Pension Reform
Back to homepage
Why CalSTRS fix is impossible: It would force cut in teacher take-home pay
The California State Teachers’ Retirement System is terribly underfunded. The last official report put its shortfall at $74 billion. State officials say it needs an infusion of $4 billion more money a year for decades to come. This week, as
Read More
CA media: GOP dysfunction bigger topic than mass poverty
The Los Angeles Times’ news analysis about how recent controversies are likely to hurt California Republicans with two constituencies they are trying to woo — Latinos and women — isn’t loaded or biased. It’s likely true. Here’s a bit of
Read More
Coverage of L.A. ‘pothole tax’ never mentions why budget is bare
The city of Los Angeles’ finances are in terrible shape. The city’s economy is sluggish and revenue is stagnant. Meanwhile, retirement benefits for retired city workers — especially police and firefighters — eat up ever more of the budget. “As
Read More
Pension follies: New Jersey adopts insane San Diego approach
California leads the way when it comes to government pension dysfunction. The first big city to be stricken by pension costs in the U.S. was San Diego, leading to the memorable 2004 New York Times’ description of it as “Enron
Read More
L.A. proposal: That’s a pension tax — not a pothole tax
This proposal — allegedly from Los Angeles bureaucrats but almost certainly from new L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti — got the scorn it deserved on libertarian and conservative websites when it came out Wednesday afternoon: “L.A.’s elected officials should put a half-cent
Read More
Discovered: a new way unions manipulate CA status quo
Californians who don’t belong to a public employee union have every right to feel as if the state is rigged against them. Because districting is based on population, not number of citizens, Democrats do better in Sacramento from the get-go
Read More
Pension reform waits till 2016
The pension reform of San Jose mayor Chuck Reed, a Democrat, is going to have to wait till 2016: The proposed initiative would have allowed local governments to reduce benefits for current employees, which have strained the finances of California
Read More
Ruling on Chuck Reed’s pension initiative not end of the world
Editor’s update, 2 p.m.: San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed is reportedly suspending the initiative push until 2016 because the court delays related to the ballot language challenge will make it difficult for signature gatherers to meet deadlines — not because
Read More
Another reminder of Jerry Brown’s, Mac Taylor’s irresponsibility
This Los Angeles Times story should infuriate anyone familiar with Gov. Jerry Brown’s claims that the state is on firm ground financially — and absolutely appall anyone who knows that alleged watchdog Mac Taylor of the Legislative Anayst’s Office gave
Read More