NJ Cops May18 | Page 4

The President’s Message Remembering Bobby Smith and matters related to PFRS The Long Road NEW JERSEY JERSEY STATE NEW POLICEMEN’S BENEVOLENT BENEVOLENT POLICEMEN’S ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE BOARD BOARD EXECUTIVE PATRICK COLLIGAN PATRICK COLLIGAN State President President MARC KOVAR MARC KOVAR Executive Vice President Executive Vice-President Peter Andreyev Andreyev 1st 1st Vice-President Vice President Henry Henry Werner Werner 2nd Vice-President Vice President Michael Pellegrino Pellegrino 3rd 3rd Vice-President Vice President Mark Aurigemma Aurigemma 4th 4th Vice-President Vice President Eugene Eugene Dello Dello 5th 5th Vice-President Vice President Keith Bennett 6th Vice Vice-President Richard Kott 6th President Richard Kott Vice-President Frederick Ludd 7th 7th Vice President Frederick Ludd, Sr. Luke Sciallo 8th 8th Vice Vice-President President Luke P. Sciallo 9th Vice-President Frank Cipully 9th Vice President Frank P. Cipully Ed Carattini, Jr. 10th 10th Vice-President Vice President John Cernek 11th Vice-President Michael Freeman 11th Vice President Ed Carattini, Jr. 12th Bryan Flammia 12th Vice-President Vice President Michael Kaniuk Michael Kaniuk Financial Financial Secretary Secretary Margaret Hammond Margaret Hammond Recording Recording Secretary Secretary John John Monsees Monsees Treasurer Treasurer Michael Freeman Trustee Robert Ormezzano Trustee Bryan Flammia Trustee Terrance Benson, Sr. Trustee Robert Ormezzano Trustee Rodney Furby Trustee Terrance Benson, Sr. Trustee Charles Schwartz Trustee Rodney Furby Trustee Patrick Moran Trustee Charles Schwartz Trustee Joseph Macones Trustee Patrick Moran Trustee Michael Tardio Trustee Joseph A. Macones Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Heller Sergeant-at-Arms Sean Plasket Sergeant-at-Arms Keith Curry Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Tardio Sergeant-at-Arms Christopher Ricciotti Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Heller Sergeant-at-Arms John Granahan Sergeant-at-Arms Keith Curry Sergeant-at-Arms Andrew Pacucci Sergeant-at-Arms Christopher Ricciotti Sergeant-at-Arms Joseph Nigro Sergeant-at-Arms John Granahan Sergeant-at-Arms Mark Piercy Sergeant-at-Arms Andrew Pacucci Sergeant-at-Arms Christopher Ebert Sergeant-at-Arms Joseph Nigro Sergeant-at-Arms Brian Brownlie Sergeant-at-Arms Kelly Polack Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Palmentieri Sergeant-at-Arms Glenn Pagano Sergeant-at-Arms Stephen Warren Sergeant-at-Arms 4 NEW JERSEY JERSEY COPS COPS NEW ■ OCTOBER MAY 2018 2016 ■ A journey is those about of to us end, an at exciting trip is about to begin. What On Sept. 16, who and were the PBA new Convention in Phoenix had the started as an honor idea a of few years Louisiana ago, after State a very flawed Bobby commission report extraordinary hearing Trooper Smith tell the scared out of us, is truly about to become law. story of the his hell incredible, and unbelievable, journey through life. His story Many of you know the story. A governor named Chris Christie decided to had what I know will be a profound and lasting impact on many of our lives commission yet another pension study and asked Thomas Healey (and oth- that day. ers) to draft “A Roadmap to Resolution.” All the previous commissions over On Oct. had 2, we woke up an to the surreal stunning news that revelation: Bobby Smith had passed the years uncovered absolutely the state had to Patrick Patrick away night. I can’t even begin to adequately tell his story on these make through pension the payments! Colligan If you weren’t the convention and want to learn about his inspiring Colligan pages. Of course, Christie at knew better. Hindsight showed us that this “roadmap” story please see page visit www.visionsofcourage.com. We this lost roadmap another was as successful as 52 his or other brilliant traffic ideas. At least thankfully just ended in a dead end. taught more than 1 million people since true hero on Oct. 2, a blind man who As how usual to with 1986 see. that governor, the guy tasked with writing the report was forbidden by his eminence to to Jersey any of politics, the stakeholders. brilliant idea: the in pensions, If you follow talk New even a little Yet bit, another you witnessed one hell Save of a ride the first but make sure you don’t talk to anybody actually getting one. days of October. If you weren’t happy with the political landscape at any one moment in those Well, one day in an unnamed capital city in New Jersey, in an unnamed State Street office days, you only had to wait about 15 minutes for the score to change. The score changed often. building, we had the opportunity to meet Mr. Healey and one of the unnamed commission It forced us, for many reasons, to endorse a gubernatorial candidate much quicker than we members. Very covert stuff, I know. The “roadmap” was close to being done, and we want- had anticipated. I will explain in. the landscape and how the quickly at our Oct. 18 state ed the opportunity to weigh Mr. Healey described plan it at moved the time. meeting. We also have the great honor of introducing our endorsed candidate, Ambassador I have absolutely no doubt that it would be disputed today, but Mr. Healey calmly de- Phil Murphy, at that meeting. scribed how the systems will all be blended, and that all public employee pensions will be Later where in the they pages of this issue you be will hear more into about the type plan of to hybrid split PFRS from frozen currently are and transferred some system for the the remainder of their careers. state as a