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		<title><![CDATA[Save Alabama PACT Discussion Forum]]></title>
		<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/</link>
		<description><![CDATA[The most recent topics at Save Alabama PACT Discussion Forum.]]></description>
		<lastBuildDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:53:25 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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			<title><![CDATA[Why pave roads when funding legally binding obligations is in doubt?]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic199-why-pave-roads-when-funding-legally-binding-obligations-is-in-doubt-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I hate politics. And I detest politicians who talk out both sides of their mouths. Our legislators are setting up the future of PACT to be determined by whether or not our Universities will agree on capping tuitions, and trying to convince you, me, and the general public that this is the only way to fix PACT's legally binding debt.

Meanwhile, those same legislators are moving toward a vote on [url=http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/03/post_501.html]tapping the Alabama Trust Fund to pay for non-legally binding improvements to our roads[/url]. I'm all for fixing potholes, but why not pay off past promises before making any new ones!?! How come the same money that PACT has been told it couldn't "raid" is now there in abundance ($1B!) to pay for new ideas?

We can wear green shirts, mail postcards, and celebrate moral victories all we want, but at the end of the day the only thing that matters is whether or not PACT tuition is paid, and currently the only topic on the table for discussion includes a tuition cap that every University leader is opposed to. The conversation we should be having is to supplement the $235M that seems to already be available and uncontested for PACT with whatever else is necessary from the Trust Fund assuming tuition caps aren't acceptable, [b]and then and only then use whatever is left from the $1B to fix our roads.[/b]

Otherwise, these roads will be paved by our kids who are working instead of going to school.

[b]I don't want decisions on my kids' futures [url=http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/03/colleges_rally_at_alabama_stat.html]to be made by these people[/url].[/b]]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (KBinHoover)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:53:25 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic199-why-pave-roads-when-funding-legally-binding-obligations-is-in-doubt-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Legislature]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic157-legislature-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[People, I hope you'll write or call the legislature using the names, addresses, etc., supplied to you by our email here in Madison County.  It is vital! Again, we have 4,068 contract owners here in Madison County alone.  I'm pretty tired of talking to myself on this location.  I'm asking you to join in.  Please be a member.  What does it take to get through to you?  Volunteer to help.  Are you expecting one or two people to do it for you?  Sorry if I sound harsh, but that's the way I feel.  Find a new member!  I repeat, find a new member and give them my email:  dhpeacher@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to do my part and sent the following today, some by email and some by snail mail.

To:       The Honorable Bob Riley, Governor

House of Representatives, Education Policy
To:       The Honorable Yvonne Kennedy, Chair
            The Honorable Richard J. Lindsey, Chair,  House Education Appropriations Committe
            The Honorable Terry Spicer, Vice Chair
            The Honorable Mac McCutcheon

 Senate Education Committee
 To:       The Honorable Vivian Davis Figures,       Chair, 
             The Honorable Zeb Little, Majority Leader
             The Honorable J. T. Waggoner, Minority Leader
             The Honorable Bobby Denton

I am not going to give you a sob story about the five PACTS we are purchasing for our five grandchildren, very much a financial hardship, -  so far, around $55,000 and counting, 

A contract is a contract.  Honor it.  The State of Alabama and its legislature are being tested and there are 48,000+ contract holders out here watching your performance.  The anger is beneath the surface, but make no mistake, it is there...  Do not sell us short.  We legally deserve to get what we paid for.  

Stop dribbling out these tuition payments, semester to semester.  The wondering and worrying we  PACT owners are feeling will only cause the anger to grow.   Fund the program.  Give it your undivided attention.  Give us a guarantee that these contracts will be honored, so we can quit worrying about it, and, by the way, so can you, at election time.  

Very truly yours,

Donna H. Peacher
231 Bell Rd.
Huntsville, AL 35811
(256) 852-7817


(The above may sound a little abrupt, but I'm feeling a little abrupt. I didn't get to all of the names but I will eventually.)]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (dhpeacher)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:13:51 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic157-legislature-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[General Information]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic141-general-information-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[We mass emailed the following to the Madison County membership on 9/2/09:

Subject: PACT Newsletter, 9/09/09


In case you haven't been to our website, [url=http://www.savealabamapact.com]www.savealabamapact.com[/url] please see the latest PACT Newsletter attached.
 
This is also an opportunity to mention that if you know of any PACT contract holders, please have them get in touch with me at dhpeacher@gmail.com or call me at 852-7817. As of today, we have a total of 166 members of the Madison County chapter of Save Alabama Pact.   We haven't forgotten the people who do not use email.  If you should know of someone, please give them my phone number.  We will "snail mail" information to them.  We have several people who fit into this category and we don't want them to be forgotten.  
 
If you've been to the website, you know that our efforts to find members is beginning to pick up steam!  Various locations around the state now have leaders and are beginning to have members.  If you have any suggestions for them or us in Madison County, do not hesitate to let us know.  All ideas are appreciated.  
 
Chuck Gibb is working hard on our Madison County organization.  He will be calling a second meeting of all Madison County PACT owners in the near future.  If anyone has a suggestion for a large free meeting place (we believe we have outgrown the public library), please forward your information to Chuck at cngPACT1@comcast.net.
 
If we're going to win this fight we need you all.  Please spread the word.
 
It's for the children.
 
 
Donna Peacher]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (dhpeacher)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:43:57 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic141-general-information-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Sen. Roger Bedford letter]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic64-sen-roger-bedford-letter-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[An emailer provided this today:

"  Tried to bring our bill as a possible solution up in Senate  on Thursday and Sen.Pittman and Figures objected.
 

  Later met with Gov.R and Lt.Gov.Folsom about PACT and Gov. said had a good meeting with Dr. Bronner who agreed to do a Act. study and come back with some sound financial options.
 

 We must find a solution.
 

  Thanks,
 

  Roger"]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Jeff and Alice)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:33:35 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic64-sen-roger-bedford-letter-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Universties are worried about tuition CAP's]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic195-universties-are-worried-about-tuition-caps-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I would be interested in how many students are using the PACT program per in-state school.  And how much the schools would lose each year compared to overall revenue from tuition, if the bill passes with the tuition CAP.  I would venture to say it would be miniscule.  Has this been pointed out to our legislatures and the Board of Trustees?]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (kenbarber)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:05:55 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic195-universties-are-worried-about-tuition-caps-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Senator Preuitt does not WANT TO BE CONFUSED WITH FACTS.]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic198-senator-preuitt-does-not-want-to-be-confused-with-facts-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Well, if I only suspected that he was not totally behind a solution for the PACT problem; I have no doubt now that he is only half heartedly supporting us.

I ask him to support all the PACT bills. He reminded me that the senate bill had passed and was in the house. I explained that the house had passed 3 bills that were now in the senate for action. I ask him to especially support HB228 as it would be a lasting solution. He said that he did not think they could get away with telling the colleges and universities how much they could charge. I told him that the state had gotten away with telling them how much they could charge out of state students within a 50 mile radius of the schools so I did not think it is a problem to tell them to cap tuition for some of our own Alabama citizens whose parents and grand parents had participated in a State program to prepay tuition. He kept repeating that we could not tell then what to charge even after I had given him this fact. He said we do not know how much it cost to run the schools. I reminded him that they got money every year in the states budget and they were
state chartered and they need to be good citizens and help with the problem.  He repeated again his opposition to telling them what they could charge not knowing how much it would hurt them, I started to giving him the information about them being helped by the PACT  and the yearly amount that would be the maximum that Alabama and Auburn would lose to the cap. He interrupted me and said that he would only vote for the bill without the cap. I reminded him that without the cap the funds would not last to the end of the program. He told me they would last as far as they went and told me again that he would not vote for the Cap and said he did not know where they were getting the 260 million dollars anyway. I told he exactly where the funds were coming from. He said he knew that it was coming from the interest from the trust fund but we were already in proration. I told him that these funds were not going to affect proration either way and started to give
him some more facts and he blurted out “thank you for calling” and hung up on me.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (kenbarber)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:57:17 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic198-senator-preuitt-does-not-want-to-be-confused-with-facts-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Agenda for 2/24 PACT Board Meeting]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic197-agenda-for-224-pact-board-meeting-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Here's the [url=http://www.treasury.alabama.gov/pact/Documents/20100224_BoardMeeting/01_Agenda.pdf] agenda[/url] for tomorrow's meeting at 12:30 in Montgomery.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (KBinHoover)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:41:05 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic197-agenda-for-224-pact-board-meeting-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Postcard Drive]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic190-postcard-drive-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[We are going to have a mail your legislators a postcard drive -- cheap way to mail a tangable item to your legislator! Stop into your local chamber/visitor's center/gas station and pick up a local or State of Alabama postcard and mail in into your legislator next week -- lets fill their mail boxes will postcards! 

Post up where you found local postcards for others to know where to stop in and get the cards...

Thanks guys!]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (dhpeacher)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:04:57 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic190-postcard-drive-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Question on Decision Options]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic196-question-on-decision-options-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I purchased a PACT contract in 1994 for enrollment for 2010.  My daughter has received a scholarship for tuition and fees to AU.  I am considering my options but with all the changes, not sure of the best option.  I have another daughter that will not start college until 2015.  My plan was to transfer to her if my oldest daughter received scholarship.  If I use now with 2010 enrollment will I get credit for the tuition and fees?  Is it best to take this at this point?  Can I still transfer to daughter with enrollment for 2015 still?  Is this too risky with the current situation?]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (sman6)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:17:26 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic196-question-on-decision-options-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[4th Lawsuit filed in January]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic194-4th-lawsuit-filed-in-january-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I've just read the [url=http://www.treasury.alabama.gov/pact/Documents/PACT%20Lawsuit%204%20Complaint%201-6-2010.pdf]4th lawsuit[/url] filed on 1/6/10. Wow. I had heard that the laws governing PACT were substantially changed earlier this decade, but had never before been able to read the prior law. I seriously doubt that many of our legislators know what the prior law said, and I bet that until this lawsuit was filed Ivey et al did not know either.

[b]Anyone who purchased a PACT contract prior to 5/9/01 should read this lawsuit.[/b]

[b]Everyone who has any doubt that tuition was guaranteed by law should read this lawsuit.[/b]

Pay close attention to items 27-31 on pages 7-8.

Kudos to these attorneys for filing a lawsuit that is relevant, worthy of current consideration, and immediately enforceable by the courts. The courts can and should mandate tuition payment, and then the legislature can seek a funding solution without having people wearing green t-shirts always lurking around the corner, watching, and voting. I also encourage anyone reading this to forward a link to their representative.

Additional note - The plaintiff and attorney in this lawsuit is actually the same as w/ [url=http://www.treasury.alabama.gov/pact/Documents/PACT%20Lawsuit%20P%20Amd%20Complt.pdf]Lawsuit #1[/url] filed last March but withdrawn soon thereafter. I suspect it was withdrawn as there was nothing actionable for a court to rule on in that lawsuit since all tuition has been paid. This lawsuit is very different as it cites the differences in interpretation of the law and how that [i]currently[/i] impacts the decision to stay w/ PACT or to cancel that the board has forced on all of us to make right now. I suspect that these attorneys would not have re-filed this time w/out feeling strongly that this will be worthy of a court ruling as to whether tuition was guaranteed, at least with respect to the Class A plaintiffs.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (KBinHoover)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:57:37 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic194-4th-lawsuit-filed-in-january-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Candidate on our side---Judge Roy Moore!!!]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic193-candidate-on-our-sidejudge-roy-moore-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I went to a party for gubernatorial candidate Roy Moore.  I was always skeptical about him, until I met him last week.  My thoughts on this man were changed, after hearing him speak.  I believe he is a true man of God and speaks the truth.  I asked him his opinion of the PACT situation.  He said that the state of Alabama has a moral and in his opinion legal resposibility to stand behind our contracts.  I will be supporting him.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (BMCarter)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:30:41 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic193-candidate-on-our-sidejudge-roy-moore-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[What is really happening at the Legislature and elsewhere.]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic192-what-is-really-happening-at-the-legislature-and-elsewhere-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Remember this--it is never as it seems at the Legislature.  Rarely does someone come out and honestly say they are against a bill. More often, a bill dies for failure of affirmative votes, or a failure to get high enough on the special order calender, or a failure for a committee to obtain a quorom.

I support reasonable efforts to achieve a negotiated solution regarding the PACT, simply because it might provide the best possible outcome.  If that doesnt work (and I dont think it will) a resolution through one of the lawsuits against the state, and the fiduciaries, appears to be the next best option.  An amended version of the pending Montgomery lawsuit might work. 

I read a note of thanks to Paul Hubbard for supporting using the Ed. Trust Fund under certain circumstances to help fix the PACT. I would be shocked, however, if Hubbard would in reality ever allow the Educ. Trust Fund to be used.  

I would also be surprised if the timing of Lucy Baxley's comments were accidental. They fit perfectly with the state's defense against paying the contracts, and are a boost to AEA and others to kill a PACT rescue.

The only legislative chance for this bill is a very organized, concerted effort, in which each legislator is made to feel as if his seat is in jeapordy if he dosnt vote a particular way.  That is not happening at present.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Interested Parent)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:11:19 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic192-what-is-really-happening-at-the-legislature-and-elsewhere-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Guarantees?]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic191-guarantees-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[I do not remember in the 1991 PACT contract that there were any guarantees issued by the state or federal government.  Did the State of Alabama make any guarantees that the funds would be available?  If they did not then I ask, why should Alabama tax dollars or any other public funds be used to bail out PACT?]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (Sheila)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:09:03 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic191-guarantees-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[Recruitment of Madison Co. PACT Owners]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic105-recruitment-of-madison-co-pact-owners-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[Topic: General Discussion of Madison County MembersWanted to advise that we only have had 12 responses to our Madison County solicitations for contract owners.  I'm on the trail of 5 others who posted on Facebook, but with no email addresses. We desperately need to get their attention some way.  If you know any PACT owners in Madison County, please give them my email address, dhpeacher@gmail.com.  They also need to get on the master email list through [url=http://www.savealabamapact.com]www.savealabamapact.com[/url].  

I am frustrated in that I'm sure there are a lot of Madison County people on that master list, but I've tried and failed to obtain their names.  I think one problem is that they haven't requested locations with their email sign-up section.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know.  

Today, we found a restaurant (El Coyote out in Gurley) that said we could put our flyer up in their entryway.  So we need to go back out there and do it.  (By the way, they have good food!).  Star Supermarket in Five Points also let us put one up, however, Kroger said no.  

I still have made no decision about being the leader of the Madison County Group.  As I said before, I don't have a lot of stamina and I really think there are many more qualified people out there with great organizational skills.  I am great at being a "helper"!  I look forward to us all (and more) getting together and brainstorming, etc.  We are going to have our hands full in trying to save the PACT contracts.  Please be trying to think up some innovative ideas to present to our reps/senators for funding.

Please join in the conversation... we need to hear from you.

Last edited by dhpeacher (06-01-2009 12:57:38 pm)]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (dhpeacher)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:33:25 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic105-recruitment-of-madison-co-pact-owners-new-posts.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[PACT is now dead.]]></title>
			<link>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic169-pact-is-now-dead-new-posts.html</link>
			<description><![CDATA[The action today kills the PACT unless there is judicial intervention requiring payment.  There will be no voluntary legislative funding.  This is all a joke, and the insiders know it.

If this was a normal situation involving a non-profit corporation, the insurance carriers for all of the fiduciaries would be kicking in to help offset the losses caused by the mismanagement. 

The majority of the resopnsibility here falls on Ms. Ivey. She was in charge when the critical decisions were made and maintained that resulted in an entirely inappropriate risk profile for this fund, and failed to seek a fix before the crash.]]></description>
			<author><![CDATA[dummy@example.com (sandy)]]></author>
			<pubDate>Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:18:03 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.savealabamapact.com/forum/topic169-pact-is-now-dead-new-posts.html</guid>
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