Comments on: Group Touts New Pension Initiative

By: Dr.C

Dr.C — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:13:04 +0000

Why allow sick pay to be banked? My company doesn’t allow that. The employee is going to take the sick leave one way or another. They should just combine sick leave with vacation like some companies do and let the employee take the time off they have allowed.

By: Charles

Charles — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 01:16:40 +0000

Your idea of not allowing sick leave to be included in retirement calculations for years served will backfire on you. Either the retiree will leave with no sick leave, or will bank it all and go on sick leave for a year or two before they officially retire and get more money that way.

And I will repeat ad nauseum California State Employees can not spike their pensions with overtime, vacation pay or any of the other stuff local governments allow. Only your years salary counts. Sick leave can be put towards more months of service, not used to top off your highest pay. I have no idea whatsoever why the locals allow this.

By: B

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:18:37 +0000

It is a shame that the bad deeds of a few will ultimately cost many very hard working civil service employees their ability to make ends meet.

I am sure the retribution toward the voters will be noticeable when calling for some form of service and it is a long time coming.

Do we attack the private sector as well and limit the profit sharing, 401K’s, free onsite childcare, have the employee pay Medical coverage, OHHH, and let us take away the Xmas bonuses, so profit will be higher for the Executive Officers to walk off with as many already do.

By: Steve Turnbill

Steve Turnbill — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 17:12:46 +0000

While this reform in many ways is needed for future employees, any of this relating to current retirees or indeed employees betrays a complete ignorance of so many cornerstone areas federal and state law I don’t know where to start.I think reformers though are waking up to this and starting to get more real with proposals…

By: David from Oceanside

David from Oceanside — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 15:39:40 +0000

I am grateful to see any move to end this form of taxpayer abuse and immoral class system. However we much go much further with the current crop of employees or we are screwed.

By: Sunday Reading – 12/05/10 « Romick in Oakley

Sunday Reading – 12/05/10 « Romick in Oakley — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 14:36:27 +0000

[…] Group Touts New Pension Initiative – A pension reform organization has released a draft initiative plan for the 2012 ballot that would require public employees to pay half their retirement benefit costs, mandate defined contribution plans for new employees, significantly limit public pension benefits and require public employers to fully fund all pension and retiree medical benefit plans by 2020. The initiative will impose stringent new rules on the governance structure of public pension plans. […]

By: Michael Fuss

Michael Fuss — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 07:12:05 +0000

Luckily some cities like San Franciso currently have direct democracy with regards to some aspects of public employee compensation packages. Additionally direct democracy has strong legal precedent in both state and federal jurisprudence. L.C. gave us no resistance to the direct democracy component in the 6 months that we have been working with them. The initiative, referrendum and recall that have been in place in California and many other states for the better part of a century have survived numerous court challenges. Having said that, we do expect meritless legal challenges regardless as the stakes are large.

By: SkippingDog

SkippingDog — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 05:53:43 +0000

The 14th Amendment won’t be your only concern, Michael. How do you square your proposal with the requirement that each state guarantee a “republican form of government” under the US Constitution. A republican form of government uses elected representatives to enact the laws, not direct democracy.

You should be prepared for a significant challenge on that regard as well.

By: john moore

john moore — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 05:22:10 +0000

If “1.” Employees to pay half of the actuarial costs,means employees will pay half of rates required to eliminate actuarial deficits,here in pacific grove,most of the employees would have to work for nothing(contribute their entire salary) and borrow money to pay the additional sums needed to pay for employee defined benefit pensions. Here in Pacific Grove,the city pays 1.2 million per year to Calpers,but since 2003,it has incurred 38 million in pension bond debt and now has a current unfunded deficit of 35 million dollars.Chapter 9,or elimination of a paid police and fire dept. is just a matter of time. Seven million would be undoable,but 73 million in 7 years. With Calpers investing,no defined benefit plan is thinkable.

By: Michael Fuss

Michael Fuss — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 03:11:16 +0000

We wish Ms Fritz and her organization good luck. Perhaps if theirs takes off ours won’t be as necessary. The rough draft of our initiative that was submitted to the Legislative Counsel can be viewed at:

http://www.cavoteonpublicemployeepay.org/

The most recent version that we got back from L.C. is a lot cleaner though we are still working out a 14th Amendment concern so the final version has not yet been put up on our site.