DAILY LOBO new mexico
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November 23, 2010
tuesday The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
Potential retirees angry at proposal by Ruben Hamming-Green rhamminggreen@gmail.com
‘under God.’” Professor Tim Krebs said ValenteCompton’s children don’t disrupt the class. “In general, having kids in the class doesn’t change anything that I do,” he said. “Students with children have childcare challenges. I have kids and the same challenges, so I understand where they are coming from,
Proposed changes to retirement plans have UNM faculty scrambling in the face of diminishing benefits, higher costs and a longer time before retirement. The New Mexico Educational Retirement Board released a draft proposal of changes to retirement policies that would affect the University and public school faculty and staff on the plan. Merle Kennedy, president of the UNM Staff Council, said the proposed changes are troubling UNM employees. “Changing the rules when you’ve got a large part of your life invested — it just isn’t fair,” Kennedy said. “It not only doesn’t seem fair, it isn’t fair. People have made their plans for retirement, and now 10, 15, 20 years into the program, when they’re going to retire in five years ... they are told it may be up to 10 years longer than expected. That is getting into everybody’s life planning very deeply. It’s very personal for everyone.” Jan Goodwin, NMERB executive director, said the changes are necessary and would ensure the fund’s long-term sustainability. He said NMERB members with 22 years of service would keep their current retirement plans. “Currently, the present value of the benefits that have been earned are greater than the assets the fund has,” Goodwin said. Right now, members of any age, except those hired since July, may retire after 25 years of service. Under the proposal, that would change to 35 years. The current plan follows the “Rule of 75,” where the member could retire if his/her age and years of service added up to 75. Also under the proposal, members would have to be 60 years old with 30 years of service, and those who have reached age 67 with at least five years of service would also be eligible to retire. Members’ contributions would also increase by .5 percent of their salary, so employees who make less than $20,000 a year would start contributing 8.4 percent of their salary, and those who make more than that would give 9.9 percent to the ERB pool. The proposal can be modified before a final board vote Dec. 10. The proposal would then go to the NM Legislature for consideration. “What we’re trying to do now is to expand the (number of) people who will not have any changes,” Goodwin said. Kennedy said his stay at UNM would be prolonged due to the proposed changes.
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see Retirement page 3
Robert Maes / Daily Lobo Cara Valente-Compton (center) is surrounded by a friend, Sarah Hogan (far left), and three of her children (from left, William, Amanda and Sarah) as she studies at the dinner table. ValenteCompton, 42, returned to school in early 2009 after dedicating her time to two national campaigns and her five children.
Nontraditional
by Kallie Red-Horse kallie69@unm.edu
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series on nontraditional students at UNM. It is difficult to imagine anyone finding time to study at the bustling Compton household. Political science major Cara Valente-Compton, 42, somehow completes homework amid the chaos of four children, four cats and a dog scrambling around. The Compton household is a hectic atmosphere, Valente-Compton said, but her family has supported her drive to get an education. “My experience here has enhanced their desire to complete their education,” she said. “My 9-year-old wants to be a mini lawyer like me. I read my materials to them — that helps me but they learn, too. They are really soaking it in, and they see how hard work pays off.” Valente-Compton said her day begins at 6:30 a.m., and it doesn’t stop until bedtime. “My husband, Charles, gets the kids up and ready. The little ones are out the door by 7:30. Amanda is out by 8,” she said. “Charles drops me off, and I am usually on campus by about 8:30. I like to sit outside, even if it is cold, and look at the trees and stuff before class. I have class all day and usually leave campus about 5. I come home, make dinner, take kids
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to activities, play cards with my next door neighbor, and do homework. It’s a lot.” Valente-Compton, a mother of five, returned to school in January 2009 after completing work for Sen. Tom Udall and President Obama’s campaigns. “My dream my whole life has been to go to law school and be a lawyer, so that is what I’m doing,” she said. “Most of my professional life, I have worked for politics or health care, and when I found myself out of work, I decided that rather than go for another job. I was going to apply to UNM to finish my undergraduate work.” When she was 18, Valente-Compton said her family didn’t have money for her to go to college, and she wasn’t aware of the programs available to underprivileged students. “I have made some different choices and I have kind of wandered a bit,” she said. “I don’t regret any of it. I have a wonderful life.” Then, motherhood took priority over returning to school, ValenteCompton said. She moved to Missouri after marrying her husband, Charles Compton, and returned to New Mexico in 2005. “I feel like I spent all of those years in Missouri with me being pregnant or with an infant,” she said. “In the nine years we were there, we had four kids, so it really was pretty much like that. We had three in diapers at the same time, which was tough.” Valente-Compton’s children — Amanda, 12; Sarah, 10; Madeline, 9; William, 6 — said they are proud of their mother for going back to school. Madeline said she enjoys accompanying her mother to class. “It has been really, really good
Illustration by Adam Aparicio
Mother of five juggles school, kids
having her in school,” Madeline said. “It has been more exciting and fun because now we get to go to UNM.” Valente-Compton’s son Willie said he led his mother’s campaigns and elections class in the pledge of allegiance. “I learned who wrote the pledge of allegiance — Francis Bellamy,” he said. “His granddaughter said he would be really mad if he heard it today because they changed it to say
Your homework can wait
Poisonous Pelosi
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TODAY
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