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Advocates for COLA Restoration and Pension Reform
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Advocates for COLA Restoration and Pension Reform
About
Contact Our Team
Get Started
About
Contact Our Team
Get Started

Mission Statement

The functioning of our Advocate group represents the founding of a meeting place and platform for those of us (retired and current state workers and teachers, as well as members of the Municipal Employees Retirement System) who were so brutally robbed of our Cost of Living Adjustment in 2011 by then State Treasurer, Gina Raimondo, in what appears to be her quest for National recognition. We continuously make known, by way of news media, that this aspect of our retirement plan had been contractually guaranteed, as well as having been purchased by us for approximately 10% of our yearly salaries for the entirety of our careers.

Because of the inflationary increase in the national cost of living— over 40% since 2011— what began as an injustice has morphed into a crisis. Our efforts also involve the undoing of the unnecessary pension reforms instituted through RIRSA which have undermined worker morale and created a significant shortage of those qualified to enter state and teaching positions.

Our efforts include returning Pension regulations and practices to their pre 2011 status, removing age requirements for retirement, future COLA percentages based upon the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and applied to full pension increments, with the elimination of caps in determining payment.

Sandra Paquette

Founder, Advocates for COLA Restoration and Pension Reform (Registered, Non-Profit)

WHAT HAPPENED TO R.I.’s COLA’S ?

RI’s retired and current teachers and state workers have been dealing with the aftermath of the 2011 Pension Security Act, causing them to lose their contractually binding Cost Of Living Adjustment, a provision instituted to offset the trauma of inflation during their retirement years. For 13 years this group of lifetime workers have been struggling to remain financially solvent in a time of historically rising inflation, responsible for a drastic undermining of purchasing power.

Through the efforts of the current General Assembly, urged on by Advocates for COLA Restoration and Pension Reform, an initial breakthrough was at last achieved pertaining to the COLA in June of 2024. Legislation was unanimously passed to initiate the process of a reinstated Cost of Living Adjustment.

The Advocates group will continue our efforts until full reform is achieved.

Meet your Advocates planning team !

Sandra Paquette, Founder

M.Ed Boston College

BS.Ed RIC

Aldo Palazzo CDR USN (Ret)

M.A. National Security Affairs / Strategic Studies

M.S. Managment

Debi Catamero, M.Ed. U.R.I.

M.Ed. Providence College

Retired Elementary School Principal

David Shallcross

College of William & Mary

MS - Physics

Brian Kennedy, M.Public Admin.

John Breguet

Former Labor Relations Administrator, State of R.I.

RED ALERT

Pat Serpa is feeling worried.

BUDGET ALERT: PLEASE READ:

PLEASE email the governor and ask him to NOT TOUCH OUR PENSION FUND MONEY to fill in the huge hole in this year’s budget. He is strongly urging budget writers to take $22 million of our money to pay for some of the necessary things that need to be funded in the June budget. Each of you must absolutely do this immediately. His email address is: governor@governor.ri.gov

Sandra Paquette, Administrator:

May 19, 2025

Governor McKee,

This is not a threat, it is a promise.

You appear to have lost sight of a basic premise of your duties as chief executive officer, “The governor is responsible for maintaining that laws are executed according to state law and the state constitution”.

In your proposed budget, you are suggesting a directive that is a blatant violation of this duty (Article 2, Section 3 )! You suggest that 50% of surplus funds from fiscal year 2024 be redirected from their legally mandated deposit into the ERSRI Pension fund- to the general state fund and used at your discretion.

As was done in 2011, and again in 2015, you are using hard earned money which belongs to the 60,000 ERSRI members, as your personal “piggy bank” !

It is NOT YOUR MONEY, it is theirs !

Your proposal is UNACCEPTABLE!

The promise I initially mentioned ?

A vast majority of 60,000 ERSRI members, along with their families and friends, will do all in our power to ensure that you are not reelected to a position for which you are no longer fit to serve.

Sandra Marzilli Paquette

An Open Letter to “Governor” McKee and the General Assembly regarding Art 2, Sec 3 of H5076, i.e., the Proposed FY 26 Budget.

“Governor” McKee, perhaps some background on what you are attempting to do to Rhode Island is appropriate? The 2011 Rhode Island Retirement Security Act (RIRSA 2011) included RIGL 35-6-1(d), the purpose of which was to require all future state budget surpluses to be deposited into the Pension Fund to help restore it to full funding.

Back in 2011, then-Treasurer Raimondo promised that RIGL 35-6-1(d) WAS PART OF THE PENSION REFORM PACKAGE and was enacted into law to be an annually recurring function.

After becoming Governor in 2015, Raimondo went back on her word and RIGL 35-6-1(d) [now subsection “(e)”] was rewritten to reduce the ERSRI deposit from 100% of excess revenues to only 50% and to allow the other 50% to be used to balance the annual state budget instead of being strictly used to restore the Pension Fund. Any wonder that the Pension Fund has been slow to recover?

When word of your attempt to “scoop” approximately $21.6 Million, 50% of the FY24 Surplus, from being deposited into the Pension Fund as required under RIGL 35-6-1, came to light, the Board of the Employees Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSRI), speaking as one, voted on 9 April to send to the Governor, Speaker and Senate President and ALL Members of the General Assembly a Resolution expressing “its strong opposition to any redirection or non-transfer of surplus revenues which are statutorily required to be transferred to the Employees’ Retirement System”

Further, the Board’s Resolution in Opposition to Art 2, Section 3, questioned the efficacy of denying the ERSRI, which has been struggling to undo a level of unfunded liability for over 14 years to which it is statutorily entitled! Of Note, since RIRSA was enacted, the RI Budget has almost DOUBLED, increasing from approximately $7.7 Billion to over $14 Billion!

One hopes that EVERY RI Union will join in the effort to stop the Governor’s attempt to blatantly usurp the money, which is not McKee's money, but state budget money that was directed by RIGL to be deposited into the Pension Fund for this sole purpose! What gives him the right to change the Law?

In my opinion, it has been your Hubris and lack of “Fiscal oversight” which has contributed to the current state of affairs in Rhode Island. From thousands of Rhode Islanders suffering in the traffic over the Washington Bridge, we are still waiting for your self-proclaimed “Day of Reckoning, to the possible collapse of our Health Care System, I could go on ad infinitum!

Looking at your recent proposed pay raises for your senior advisors, while attempting to deny the over 60,000 members of ERSRI funds statutorily required to be transferred to the Employees’ Retirement System, is beyond the pale. Your justification for the raises is that they “will help keep Rhode Island competitive in attracting and retaining top talent for crucial leadership positions”

In my opinion Governor McKee, you have No Ethics, No Honor and No integrity!

To quote Cromwell’s address to the Rump Parliament back in 1653, “It is not fit that you should sit here any longer. You have sat here too long for any good you have been doing lately … In the name of God go. “

But, before you go, please withdraw the surplus revenue "scoop" from your FY 2026 Budget.

NAFD!

Respectfully,

A.G. “Aldo" Palazzo” CDR USN (Ret)

To: Representative K. Joseph Shekarchi

From: W. David Shallcross, Board Member of Advocates for Cola Restoration and Pension Reform

May 20, 2025

Mr. Speaker (Joe)

Again I thank you for what you did for retirees a year ago.  It was more than anyone did on behalf of retirees since 2011. You were courageous in stepping up to begin restoring the COLA to many retirees, you broke the dam and put COLAs back on the table. It wasn’t a full restoration, but it was a start. 

Why should Joseph Shekarchi support H-6238 ?

Data From the Treasurer’s office

There are 5,195 post 2012 retirees still collecting a pension, they haven’t died, yet are not receiving a COLA due to when they retired.

There are about 4,000 MERS retirees not receiving a COLA because their bargaining agreement has no provision for it.

The number of retirees not presently receiving a COLA is small by comparison to those who are currently receiving one.

The ERSRI Pension Fund has nearly $12 Billion in assets and that increases by approximately $1 Billion each year beyond the current costs to the fund.

Salaries increase, usually on a yearly basis, thus contributions of current workers will assist in the growing of the fund. Effectively, current employees now are banking for their eventual retirement and the state is investing what they contribute. It’s been that way since the fund was established in 1936.

The ‘cap’ on retiree pensions is a restriction of the retiree benefits they will eventually receive. It’s like a bank telling us we will only pay interest up to a predetermined amount.

Other Thoughts 

A sense of fairness suggests that if any retiree is getting a COLA, every eligible retiree should be getting one. Discrimination should not be protected by the action of the General Assembly.

The Raimondo ‘legacy’ is what it is, it will not change, and should not be built on the denial of worker/retiree rights and failed pension promises. 

Current retirees devoted their entire careers to state and municipal services. They should not be penalized by reduced pension benefits intended to protect those very same benefits that future retirees will receive.

The entire legislation was built on a lie. I provided a detailed substantiation of that to you last year. The lie continues to this very day and Joseph Shekarchi is in a position of leadership to promote solutions that are fair to all retirees and future retirees.

The pension plan, as it exists today, discourages state and municipal service and 2/3 of all RI school districts do not participate in Social Security.

The integrity of the state and particularly that of the majority party is at stake here, knowing that the pension fund is sufficiently funded to pay promised pensions but is stalling the process to do so.

Every Representative will be up for re-election in 2026. There are a lot of voters to be gained or lost.

As it stands right now, the Speaker controls the agenda. If H-6238 never goes before the House everyone will know why it is missing. Politically, it would be wise to let the members of the House and Senate decide its fate.


ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The COLA Advocates group was founded on Facebook

*In one years time, we have 4,700 advocates and counting!

Our own advocate leaders, Sandra Paquette & Aldo Palazzo, were successfully elected in 2024 to the ERSRI Retirement Board

Strong & widespread support to restore our COLAS;

from our

Rhode Island Legislators

Established a supportive, working relationship with

Speaker Shekarchi

For the 1st time (in 13 YEARS!) the COLA PENSION REFORM BILL was brought to the house floor, 100% of our state reps. VOTED YES in 2024 TO PASS a BILL in support of the COLA. Not supported as written, and submitted by Rep. Pat Serpa, but a solid beginning to full restoration.

February 2025

Dear Treasurer Diossa,

On behalf of ERSRI’s current and future retirees, we extend our sincere gratitude to you and your staff for the very positive and productive meeting. We greatly appreciate your time and the open dialogue. We look forward to our follow-up meeting and continued collaboration on matters vital to the ERSRI system.

Advocates for COLA Restoration and Pension Reform

Sandra Paquette, as featured in: RI News today.com Advocating for all State retirees, at the Senior Agenda Political Conference. 3/10/25

Aldo, David, John, Treasurer Diossa, Sandra, and Brian

We CAN make it happen !

We CAN make it happen ! We CAN make it happen !

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

BREAKING NEWS

WE HAVE OUR BILL H-6238

Effective January 1, 2025, this act would reinstate an annual cost-of-living increase based upon the yearly Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) to the retirement allowance for all state employees and all beneficiaries. After January 1, 2025 retiree benefits shall be based upon their average annual base pay for the last 3 years. The provisions of this act shall be deemed to apply prospectively only, and no retroactive payments shall be made. This act would take effect upon passage.

WHAT IT MEANS: If the bill passes, it would extend a COLA , based upon the consumer price index, to ALL CURRENT AND FUTURE RETIREES. The compounded COLA will be determined by YOUR actual pension amount.

Our sincere gratitude to our bill sponsors:

Representatives: Serpa, Fellela, McEntee, Shallcross Smith, Donovan, Messier, Phillips, Craven, Read, and Dawson.

Senate Finance Committee & Contact Info

We CAN make it happen !

We CAN make it happen ! We CAN make it happen !

A second successful meeting with our General Treasurer and his staff:

*Pictured L-R

Elizabeth Caldas/RI Deputy Chief Investment Officer, John Brequet, Brian Kennedy, Sandra Paquette, David Shallcross, Aldo Palazzo, Treasurer Diossa, Rob Craven Jr. Esq. Director Of Policy, RI Office of General Treasurer.

Legislators

Supporting “ADVOCATES” goals

Listed below are the Legislators who have pledged their support, in writing for “ADVOCATES” goals in 2025

Representatives- Support in Writing

Rebecca Kislak district, 4

Raymond Hull district, 6

David Morales district, 7

Charlene Lima district, 14

Chris Paplauskas district, 15

Vincent Marzullo, district, 26

Earl Reed district, 26

Pat Serpa district, 27

Carol Hagen McEntee district, 33

Megan Cotter district, 39

Deborah Fellela district, 43

Stephen Casey district, 50

William O’Brien district, 54

Arthur Corvese district, 55

Cherie Cruz district, 58

Mary Messier, district, 62

Matthew Dawson district, 65

Susan Donovan district, 69

John Edwards district, 70

Senators –Support in Writing

Sam Bell, district 5

Frank Ciccone district 7

John Burke, district 9

Walter Felag district 10

David Quiroa district13

David Tikoain district 22

Melissa Murray district 24

Karen Gorman district 25

Todd Patalano district 26

Peter Appollonio, Jr. district 29

Susan Sosnowski district 37

Westin Place district 38

Letter #1
[Your Name]

[Your Address]

[City, State, ZIP Code]

[Email Address]

[Phone Number]

[Date]

To: Honorable Members of the State of Rhode Island Legislature

Subject: Urgent Request to Reinstate the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for Retirees

Dear Members of the Legislature, ( Personalize with their name if you wish)

I am writing to urge you to support Bill H-6238.

This legislation will at long last put an end to the injustice and hardship brought about by RIRSA 2011.

A binding legal contract was broken, our Constitution was violated, and General Assembly members were decieved.

The time has come to take action. The problem was brought about through legislation, and the solution must come through the same source.

Sincerely,

Your full name

Letter #2
[Your Name]

[Your Address]

[City, State, ZIP Code]

[Email Address]

[Phone Number]

[Date]

To: Honorable Members of the State of Rhode Island Legislature

Subject: Urgent Request to Reinstate the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for Retirees

Dear Members of the Legislature, (Personalize with specific names, including your senator and rep.)

I am writing to respectfully urge you his essential adjustment, even as the cost of basic necessities continues to rise.

COLAs are not bonuses; they are vital protections that ensure retirement benefits retain their value in the face of inflation. Without them, retirees are effectively receiving less each year—struggling to afford groceries, prescriptions, utilities, and housing on fixed incomes that have not kept pace with economic realities.

These retirees dedicated their careers to serving our communities. They upheld their end of the contract by working diligently, often under difficult and demanding conditions. It is only fair that the state honors its commitment to them by ensuring their pensions provide real economic security—not just in name, but in value.

The absence of COLA has become a matter not just of fairness, but of dignity. Reinstating the COLA would demonstrate the state’s respect for its retired workforce and restore trust in the retirement system for current and future employees.

I ask you to act decisively and compassionately by supporting the passage of Bill H-6238 to reinstate the COLA for our retirees. Your leadership can make a tangible difference in the lives of those who gave their careers in service to the public.

Thank you for your attention and your commitment to the well-being of all citizens.

Sincerely,

[Your Full Name]

Email addresses for your convenience:

rep-shekarchi@rilegislature.gov

governor.ri.gov/contact

sen-lawson@rilegislature.gov

FIND ALL emails for REP’s and Senators Here: https://www.rilegislature.gov

LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN

Please flood the legislators with your letters. Urge them to support Bill H-6238 to reinstate the COLA.

Just 1 letter from each of our ADVOCATE members = 5,000 letters/emails. Let’s make sure they cannot ignore their responsibility to their constituents. Every voice matters!

Include members of the House and Senate Finance Committees, Speaker Shekarchi, and your own Representatives and Senators.

ERSRI

BOARD UPDATES

Sandra Paquette & Aldo Palazzo

-

Sandra Paquette & Aldo Palazzo - Sandra Paquette & Aldo Palazzo -

Our 4 Goals

  1. Restore COLA to ALL Retirees.

  2. Eliminate caps on base amount of retirement income.

  3. COLA based on CPI

  4. Reduce Rule of 95 to 90

ERSRI Retirement Board Mtg.

May 14, 2025 Wednesday

9:00 A.M. 2nd Floor Conference Room

50 Service Avenue

Warwick, RI

Also streaming via Zoom, Dial in 1- 929-205-6099

Access code: 868 5016 3336

Link: https://treasury-ri-gov.zoom.us/j/86850163336

TESTIMONIALS

Member Resource Hub

Find your legislators emails, and other important information here: To find your legislator, click on the blue links below. Find your Rep, or Senator and click on their photo. Scroll down and you’ll see their information including the email address.

https://www.rilegislature.gov/senators/default.aspx

https://www.rilegislature.gov/representatives/default.aspx

UPDATES

Information and a question for: Advocates for COLA Restoration and Pension Reform

1.As of now, we can confirm that RIFTHP, Council 94 Retires, and some MERS groups are testifying against this redirection.

2.At this week’s Pension Board Meeting, your two representatives brought forward an agenda item to discuss McKee’s proposed redirection. About half of those present spoke in agreement with the need to take action to prevent this from occurring. We will present a resolution detailing this at the March meeting, where a vote will be taken.

3. Brian and Aldo met with Treasurer Diossa to clarify the inaccurate use of the term COLA used to define what are actually increased benefits.The treasurer was interested and did not disagree.

4. A meeting between myself and Maribeth Calabro, now head of the RIFTHP, took place this week at their headquarters. It was both positive and productive, focusing on the issues that we share. As a note to active teachers in this group, Maribeth is encouraging communication with your local leaders to make known your priorities and needs.

 5. A reminder that our Advocates Planning Committee will be meeting with Treasurer Diossa, and hopefully the head of the State Investment Commission on February 27. Please send a copy of your personal letters to my email address,stating exactly how the consequences of RIRSA 2011 are affecting your life. I plan to hand deliver these at the meeting, highlighting the severity of the crisis.

6.Our committee would very much like to have in- person contact with you, our fellow fighters. How would you feel about an informal “Coffee with the Committee”, held at a local Panera (?) where Aldo or myself would provide info and answer your questions? Please respond to my email for planning purposes.

Sandrapaquette1@aol.com

Join our cause

to fully restore ALL COLA’s

Check out & Join our FB group: http://www.facebook.com

Advocates for COLA Restoration and Pension Reform

Email questions to:

advocate4cola@gmail.com

Updates: 5/15/25

Debi Catamero

advocate4cola@gmail.com