Comments on: Billionaire Texas Democrat seeks to reform CA pensions

By: Ansley Park

Ansley Park — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 23:59:03 +0000

Dyspeptic is very clever with his words and name-calling. Unfortunately if you do study the history of libertarianism, you find that it is not black and white but many shades of grey. With a big grin on my face, I do have to correct his use of the word “fascist” in his name-calling of the President, specifically “progressive fascist Obummer.” You see, I did say he was clever with words. Fascism is a far right movement as communism is a far left movement. Often President Obama’s haters get a little confused as to what to call him. He is actually neither. He really isn’t even a true socialist, which is towards the communist spectrum. The haters of everything liberal or progressive actually want a one-party totalitarian government. Being a liberal, I insist upon a strong two-party system. It is what has made this democracy (republic) the most successful exercise in government ever to see the light of day. It is far from perfect but what keeps it successful is (has been) the ability for moderates of both parties to keep the radicals at bay. When the radicals hijack a party (any party), it eventually can destroy the party, which is the brilliant thing about our country, insuring sanity to prevail.

By: Tough Love

Tough Love — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 19:35:06 +0000

Rex, That doesn’t surprise me at all, because to fully fund the typical 3%@50 COLA-adjusted California Police officer’s VERY generous pension over their working career, requires a level annual pension contribution of 50%-60% of pay …. and MORE if an unfunded liability develops.

Why Private Sector Taxpayers put up with this amazes me, when they typically get no more than a 3-5% of pay contribution “match” into a 401K Plan.

By: Rex the Wonder Dog!

Rex the Wonder Dog! — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 16:04:23 +0000

I saw a detailed employee costs spread sheet for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) last night, and there are employees in their police department who are receiving$50K-$70K in pension contributions alone, that is 2 times the average private sector SALARY.

By: Tough Love

Tough Love — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 00:45:02 +0000

Wayne, Nice summary. You said …”California should be open to any reasonable proposal to solve our pension problems”.

Considering the financial mess most cities and states are in due to the excessive pension promises made to Public Sector workers (MULTIPLES greater in value at retirement than what comparable Private Sector workers get), is it not unreasonable to propose that Public Sector workers get to keep pension accruals for PAST Service, but going forward, FUTURE Service pension accruals will be EQUAL TO but NOT GREATER (with the pension contribution being expressed as a level percentage of pay) that of reasonably comparable Private Sector workers?

On a conceptual basis, it’s REAL hard to argue that that proposal is not “fair”, but there isn’t a “snowballs chance in hell” that such a proposal (fair as it may be) would be acceptable to the Public Sector Unions .

It’s called … GREED.

Material change MUST be forced upon the Unions …. or we will be Greece in short order.

By: Rex the Wonder Dog!

Rex the Wonder Dog! — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 14:41:13 +0000

There is no right to collective bargaining in the pubic sector-outlaw it.,

By: sean Morham=Applied Silver

sean Morham=Applied Silver — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 16:40:57 +0000

BS still smells no matter how it is disguised.

By: The Ted System

The Ted System — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 03:41:00 +0000

Solve the so called pension problem?

Col bargaining my little buddies….wake up.

Now back to your cubicles!

By: Hondo

Hondo — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 21:58:04 +0000

If this man John Arnold wants to bang his head against the wall here, its his right. If he can solve the pension mess en Kali, without trashing the taxpayers, he ought to be elected President.
He really ought to go to Illinois. The are in far worse shape.
Hondo….

By: Dyspeptic

Dyspeptic — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 21:46:55 +0000

“Arnold must seem odd to the union-dominated California Democratic Party. He donated $35,800 to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2007 and was an Obama campaign financing bundler in 2008. He also has funded other Democratic candidates. According to Politico.com, Arnold’s philosophy is libertarian”

The WaPo retreads at Politico are clueless as usual. No genuine libertarian would support a Progressive Fascist tyrant like Obummer. I doubt anyone at Politico has any idea what libertarian philosophy is. Probably none of them could name a single libertarian philosopher of the last 50 years. What a bunch of empty headed Libtards.

By: Sean Morham SIlver

Sean Morham SIlver — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 19:56:58 +0000

Obama knows well that the protectors of the govt pensions are motivated by greed, just like businessmen. This needs leadership and he could score points for democrats nationally. Blowback in California may be worth it, because the state is a lost cause for republicans.