Retired Workers Aren’t Getting Checks

Alabama Mobile Retired Prichard City workers learn the check is not in the mail.

by Steve Alexander

Published: Thu, October 01, 2009 - 9:23 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, October 01, 2009 - 10:20 pm CST

PRICHARD, Alabama - The day many retired workers in our area have been fearing has arrived.
The checks aren't in the mail.
Retired city workers in Prichard did not get their pension checks on the first of the month as usual.
Many are wondering what to do now.
Retired worker Alfred Arnold said, "We had direct deposit. We have not received anything."
Another retired worker, Norman Raley, said Thursday, "Yesterday was the 30th, this is the first. No check this morning after midnight."
Those are some of the stories retired Prichard city workers told at Thursday afternoon's city council meeting.
City Council Member and Pension Board Chairperson Troy Ephriam confirmed the news.
Ephriam said, "I was clinging onto a last little bit of hope that maybe somewhere along the way that the funds could have been found, and I was actually informed today that there were no additional deposits to make the payments, unfortunately and regrettably."
Now, many retired workers and their spouses are wondering how they're going to pay their bills.
Raley said, "I've got about $400 worth of medication for me and my wife."
Mary Berg, the wife of a retired worker, said, "I'm a widow and I pay my mortgage with this payment."
But Ephriam said, "Right now, the funds have just not been identified yet. That doesn't mean efforts have stopped. I think all efforts are going to be continual. Its just a matter of what and when."
Ephriam said the Prichard City Council Finance Committee is set to meet Monday to look at additional cuts to the proposed budget.
And he hopes that money could be freed up to put in the pension fund.

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Razorsharp Says:

Fri, Oct 02, 2009 at 11:59 am

Ickthus, you and I think so much alike it is scary! You are exactly right. Everyone has a price, and even the auditors could be bought. The leaders in Prichard are masters at “shady” deals and would eat these auditors for lunch. Sad…but true. So, who is watching the watchers?

ickthus Says:

Fri, Oct 02, 2009 at 6:36 am

who would you talk to about it? troy king or the fbi? would they do something or let time run out? that is just one of the ways they deal with most things. run out, cop out, sell out, hide out

Alabama Patriot Says:

Fri, Oct 02, 2009 at 6:16 am

The mayor and city leaders probably used it as a slush fund that was *free* money for them to use as they wished. They did not put it in a savings account that would accrue interest and use it for its intended purpose. This might be considered unethical and very dishonest. An audit should be made by the state of Alabama of the city of Prichard’s financial records and a determination if criminal charges need to be filed on the city leaders. Now as far as the misuse of the retirement fund (and possibly other funds also), I wonder if the city of Mobile’s mayor and city council are doing the same thing? Maybe this should be checked out to. JMO

Rusty Says:

Fri, Oct 02, 2009 at 5:26 am

All the fun making about Prichard is fine but the damn truth is these people worked for their retirement money though in a that we all know was failed to fall. But pension money was suppose to be already put aside. So somebody has been dipping in the till. But as much as I would like to see the city of Prichard go away these people have to live and on welfare or some like is not what they work all those years for. I myself would not know what to do if I lost all of my retirement/disability.

bamafan Says:

Fri, Oct 02, 2009 at 4:43 am

I wonder if the mayor,city council,judges of the esteemed city of Prichard would like to give up their pay,for a little while just to see how it feels. Seems like that might be the ticket. What happen to the money they paid in.Is this one of Obamas’ obaminations?

Rachel Says:

Fri, Oct 02, 2009 at 2:12 am

What do you expect from ole PA,aint like anyone is going to get in there and run that place the right way.Let me guess…..PA needs a bailout?

retiree Says:

Fri, Oct 02, 2009 at 1:56 am

You wrote that Ms. Berg is a widow of a retired worker. She actually retired from the City of Prichard. She is a widow but not of a retired worker.

ickthus Says:

Thu, Oct 01, 2009 at 10:16 pm

well the dogs at the pound did die. why no one took care of them? no money? no workers? they never up dated the story or i missed it. some tree hugger was having a cow about it on the forums. just a little shout out to my girl. she left the web site cus no one cared. lost the dog, lost the tree hugger and lost bingo. it comes in threes i tell you.