out form. As to the co-pays and deductibles, it was said that these were put in place for the benefit of the insurance companies.

I asked the question about the PBA's court action against the Municipal Labor Council (MLC) where the PBA stated they are not part of the MLC and are not bound by their approval of the proposed MAPP. Marianne explained that when a union utilizes a benefit obtained by the MLC, they are part of it. It's not a matter of selective choices.

In the end, Marianne went on to say that the fight is still on and asks that we send out the call for donations to keep it going. In that respect, we do ask that our members, especially those on Medicare, to make a donation of any amount.

Please make out the check to NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees and mail it to
The Organization at PO Box 941, Venice FL 34284.

Other methods of donations can be found on their website www.nycretirees.org  

We hope this information has been helpful to our members and please spread the word to fellow retirees who may not have computer access.

Thank you and stay safe.

Fraternally,

Mike Lanning, President, and your Executive Board.

This report will be sent out to our members in an email.

On Wednesday, July 6th, a special ceremony took place at the Pinelawn National Cemetery in Farmingdale Long Island for the internment of the ashes of (Ret. PO) Brendan “Joe” McGarry, his wife, Christine, and their son, James. Members of the State FOP, FOP Lodge 317, family and friends, and a contingent of the Patriot Guard Riders on their motorcycles were in attendance.

Flag bearers and all others stood at attention when the cemetery vehicle carrying the ashes pulled up at the ceremony site. They were placed on a stand with the American flag in front of the case with the U.S. Marine Corps plaque holding Joe’s ashes. Ret. TP Det. Eugene Hennigan, a deacon of the church where Joe and Christine attended, presided over the religious aspect. At the end, Taps were played, the urns were removed for internment and the ceremony was over.

Joe, Christine, and James were now together. May they Rest in Peace.

Photos taken at Pinelawn may be seen in this Power Point folder HERE

Our 1st VP, Bob Valentino, along with Ret. D/Sgt. Fred Ametrano attended a ceremony honoring the late Transit Det. George Caccavale who was killed during a robbery. DEA President Paul DiGiacomo Jr., honored George's daughter, Carla Caccavale with plaques and to Bobby and Fred also. Freddie was at the scene at the time of the killing of George Caccavale.

The YouTube video can be seen here:      https://youtu.be/gqCrs29BWGI

Thanks to our 2nd VP Vincent DiMaio for this report.

7:15 PM First Vice Pres. Bob Valentino called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pres. Mike Lanning and his wife Doris are not present because they’re out sick with Covid 19, as was Recording Secretary Bob Forrester and his wife Frances not present due to Bob having a recent knee replacement surgery and is currently in rehab.

Treasurer Tony Lomanto read a list of those members who have passed away since the last meeting and had a moment of silence for them, any family members passing, fellow Police Officers in the country killed in the line of duty and all serving servicemen & women.           

Bob Valentino urged members to donate to the Public Employee Organization that is fighting to keep our current medical plans. He also mentioned the following functions at Verdi’s:  Bowling Dinner, Friday, June 10, “The Happenings” who sang “See You in September” will be there. Saturday, October 1, Black Patch Sports Award Luncheon 12:30 to 4:00 PM, and our Christmas/Holiday Party is scheduled for Wednesday, December 7, 12:00 to 4:00 PM.

Bob also said that we should all sign up for emails from Louie Hollander, as they are very informative, and mentioned the Police Memorial at the NYS FOP HQ that took place on May 7, which was cold and rainy. State FOP President Mike Essig paid homage to Joe McGarry who was remembered for all his service to the FOP. At this meeting, we all raised a toast to Joe.
Lou can be contacted at keystonecop1@verizon.net

At this meeting, Bobby Valentino mentioned that one of our members present, Ret. Capt. Bob Kent, recently underwent heart surgery. Bob explained that he always felt he was in good health until it hit him. Thankfully, he came through and is recovering and we wished him well.           

Tony Lomanto spoke about Medicare Advantage Plan. Everything is on hold at this time. Judge Frank ruled that NYC cannot impose a premium on the GHI/Senior Care plan if you wish to keep what you have as it is contrary to the NYC Administrative Code of free health care for life. At this time, approximately 60,000 NYC Medicare eligible retirees so far have opted out of the MAP, representing a major loss to the City who anticipated $600,000,000 (million) reimbursement from Medicare. You can still Opt-Out and forms were available at the meeting or you can complete the form electronically at this Link https://nyc-ma-plus.empireblue.com/optout

The City appealed the decision of the court, and the case comes up in September. As for deductibles and co-pays, they were not mentioned in the court decision and will remain in effect until further notice.

Executive Secretary Deo Fasolino reminded members to check if your dentist is a member of the new PBA CIGNA Dental Plan which starts July 1st before switching plans.

Legislative Chairman Tony Piazza, spoke on the Variable Supplement Fund update.  He wrote a letter to Mayor Adams about Home Rule and requesting support for the bills, So far, we have not received a reply. which is needed to move forward with the VSF effort. Tony said that Home Rule should not be necessary as we worked for a State agency and not the City of New York. At present, they are still in committee and the feeling is that any bills relating to police are not looked upon favorably. That and the fact that many legislators are not in their offices but rather handling legislation by Zoom or other digital "work from home" methods. The current legislation ends in June so if our bills don't even get to the floor or the issue of "Home Rule" isn't resolved, they are dead.

Sgt-at-Arms Tommy Greer spoke about Mets/Yankees Game. Tickets which are still available for $160.00 each. The seats are in the same location as last year - City Field, Section 129, July 27, 2022, 7:00 to 10:00 PM.           

Member Vinny Monfredo and his guest, Ret. NYS Trooper Steve Colano spoke about Dr. Vick Pamoukian, MD, who is a Vascular Surgeon and is providing free testing on May 21, 2022, at 400 So. Oyster Bay Road, Suite 205, Hicksville, NY, 10:00 to 4:00 PM. See the flyer on the Meetings & Events page. The doctor was at our March meeting and explained what will be done at the screening for carotid and leg circulation. Bring your ID, insurance card and comfortable clothes. A reminder will be sent out via e-mails to the members and check it out on the Meetings & Events page.

Tony Lomanto then introduced Robin Becker, the new President of FOP Lodge 317. She mentioned the next lodge meeting Thursday, May 12 at K of C Floral Park, NY at 7:00 PM.

The next meeting will be at Verdi’s, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 12:00 to 4:00 PM.

The 50/50 drawing was held with member Bill Wiese donating his winnings back to the association.

9:00 PM the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Vincent R. Di Maio
Second Vice President

Photos from the funeral of Lifetime Member Ret. P.O. Brendan 'Joe' McGarry can be viewed HERE 
and the video I took can be seen on You Tube by clicking on this link:  https://youtu.be/OgaLkfpmmv8y

Talk about a "small world."  We received a recent email from member Kevin Costigan who told us that his son, Father Christopher Costigan, who is the Pastor of the church where the funeral mass was held for Joe McGarry, St. Martin of Tours, in Bethpage, Long Island, was to perform the mass yesterday and he gave a very warm eulogy for Joe..

Photos from the Staten Island Lunch Bunch can be viewed HERE

The letter of support form the NYPD DEA can be viewed HERE

Thanks to Alan Berkowitz berky4@aol.com for forwardng this information.

The full newsletter from the North Carolina NYPD 10-13 Club can be viewed here: 
http://www.charlotte10-13.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/4-April-2022-10-13-Newsletter.pdf

There is some very good information regarding catastrophic medical costs included in their newsletter.

Report of the March membership meeting from Recording Sect'y Bob Forrester, with assistance from his able wife, Fran:

The meeting was held at Verdis Caterers in Westbury, Long Island, and we had approximately 60 members attending.

The meeting was called to order by President Lanning with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a moment of silence. Treasurer Tony Lomanto read off the names of 35 fellow retirees who were reported passed away since our last meeting in December.

Member Vincent Monfredo brought a guest speaker, Dr. Vic Pamoukian, a vascular surgeon with offices in Manhattan, Queens, and Hicksville, and is offering vascular screening to all our members and their family members. He will be setting up a meeting in May at a location to be announced at the membership meeting on May 11th at Spuntino’s Restaurant in Williston Park.

Though absent for a court appearance (he's still an active NCPD officer), Sgt-at-Arms Tom Greer has purchased 200 tickets for the Mets-Yankees baseball game scheduled for July 27th at 7:10PM. The seats will again be in the same location as in 2021 - Section 129 by the 3rd base line. If interested, you must call Tom at 631-902-8911 or email at hpb2270@optonline.net  The cost per ticket this year will be $160, which, like everything else, has gone up in cost.

Treasurer Tony Lomanto spoke at length of the latest news regarding the proposed Alliance Medicare Advantage Plan the City of NY intends to have in place for retirees on Medicare. As reported, Judge Frank ruled the City cannot impose a cost to the retirees to remain in their current plan and the City, in response, stopped the plan's start date of April 1st and also filed an appeal in court.

We will be informing our members with whatever decision is made in court. So, as of now, you will remain in your current plan, not pay a premium, but you will be paying the deductible and co-pays. The organization of service retirees who filed the court action still advises retirees to OPT-OUT of joining the MAP. The current telephone number of the Alliance program at this time has a recording that it is not necessary to OPT-OUT since the plan will not go into effect April 1st.

Despite that, and from past history in dealing with NYC, it is recommended you file an OPT-OUT form if you have not done so before. The form is available if you click on the "OPT OUT" link below in the posting of March 8th. Follow the instructions to complete the form (one for yourself and one for each dependent) and send it by certified mail or electronically at the website shown.

Tony also mentioned that the latest edition of our great newsletter, "Beyond the Line," will be going to the mailer on Monday, March 21st and should be in your hands within the next 2-3 weeks. It will be a big 48-page issue full of photos and letters.

We would also like to point out the great number of donors who contributed to the Association and we thank them very much for their generosity. Remember, the newsletter only goes out to PAID members, so if you still haven't sent in the dues for 2022, please do so now. We don’t want you to miss a copy of this great paper.

Congratulations and best wishes were given to Rita and Ron DiMao celebrating their 54th wedding anniversary. Way to go, guys!!!

Larry Lombardo spoke of the Breakfast Communion Mass being celebrated on April 24th honoring, among others, Police Officer Irma Lozada. Full details can be found on the Meetings and Events page. Executive Sec'ty Deo Fasolino made a motion which was seconded to have the Association pay for 4 members to attend the event. They will be Ron DiMaio, John Asti, and Carmella and Al Pelliccia.

Deo also spoke of how the laws have changed regarding safe deposit boxes and gun permits when you have a spouse. Deo went through this after his wife, Barbara, passed away last year.

Legislative Chairman Tony Piazza spoke of the current status of the VSF. He reported that we still have bills in Albany and that at present, there are only about 300 TPD retirees eligible for the VSF.

The 50/50 raffle was held and there being no new business, the meeting was adjourned.

From Lou Hollander keystonecop1@verizon.net

A few of our snowbird friends were down to spend a couple of months in the Sunshine State so we decided to put together a R.O.M.E.O.  We had about 21 guys in attendance, and we had a great time being with old friends.  As you have seen on too many occasions in my emails, I put out obituaries of someone you have worked with and haven’t seen them in decades. 

Many years of your life was spent working with them and life is passing us by fast. Try to make it a point in getting together with guys/gals you used to work with and reminisce the good old days on the job.

Keep the Spirit of the Transit Police Alive.  You can view the photos from the Tampa by clicking on the .PDF attachment HERE

December 1, 2021                                                         PHOTOS FROM THE NY REUNION

We want to thank Lou Hollander for putting all the photos he and I took at the NY Reunion into a format that anyone can view. It saves a lot of time not having to save each photo then having to upload them to the server. Lou did it in PowerPoint then saved it as a PDF file. They can be viewed HERE 

Thanks, Lou!

October 9, 2021                                                           OCTOBER MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Thanks to our Recording Secretary Bob Forrester and his lovely wife, Fran, for this report

Meeting was called to order at 1:15 pm followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Treasurer Tony Lomanto updated information on the fellow retirees who passed away since the last meeting. A moment of silence was held for them and for family members who passed and for those on the Sick List, icluding our Sgt-at-Arms, Tom Greer who is home recuperating from recent surgery, along with our Armed Forces and fellow Police Officers serving in harm's way.

President Mike Lanning said the NY Reunion will be held at Antun's on November 16th. from 4:00 to 8:00 pm.  Price is $65.00 in advance by check to Paul Murphy, or $75.00 at the door. Details can be found on the Meetings and Events page.

Treasurer Tony Lomanto advised the members that the Money Market Account will be closed and the funds transferred to the checking account. This was done as our annnual income has dropped as more members become Lifetime Members and regular annual dues stop. With ever increasing printing, mailing, and meeting costs, the asociation can only exist with the dues or donations.
The cost for each edition of the newsletter alone is about $5,000.00. Next high cost is the membership cards and mailings. Donations are always welcome and appreciated, but please indicate if you want a coin sent as our thanks.

The Retiree Association Christmas and Holiday Party will be at Antun's on Dec. 16th at 1:00 pm.  The March Meeting will be at Antuns and the May meeting is planned for Verdis. Other meeting locations and dates will be determined and the members will be notified far in advance. At this time, there will be no more meetings at the FOP Building as it is being closed for renovations. The Board has decided to hold luncheon meetings as more members are finding it difficlut to drive at night.

The next issue of "Beyond the Line" is now at the printer's and will be at the mailer on Tuesday the 12th, to be mailed out. Please keep in mind with the current postal slowdown on deliveries, and since the issues are not first-class, that makes it for even longer delivery times.
 
Executive Secretary Deo Fasolino mentioned that he sees many retired Transit Police Officers writing on Facebook and ending with "Transit Police Forever" and suggested they be contacted and asked to join the Society.

Tony Lomanto discussed the new City Health Plan and answered many questions from the members. Her mentioned the PBA, at a recent LI Shields meeting with Pat Lynch and a member of the Members Benefits department, felt the City plan was favorable over keeping the current Senior Care plan. The City plan offers the same coverage while the Senior Care will have both a monthly premium and will start to have co-pays with no maximum amount.  It looks like the City Plan is favored but we caution members to make their own decison based on needs.

The drug plan was also discussed and it is advised you do not take out the drug rider unless necessary, as a drug plan is available through the line organizations. 

We then gave a round of applause to our Financial Secretary, Greg Stripp, who does a grand job at the door.

After a delicious lunch, the meeting was adjourned at 3:50 pm.

Fraternally,
Bob Forrester

President Mike Lanning called the meeting to order at 1:05 pm with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Treasurer Tony Lomanto thanked everyone for attending the meeting.  He advised since our last meeting that sadly we lost 146 members, both to COVID and other health reasons.  The members observed
a moment of silence.

Guest speaker, Kim Parker, from the NYC Office of Labor Relations, spoke about the new health program called the NYC Medicare Advantage Plus Plan starting on January 1, 2022.  It is a customized plan from the City of New York and also a National Plan that members can take with them.  It has the same Medicare guidelines. 

Ms. Parker gave a very detailed overview of the plan and answered many questions from the members. 

We should soon be receiving a booklet with enrollment guide and a detailed summary of the Plan.   Ms. Parker also suggested that we could call 1-833-325-1190 for additional information.

Members enjoyed a delicious lunch after the meeting.

Meeting ended at 3;05 pm,

Respectfully submitted,
Robert Forrester

   
      Mark Lipra, Ron Kearney, Bob Betz 

  
                                    DeMarino Family                                 Bob Ganley (c) next to Mrs. DeMarino

From Lou Hollander keystonecop1@verizon.net

Bobby Ganley and Neil Delargy went to the Transit Police Academy together in 1982 and worked together in TPF, District 4.  Bobby tells me Neil was a great guy and left for Nassau PD in ’86 or ’87.  This photo was taken at Neil’s “walkout”.  He left as Chief of Detectives. “Congratulations and lots of luck, Neil”

Way to go for both of these guys! All the best in your retirement, Neil.

Henry Melchiona contacted us to inform all our members and fellow officers that a professional video was made of the 50th Anniversary Memorial Mass for Hank's brother, Ptl. Michael Melchiona, celebrated this past February 28th.

The video is of excellent quality. Lou Hollander converted it to a YouTube Video which can be viewed on your Smart TV if you have the YouTube app. If you view it on your PC or tablet you can view it in full screen.  I hope you enjoyed watching the video as much as I did.

Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIaGFK3T78s  or paste link into your web browser. It is a very moving and heartwarming video. - Tony

Here are some photos from the Mass:

                                                        
                 John Moakley & Henry Melchiona                                                           Tony Lomanto, Henry Melchiona & Mike Lanning

               
         ?, Henry Melchiona, NYPD Comm. Shea, Henry's son                                      Melchiona family & friends gather at end of Mass

                                                                           
              Tony Lomanto doing a Reading during the Mass                                      Comm. Shea speaking to the congregation

       Hank and fellow officers & retirees at the luncheon with a photo of the K9 dog named "Mel" after Mike

For all those fellow Transit officers who live in NJ and were in the military, a new law went into effect in 2020.

Under a new law signed by Governor Phil Murphy, the Veteran Income Tax Exemption is doubling to $6,000 for Tax Year 2019. This exemption is in addition to the $1,000 personal exemption to which each taxpayer is entitled, and any additional exemption for which the veteran is eligible. For Tax Years 2017 and 2018, the exemption amount was $3,000.

Their website is www.st.nj.us/treasury/taxation/military/vetexemption.shtml