MAY 2015 ANNUITANTS ASSOCIATION Past President’s Message by Gene Humke In Search of the Golden Calf So here we go again! Another elected member of Illinois government, June 11 • 1:30 p.m. under questionable circumstances, has left office. U.S. Representative ICCAA Annual Meeting Aaron Schock resigned his seat in Congress on March 17, 2015 with the effective date of March 31, 2015. He represented much of the area East peoria Campus, 212CD where Illinois Central College is located, the 18th Congressional —— • —— District. He was under investigation by the Office of Congressional June 17 • 8:30 a.m. Ethics. Even members of his staff are being investigated by the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. The question is Men’s Warm Oatmeal Club this: How has tax payer money been used by Congressman Schock and and Marching Society his staff? If convicted Aaron Schock and/or members of his staff could Childer’s Eatery • peoria be sent to prison. UnIvERSITy STREET But would this be anything new in Illinois? According to Dick Simp- —— • —— son, professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a former Chicago aldermen, 1,913 public officials in Illinois were To be announced convicted on federal charges between 1976 and 2012. (Journal Star, Newsletter Deadline March 20, 2015, page A 7). Is it surprising that the Illinois General Assembly failed to fund employee pensions properly during the last 40 years of so? Of course, not one member of the General Assembly has been indicted during this time for this offense! Will Aaron Schock available join these ranks of Illinois office holders who have ethically stumbled: PRESIDENT Governors Rod Blagojevich, George Ryan, Dan Walker, (there are Gene Humke PAST PRESIDENT others) Congressmen Dan Rostenkowski, Jesse Jackson Jr., Mel Reynolds, etc. etc. etc. Let us not forget the city employee of Marilyn Walter SECRETARY sleepy Dixon, Illinois who stole millions. Louise Heimann The big question for me and I think should be for you too is this TREASURER one: How do these people get elected in the first place?People in Bob Wegner Illinois worry about Illinois being business friendly. I think they NEwslETTER EDITOR should be just as concerned that Illinois politicans are ethically Gene Humke correct. Do you remember the Illinois Secretary of State from Vienna, SUAA & SUAA AcTION REPRESENTATIVE Illinois? He was the one who had shoe boxes of money in his apartment in Hotel Leland in Springfield that were found after his death. That was years ago, but politics in Illinois does not seem to change much. Is it Your contributions are essential not possible that having ethical government officials could give Illinois for both an informative and entertaining a reputation of being business friendly? It seems to me that too many newsletter. Anyone who would like to contribute to the ICCAA newsletter may voters do not really care. What they do care about is their bank account submit copy directly to the editor, and their social position. Bob Wegner, at [email protected]. COnTInUED On paGE 3 Insurance Committee Meeting Minutes submitted by Rich Karnopp, taken by Angie McElyea MARCH 2, 2015 MEMBERS PRESENT: Health Plan Costs has the most attractive savings Tim Anderson Tim reported that the health at 19.59%. Cottingham and Ed Babcock Butler use Truveris to facilitate Marti Bloodsaw (chair) plan costs for FY15 were up Maxine Cordell-Brunton .3% through 1/31/15. the pBM RFp. They will invite pat Garman up to eight companies to bid Richard Karnopp Plan Design and will review each contract Deb pence Brad Feldott presented a in depth. If the College does Sherry Sauder change pBMs, the new compa- Shirley Sollenberger powerpoint presentation regarding the Request ny will need 90-120 days for MEMBER ABSENT: for proposal (RFp) for our setup making the targeted Ronald Lombard pharmacy Benefit Manager effective date August 1. Ed Babcock (pBM). Four different pBMs Truveris will also do an indepth Bruce Budde (including Express Scripts) analysis to ensure the least Gregory Herron have been reviewed and disruption to employees. GUEST: preliminarily CVS/Caremark Brad Feldott – Marti stated that a communica- Cottingham and Butler tion plan would be put in place to ensure that all members are notified of the change. There was also a short discussion regarding spousal carve out and the impact that the Afford- able Care Act will have on our health plan. Marti reported that Rob Buysse from the Campus police department will be joining the committee as a representative from the Teamsters union. The meeting adjourned at 3:15 p.m. The next meeting will be determined at a later date. May 2015 2 Mark your calendar now Don’t to attend the Fo ICCAA annual rg membership e meeting! t ! June 11, 2015 1:30 p.m. East Peoria Campus Room 212CD because we are narcissistic and peoria, Illinois 61603-3756). Past President’s ask what is in it for me rather The article in the Commu- than what is in it for us. nity Word (“Aaron Schock: Message Here are some characteris- What Lay Beneath; What Lies COnTInUED from fronT tics I think the person running Ahead”) was written by George for office should have: humility, Hopkins, a professor Emeritus The title of this article is “In integrity, charity for others, at Western Illinois University in Search of the Golden Calf.” respect for others, compassion Macomb. This newspaper was The golden calf is a biblical for others, willingness to share founded by Joanne Fought’s story concerning getting rid of with others, and appreciation husband Jack. Joanne was a God and replacing Him with for what they have already former librarian who worked another—an idol called the gold- received. I am sure you can at ICC and a member of the en calf. It seems to me that the add to this list. Illinois Central College Annui- voters of Illinois too often seek a I got some of my ideas for tants Association. new golden calf to rescue them: this past president’s Message somebody to be elected to a gov- initially from the following sourc- IMPORTANT: ernment position. But if we are to es: The peoria Journal Star, As indicated in this get an honest, trustworthy can- Section C1, March 18, 2015 newsletter, our Annual didate to run for office, we need and the peoria Journal Star for Meeting will be June 11, to investigate the person and not Friday March 20, 2015. The title just accept the political party line for the first article was “Schock at 1:30 p.m. in Room and the TV ad as to the nature Resigns” and the second article 212C/D. Please attend of their character. Aaron Schock was “Bad Reputation.” There because we will need to also illustrates that the question- were other articles concerning elect officers (particular- able politician might come from this topic also in these sections ly a president), discuss anywhere and not just, as is so of the Journal Star. I would the future of our orga- often suggested in downstate also like to cite an article in the nization, and determine Illinois, from Cook County. Community Word, a monthly the disposition of our perhaps the voters in Illinois newspaper published in peoria elect questionable office holders (400 NE Jefferson St., #400, legal fund. 3 May 2015 Healthwise Hash submitted by Ed Smith wise words for Some random and unrelated health tips from recent research I found wellness here and there. T rouble swallowing pills? three minutes at a leisurely Hopkins and three other Try a “lean forward” technique. cool-down pace. Results of university hospitals have For capsules put the pill on the study testing this method found that high amounts of your tongue, take a sip of showed overweight subjects blood sugar appear to hinder water, tilt your head down a had improved blood pressure brain function as we age. little toward your chest, then and endurance. The subjects The longitudinal study followed swallow. (You’ll have to exper- used stationary bikes but over 13,000 subjects for 20 iment with how far tilt your walking, running, or other years. Subjects who had poorly head.) problems swallowing exercise equipment are controlled blood sugar in tablets? Get a soda pop bottle predicted to work, too. As middle age had a nearly 20 (not glass, flexible plastic) and always, check with your percent larger decline in fill it with water. put the tablet doctor before proceeding. memory and mental task on your tongue and your lips The study was done at Canada’s abilities after 20 years. Those on the bottle opening and McMaster University and appears in with the highest blood sugar close tightly. Tilt your head pLOS One, november 3, 2014 edition levels had decreased memory back and suck in the water and you can see it at this URL, as ability equal to someone five well: journals.plos.org/plosone/ years older. quickly without allowing air article?id=10.1371/ into the bottle. Even if you journal.pone.0111489 A summary is available in the Annals don’t have trouble swallowing of Internal Medicine, December 2, pills you probably know Are you nuts? 2014 edition, or at this URL: someone or maybe have a annals.org/article.aspx?arti- If you don’t like fish much but cleid=1983370&resultClick=3 grandchild who does and can still want those omega-3 fatty suggest these techniques to acids that are so good for you, those folks. Check with your Battling gravity? go nuts. penn State research- Cornell University researchers doctor if you routinely have ers found that foods such as trouble swallowing things.