Will the PERA Board Members Respond? Or Are They Cowards?

This morning, I sent this letter to the members of the PERA (Public Employees Retirement Association) board regarding the executive session they went in to on Jan. 8, 2019. Will they respond? Are they accountable to the public and the 40,00 retirees they are supposed to serve?

We'll see.

I'll publish any and all responses I get to the questions below. And I'll let you know which board members refused to respond.

Here's what I emailed them:

Dear PERA Board Members,

Is it true that during Executive Session at the PERA Board meeting on January 8, 2019, that some PERA Board members openly discussed a potential criminal act, meaning, a possible violation of the New Mexico Self-Enrichment act, and how to either cover it up or make it legal? If this did occur what was your response?

Did any of you suggest that the potential criminal act could be fixed by taking the board back out into public session and voting to retroactively approve the 2 percent raise that PERA Executive Director Wayne Probst gave to himself in 2018?

Do you believe that by going into executive session you are absolved from reporting possible criminal acts of employees to your members (retirees) and to the general public, the taxpayers who fund PERA's retirement plans, and to law enforcement officials? If so please explain why.

If any of you suggested the above, please state your name and your reasons for wanting to cover up a possible criminal act. I will make it public on my website, http://www.ABQReport.com.

I will make these questions and your responses, or non-responses, public.

As elected officials, whom do you represent? PERA's administration? The 40,00 retirees you represent? Or the general public and taxpayers who fund the PERA funds?

Thank you for your prompt responses. I look forward to publishing them.

Dennis Domrzalski

Editor

ABQReport