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Retired Employees of Stanislaus County, Inc.

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==== GOOD NEWS ====

Dear Members:

I have exceptionally good news to report! The Court of Appeal of the State of California, Fifth Appellate District, has ruled in our favor in the O'Neal, et al. v. StanCERA case!

As you may recall in this case, RESCO members, Michael O'Neal, Dennis Nasrawi and I (Rhonda Biesemeier) sued in late 2009 to stop StanCERA's practice of raiding our pension fund (including from reserves built up to pay retiree health and COLA benefits). The trial court dismissed the lawsuit, essentially stating that until our retirement checks bounced, retirees have no right to sue.

A few days ago, the Court of Appeal reversed the trial court and reinstated our lawsuit. In the opinion (Full Opinion), which we are posting our web site (and will be seeking to have published so it can be cited in trial courts throughout the state), the Court of Appeal noted that the plaintiffs (retirees) had stated a valid claim for breach of fiduciary duty due to the actions taken by StanCERA. The Court strongly implies in its opinion that StanCERA acted against the interests of the beneficiaries of the pension fund, which are the retirees.

We are discussing the next steps with our attorney, Mike Conger, but wanted to share this great news with you as soon as possible.

Once again, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your amazing support of this action. Our hopes are high as we look forward to a positive outcome in this case.

Sincerely,

Rhonda Biesemeier
President
RESCO, Inc.

Appeal Court's Opinion

WHAT IS RESCO?
RESCO represents Retired Employees of Stanislaus COunty. We are made up of retirees from Stanislaus County, Superior Court, City of Ceres, East Side Mosquito Abatement District, Hills Ferry Cemetery District, Keyes Community Services District, Salida Sanitary District, StanCOG, and the Turlock Fire District. RESCO is an independent organization of retirees, by retirees, and devoted entirely to the needs of the retirees. RESCO is the ONLY OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION that represents all retired employees of Stanislaus County and its Special Districts. Anyone who is presently receiving or anticipating a monthly retirement allowance from the Stanislaus County Employees Retirement Association (StanCERA) is eligible to become a RESCO Member. WHAT DOES RESCO DO FOR RETIREE MEMBERS?RESCO’s objectives center on the entire social, physical, medical, and economic welfare of our retirees. Our role is to advocate, educate, inform and provide fun activities for our members. This is achieved through the following:CRCEA AffiliationRESCO is an active Associate Member of California Retired County Employees Association (CRCEA), an alliance of the twenty California counties whose retirement systems were established under the 1937 Retirement Act for Counties. This umbrella organization represents 150,000+ retired county employees, and its influence cannot be underestimated. CRCEA provides us with active legislative representation in Sacramento through a paid lobbyist, and the CRCEA legislative committee. These advocates are there to support the needs of all retirees, and monitor bills that could affect retirees or the 1937 Act Retirement System. Among other things, CRCEA provides technical and informational support, training and educational seminars for RESCO Board members, and opportunities to network with the other associate counties, many of whom face the same issues that we do. Retirement Board RepresentationThe Stanislaus County Board of Retirement (StanCERA) includes our elected Retiree and Alternate Retiree Representatives who attend monthly meetings to voice the opinion of our membership. In past years we have gained several beneficial improvements due to RESCO’s active role. Quarterly NewsletterOur RESCO NEWS is published quarterly to keep members informed on all matters of concern and interest. And, it’s always fun to see which of our friends are joining the good life - RETIREMENT! RESCO WebsiteMembers can find up-to-date information about our organization, such as meeting dates and activities on our Website. You can also contact Board Members directly through our Website e-mail. Retired Health Insurance CommitteeOur Insurance Committee works closely with Patrick McTighe, Craig Lewis, and the staff of Stemler, McTighe, and Lewis Insurance to ensure that retirees are afforded the best possible health care benefits at the lowest cost. Activities, Special Events and TripsThroughout each year, RESCO plans a number of functions expressly for retirees and members of their families. It’s always fun to see and chat with old friends, and make new ones, at our well attended Annual RESCO Family Picnic which is held each August. Learn more about our activities on our Website and in our Newsletter! Quarterly Membership Luncheon MeetingsRegularly scheduled quarterly Luncheon Meetings are held for our RESCO membership. Meetings include RESCO business updates, an opportunity for members to bring up issues and concerns directly to the Board, an entertainment and/or educational program – not to mention a great time to catch up with friends and former co-workers! SEE’s Candies Discount ProgramOne of the great benefits of RESCO membership is the opportunity to purchase SEE’s Candies products at a discounted price.

WHY YOU NEED RESCO!

Once again, RESCO is the ONLY OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION that represents retired employees of Stanislaus County. Your RESCO Board works diligently for members to assure that your needs are met. It is important to all of us as retirees to have someone stand up for our rights, and RESCO is the organization to do it! We want to assure that your retirement years are secure and happy. It’s also important that you have FUN! We encourage this at all RESCO functions!
Your RESCO Board works diligently for members to assure that your needs are met. It is important to all of us as retirees to have someone stand up for our rights, and RESCO is the organization to do it!We want to assure that your retirement years are secure and happy.It’s also important that you have FUN!We encourage this at all RESCO functions!

WHY WE NEED YOU!

We need your support to maintain a healthy organization, and to have a strong voice for effective retirement representation. It is important to us to see that our members remain healthy and happy throughout their retirement years – We care about you! Your participation in RESCO is appreciated!

Call: (209) 521-1666
Email: Contact@RescoToday.com

RESCO, Inc.
1419 J Street
P.O. Box 1646
Modesto, CA 95353