As you may be aware, Long Islanders for Educational Reform (LIFER), a conservative, anti-tax group masquerading as education reformers, is holding a public forum on Thursday, May 8 at 7:00 PM at the Melville Marriot, 1350 Old Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY, to push for passage of Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick’s so-called Taxpayer and Mandate Relief Bill (A8603) which would, among other things, eliminate Triborough protections and create a defined contribution option for the NYSTRS.Tim Southerton, one of NYSUT's four NYSTRS trustees, has passed along the two attached resources for any local leaders who are planning to attend the forum. One is a presentation by Dianne Oakley of the National Institute of Retirement Security given at the 2013 NYSTRS Convention and the other is a brief article by Randi Weingarten. Both of these will be extremely informative and helpful in dispelling the myths, misrepresentations and outright falsehoods propagated by the LIFER panelists and the right wing organizations they represent.Facts from NIRS Research on Pensions and Retirement SecurityRandi Weingarten, President American Federation of Teachers - The Real Retirement Crisis
