The bad economy finally caught up with me

[retdetsgt]

Thanks for the information. They are starting to teach CJ classes at a few High Schools here too. I’ve thought about teaching at the Junior College level, but that won’t be for a few years.

That was my goal when I retired, to teach at the community college level. I even got a masters for that reason..... Then I found out what they paid..... It's hard (at least up here) to get a job starting out full time teaching and the pay for part time is about like working in a convenience store if you count the time you spend out of class grading and preparing lesson plans.

[Creeker]

... I even tried to go to the civil division and serve papers, but the Under Sheriff said, “no full duty, no job. If you can’t work everywhere you can’t work anywhere. “

I know there is something I can do. I just have to find the place that will let me do it.

After 23 years, BTDT, my friend.

My difficulty is that I'm under a Commie Medical Retirement wherin I can only earn about what a Walmart Greeter makes part time or I pay back the overage as a warning the first time & lose the retirement afterwards.

What is interesting enough to do for about $12,500 a year until I'm 55? I've got about 7 years to go.

[retdetsgt]

After 23 years, BTDT, my friend.

My difficulty is that I'm under a Commie Medical Retirement wherin I can only earn about what a Walmart Greeter makes part time or I pay back the overage as a warning the first time & lose the retirement afterwards.

What is interesting enough to do for about $12,500 a year until I'm 55? I've got about 7 years to go.

Mine was such that if I earned more than 25% of what my disability pay was (I was only on it for two years), my pay would be reduced one dollar for every two dollars over that. However I would always get a minimum of 25% no matter how much I made.

But my disability pay was pretty good. I got 75% of what ever a current Sgt in my Dept was making, tax free. I had to pay for all of my health insurance premiums though. In 2000, when I would have had 30 years, I was retired at the full retirement rate.

I wasn't on state workman's comp though. There was never a cash payout like some get when they go off on disability. I know some guys on other depts that got several hundred thousand for a career ending injury.

People hired after the first of the year on my dept are on all the state retirement and workman's comp plans now though.

[Creeker]

Mine was such that if I earned more than 25% of what my disability pay was (I was only on it for two years), my pay would be reduced one dollar for every two dollars over that. However I would always get a minimum of 25% no matter how much I made.

But my disability pay was pretty good. I got 75% of what ever a current Sgt in my Dept was making, tax free. I had to pay for all of my health insurance premiums though. In 2000, when I would have had 30 years, I was retired at the full retirement rate.

I wasn't on state workman's comp though. There was never a cash payout like some get when they go off on disability. I know some guys on other depts that got several hundred thousand for a career ending injury.

People hired after the first of the year on my dept are on all the state retirement and workman's comp plans now though.

Yes, I got a payout initially from the WC injury(s), which paid some bills and for a couple of vacations, then got the service credit until I turn 55 from the State Retirement system, which gave me a retirement of 34 years.

Hindsight being 20/20, we should have paid off the house. As is, it will be paid for in 5 or 6 years, but still...

I haven't seen a COLA on the Retirement for 2 years now, and likely won't see one this year either.

My wife keeps pushing me to the SS, but can't understand that I wouldn't qualify.

[retdetsgt]

I haven't seen a COLA on the Retirement for 2 years now, and likely won't see one this year either.

My wife keeps pushing me to the SS, but can't understand that I wouldn't qualify.

I've gotten 2% the last couple of years, but may not next year.

Yeah, SS is tough to get. They seem to always refuse just about everyone initially.

[Creeker]

I've gotten 2% the last couple of years, but may not next year.

Yeah, SS is tough to get. They seem to always refuse just about everyone initially.

She doesn't get the fact that just because I can't wrestle with bad guys anymore doesn't mean that I can't sit at a computer monitor or video screen... like I do, now...( ) or even work a checkpoint to a certain extent.

**It took me fighting with my Disability Insurance company to realise that, when they refused to pay out. "Disability" in LE definitions does not necessarily equate to Disability in Insurance definitions. It would have been nice for the County to have explained that when they were hawking it... prior to taking a few thousand $ over the years out of my paycheck.

**Emphasis added for LEO's who pay for the optional "Disability Insurance" from their paychecks.

[retdetsgt]

She doesn't get the fact that just because I can't wrestle with bad guys anymore doesn't mean that I can't sit at a computer monitor or video screen... like I do, now...( ) or even work a checkpoint to a certain extent.

**It took me fighting with my Disability Insurance company to realise that, when they refused to pay out. "Disability" in LE definitions does not necessarily equate to Disability in Insurance definitions. It would have been nice for the County to have explained that when they were hawking it... prior to taking a few thousand $ over the years out of my paycheck.

**Emphasis added for LEO's who pay for the optional "Disability Insurance" from their paychecks.

I was buying supplemental life insurance through the city and when I went off on disability, I noticed there was a clause that said they would waive the premium if I was disabled.

I applied for it and got it. The insurance is only good until I'm 65, but it's free until then.

I know a couple of guys that had disability insurance on their car loans when they went off and their loans were paid.

You were definitely screwed. I used to carry disability insurance that covered me if I was injured off duty and couldn't work as a cop. At some point, the union picked it up though. I wasn't too worried if I got injured at work, we are covered pretty well.

A friend of mine's wife has fibromyalgia and applied with SS for disability. It was initially refused, but they appealed it and she won. I know several people who have applied for disability through them and have had to fight for it. (Which is good, but odd for the feds. They usually give away everything).

The SSA is hard to deal with on about everything except filing for retirement. I have to admit, they make that easy and the people are helpful. Everything else is difficult.

I got my SS card when I was in the 5th grade, the teacher brought apps in for us. Being a kid, I put my first name down as "Jim" rather than James and that was on my card when I got it. My mother did something and I got a card with James on it, but it was typed. I never thought anymore about it until I started getting yearly statements with "Jim" on it.

I figured I better get it changed and that's when the nightmare started. Since I had no legal papers showing Jim as my name, they wouldn't let me change it.... Seriously. I finally wrote my liberal, Democrat Congressional Representative who had one of his staff call me. I told her the situation and the next day the head of the local SSA office called me and made me an appt to come in with my birth certificate and my DD-214. Suddenly, it was no problem. Sucks to have to have a congressman help you do something as simple as that.

[corporal716]

I had long term disability insurance that made up the difference between my workman’s comp and my regular pay. When the term ran out it was gone, but by that time my retirement was set and the laps was only one month. We didn’t get a COLA this year and as of January 1st the county is no longer contributing toward medical insurance for retirees.

[retdetsgt]

The city pays our medical insurance premiums for the first year we're off on disability, but not retirement at all. After that, we're on our own.

The only good news is that the police and fire here negotiate their own insurance premiums and it's less than what the other city employees pay.

Now that my wife's retired, our medical insurance is about 900 bucks a month, which is still cheaper than if we got it through the state, where she worked.

Next year I'll be on Medicare and will buy supplemental through them, but still pay for hers for 5 more years.

[corporal716]

My difficulty is that I'm under a Commie Medical Retirement wherin I can only earn about what a Walmart Greeter makes part time or I pay back the overage as a warning the first time & lose the retirement afterwards.

That’s an area where I’m okay. As long as I’m working outside of the retirement system I retired from I don’t have earning restrictions. If I were to work for a contributing agency, I would have a restriction on the number of hours I could work and would not be allowed to earn anything toward retirement.

[Creeker]

Have either of you filed for a "Homestead Exemption" for your Property Taxes?

I filed for it this year after I happened across it... 5 years after I was eligible. My state specifically allows disabled LEO and Firemen to have the exemption... and I've been led to believe that it is a Federal Program thru the state.

I was at first denied because the State Department of Revenue claimed I wasn't a disabled LEO, after I sent them the entire W/C findings... despite the fact that the Revenue Department could have easily checked with the State Retirement System &/or State Workmans Comp.

In my appeal, I sent them just the first page with the Case # on it as well as the last page with the actual ruling on it, then sent copies of everything to both my State Senator and my State Rep, explaining that I expected to have problems with it.

I got a call from my State Senator's rep the next day who told me they were in touch with the Revenuers and should have my issue sorted out by the following week, but I got a call from them that Friday telling me that I'd been approved.

I just got my Property tax bill, and I'm suspicious enough to think there's some data entry gone wrong. My Bill went from $800 down to $150... and there's no other explaination other than the $150 is for Solid Waste and some other fee

My Escrowed overage is going into an extra house payment on the principle.

I've found no other tax or licensing reductions, programs or anything else that benefits disabled LEO's or public safety workers in my state.

There are several for Disabled Military members, which I don't begrudge them at all.

[suzanne1020U.S.]

How about working with an L.E. owned and operated celebrity detail company?
There is a very well respected agency in L.A. that hires mostly, if not all, active or retired LEO's.
If not, go with an LE owned and operated P.I. company for employment while going for your degree.

Good luck to you, and I just know things will work out for you!

[retdetsgt]

There are several for Disabled Military members, which I don't begrudge them at all.

We don't have it for police or fire, but Oregon does for military. I agree wholeheartedly with the military exemption, not so much with the fire and police.

At least in Oregon, disabled fire and police are fairly well taken care of. There are a lot of disabled people who could use the property tax exemption more than we could.

Property tax is the one tax I don't mind paying so much. It stays pretty local and there isn't nearly as much waste. But I would like to get an exemption from federal income tax. That's the money that's pissed away.

Count your blessings on your property tax anyway, Creeker. I just sent a check to my county for $3400 to pay mine. (No sales tax though)

[Adrenolize]

A few of my retired friends are doing security for the US Marshall's at key Federal Offices. I think they really stepped up this kind of thing after the Oklahoma City bombing. They had badges and guns, but wore blazers and slacks in a semi-uniformed environment. After talking to them, it seems that this is done across the country.

I don't know if it requires a full degree or not, but it may be worth looking into. Good luck with your search!

[retdetsgt]

I don't know if it requires a full degree or not, but it may be worth looking into. Good luck with your search!

No, it doesn't. We have a lot of retired guys working at the federal courthouse here. Boring as hell though.