Current empolees will probably need to feel that a fair play approach has been taken if you want those employees to maintain or improve their job performance when pension reform for current future time served is modified to be less than their prior worked time benefit accrual. How that blending of past and future benefits is done to beat serve the public may be key to the long term net social benefit of pension reform. Having Tier 11 employees (Plan C) working next to someone with years of service under a system (Plan A) and a blended new benefit package (Plan B) for the next 20-30 years could wreck havoc on a public agency. I was a mid level manager for my last 7 years. I was okay. I would have a hell of a time managing those same 18 guys with drastic reductions in their future pay and pension benefits.

The country would be VASTLY better off if elections were publicly funded and any politician who accepted one dime (or a job) before, during, (or say for 10 years after) leaving office were immediately executed (just kidding of course, but my point is clear).

It sickens me that a Congressman’s vote influenced by a measly $1,000 contribution from a lobbyist could cost taxpayers $10 Million in benefits to the company/industry he represents. Or how about the Bridge to Nowhere (Alaska) or all the purported “reasons” why American’s cannot import cheaper Drugs from Canada (all nonsense), the decision clearly due to the money and influence of the Drug companies.

As to your last paragraph, I can’t think of a worse Supreme court decision than the recent one granting Corporations the right to make unlimited donations to those running for office. What stops Exxon, Google, etc. from buying Congress or the White House ?

I equally think Union’s (BOTH public and Private) influence to elect those where there is a quid-pro-quo to return the favor (Obama seems to fall in this category) is a great dis-service to the country.

“To bad the Constitution’s drafters didn’t foresee the collusion between greedy Unions and corrupt, self-serving, vote-selling, contribution-soliciting elected officials.”

Can we conclude that you are in favor of publicly funded elections at all levels of government? Given the Citizen’s United decision stating that campaign contributions are just another form of 1st Amendment speech, why would you want to deprive unions and public employees of the same rights exercised by various other business and financial interests in our country?

Exchanges like ours give me hope.