AHPA attacks the FOP's legislative agenda - ends up embarrassed.
In the interests of keeping DPS employees accurately informed, the Fraternal Order of Police DPS Labor Council has created this Myth vs. Fact web page. Why? Because, occasionally, the AHPA has a history of fostering wildly inaccurate myths, which we feel should be corrected by a complete examination of the facts.
Myth:
During the 2006 Legislative session, the AHPA would work to obtain a DROP for DPS civilian employees.
In a series of blatantly misleading hit pieces, the AHPA claimed the FOP did not have a 2006 Legislative Agenda AND stated that the AHPA's legislative agenda included obtaining a DROP for civilians.
Fact:
No AHPA action was taken to design a different civilian DROP program.
No AHPA contact was made with ASRS to work towards a different civilian DROP. Mr. Klein from ASRS testified that AHPA had not contacted ASRS before the presentation to discuss a civilian DROP.
No civilian DROP bill was drafted or sponsored by AHPA.
The AHPA did discuss the need for a civilian DROP in an unusual legislative committee meeting; however, neither a draft bill nor a description of the civilian DROP was offered. No vote was possible as there was no bill to vote upon. Jack Cross spoke to the committee and could not describe how a DROP for civilians would work. They did describe how the PSPRS DROP worked.
No actuarial study was requested or conducted. Per the legislative rules, an actuarial study MUST be completed before consideration of a new retirement benefit.
The existing civilian DROP program was repealed by the legislature.
NOTE: During the 2006 legislative session, the Fraternal Order of Police submitted a bill to the legislature asking for a DROP for CORP participants ( Corrections Officers and Dispatchers). The FOP designed the DROP for CORP, obtained the necessary actuarial studies and successfully pushed the bill through the legislature. The DROP for CORP, including Dispatchers, was approved unanimously by the Senate and House. The Governor signed the DROP bill and it will be effective September 21, 2006.
Check out the facts....
Those of us who know the legislative process recognized the AHPA 2006 Legislative Goals announcement as an ill conceived empty promise designed to entice DPS civilian employees to join the AHPA.
When voting for an organization to represent your interests, you should look closely at the outstanding legislative success of the FOP. The other organization simply makes empty promises, while the FOP produces results.
AHPA CLAIM: The FOP did not have a 2006 Legislative agenda.
FACT: The FOP's 2006 legislative agenda was published in November of 2006. See www.azfoplegislation.com Our FOP agenda was falsely portrayed by AHPA as "none" in the hit piece sent out by AHPA. See picture below.
FACT: The FOP attained a 100% success for the items on our 2006 legislative agenda.
FACT: The AHPA achieved none of their "published" agenda items listed on the "Hit Piece."
AHPA CLAIM: In the same hit piece, the AHPA claimed that they had an AHPA legislative agenda, which, among other unattained items, included a "Drop Expansion for Civilians".
FACT: No AHPA Civilian DROP proposal was ever drafted, researched, coordinated or shared with anybody. THE AHPA representative did make an unusual 15 minute "speech" in front of the Retirement Committee, however, no bill was ever presented for consideration and the "speech" did not present any details about how the civilian DROP would work. The "speech" simply extolled the virtues of the PSPRS DROP without any relation to the completely different retirement eligibility in ASRS.
AHPA CLAIM: "... we are working with ASRS and Representative Marian McClure on developing the legislation creating a DROP program for ASRS, but it has not yet been introduced to receive a bill number" - Posted on the AHPA web site.
FACT: The first step to obtaining a DROP is to coordinate with the retirement system. During the AHPA presentation, the ASRS representative flatly stated that AHPA never contacted them or made any civilian DROP proposal for ASRS to review. This statement was made in testimony to the Retirement Committee on the last day permitted for the committee to consider bills.
FACT: The existing civilian DROP, which did not meet IRS guidelines and had no participants, was repealed.
