Pension Reform
Back to homepageEconomist on Government Unions
John Seiler: Economist Thomas DiLorenzo, who recently testified in Congress before Ron Paul’s subcommittee on monetary policy, has a great new article on public-employee unions. He writes: The main reason why so many state and local governments are bankrupt, or
Read MoreUnion Reforms Are Not Assaults
John Brinkman: President Barack Obama called recent the Wisconsin vote to curb unbridled union power “an assault on unions.” This is untrue. In fact, public sector unions have been exploiting the American taxpayer for decades while Democrats facilitated this situation.
Read MoreUnion Targeting City Management
Katy Grimes: With Wisconsin’s Governor and Republican legislators trying to repeal the state’s collective bargaining law for public-employee unions, as well as requiring state workers to pay some of their pension costs, Sacramento’s former head of labor relations, Dee Contreras, is
Read MoreFirefighters Fight Back!
Steven Greenhut: Here is the video that the firefighters’ union is running to defend themselves against the increasing criticisms of their enormous pay and benefit packages, which average more than $170,000 a year in many California jurisdictions and which include
Read MoreCostigan Goes To CalPERS Board!
Anthony Pignataro: You have no idea how I’ve been waiting for just this announcement. “The California State Personnel Board (SPB) has chosen Richard Costigan as its representative to the California Public Employee’s Retirement System (CalPERS) Board of Administration,” states this
Read MoreNo Santa Claus From CalPERS
Steven Greenhut: California counties are getting a shocking Christmas gift from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) in the form of an updated actuarial report for the retirement system. Of course, pension liabilities are soaring, which will further stress
Read MoreSan Diego Proposes Pension Fixes
Steven Greenhut: San Diego, which has been the poster child for pension abuse in the past, remains plagued by pension scandals.Fortunately, City Councilman Carl DeMaio continues to push for pension reform, as evidenced by his recently unveiled “Roadmap to Recovery,”
Read MoreMaybe We Can Touch Pensions
Steven Greenhut: In most pension discussions here in California, opponents of pension reform — the state’s dominant Democrats and the public sector unions, which basically run the Capitol — argue that no reform can touch existing benefits. But a new
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Cal Guards Meeting at Rio Las Vegas
John Seiler: I know California’s economy is in tough shape. But I’m happy that the state’s prison guards are meeting in Las Vegas, where Gov.-elect Jerry Brown just addressed them. Their union leaders have tough jobs making sure every last taxpayer
Read MoreGuv Backs Federal Pension Reform
Steven Greenhut: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released this statement today regarding a new congressional bill requiring state and local governments to come clean about the real size of their pension debts: “It is abundantly clear that public pension funds must disclose
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