State Employee Total Comp Database...

[Peter_Puget]

The Non-Existent Public Pension Funding Crisis according to the Government Accounting Office

 

"Pension benefits are generally not at risk in the near term because current assets and new contributions may be sufficient to pay benefits for several years."

 

I've been too busy to read much cc.com but somehow not surprised to see this description of a Ponzi scheme used to assert that there is no pension crisis on the horizon.

[Peter_Puget]

Even worse J_B I looked at the GOA report and found that it is pretty outdated. For example their report is thru 2006. I hate to tell you but a lot has changed since then. I would be so bold as to suggest that revenue steams have declined far below any plan projections and I would also guess that the analysis did not take into account the fact that the DOW would fall to ~ 30% unders its 2007 high.

 

[j_b]

I've been too busy to read much cc.com but somehow not surprised to see this description of a Ponzi scheme used to assert that there is no pension crisis on the horizon.

 

The existence of a total budget crisis doesn't mean the pension scheme is bad.

[j_b]

Even worse J_B I looked at the GOA report and found that it is pretty outdated. For example their report is thru 2006. I hate to tell you but a lot has changed since then. I would be so bold as to suggest that revenue steams have declined far below any plan projections and I would also guess that the analysis did not take into account the fact that the DOW would fall to ~ 30% unders its 2007 high.

 

 

both the real and the casino economies crashed thanks to the policies conservatives pushed, revenues have consequently declined below projections and now conservatives claim public employees compensation schemes are the cause of the problem.

 

You guys just don't stop with the non-sense.

[j_b]

still no answer from Mr Lamo who claimed that Washington public employee got way too much and yet appears to not know what the median public employee gets. Per usual, it's only Fairweather making an ass of himself spouting regressive talking points.

 

yep, Fairweather still doesn't know how the median public employee compensation scheme compares with the equivalent in the private sector despite his repeated gratuitous claim that public employees get too much. I guess that regurgitating GOP talking points is what he knows how to do.

[prole]

both the real and the casino economies crashed thanks to the policies conservatives pushed, revenues have consequently declined below projections and now conservatives claim public employees compensation schemes are the cause of the problem.

 

You guys just don't stop with the non-sense.

 

"SAMOLBULLSHIT: It's the cure for whatever ails!"

 

[j_b]

When Marian Hood, of Gonzales, retired, she assumed she would receive all the benefits she had earned during 35 years of private employment and 10 years with the state.

 

While Hood receives a modest state pension, the 71-year-old retiree gets only about one-third of her anticipated Social Security benefits because of federal rules that limit retirement income.

 

On top of that, the rising cost of living has used up all her extra savings, said Hood, who lives on about $10,000 a year.

 

“Just enough to make ends meet, I’m finding ways,” she said.

 

If relying solely on pension benefits, up to 30 percent of the retirees from the two largest state employee retirement systems would be living under the federal poverty line.

 

The 2008 U.S. federal poverty levels are $10,400 a year for a single person household and $14,000 a year for a two-person household.

 

Officials with the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana, called TRSL, and Louisiana State Employees’ Retirement System, called LASERS, said they do not know how many retirees survive on pensions alone.

 

“Those benefits are very modest,” TRSL spokeswoman Lisa Honore said. “Everybody would like to see retiree benefits that help them meet their living expenses.”

 

Louisiana is one of seven states where state employees do not typically participate in Social Security. If employees receive Social Security benefits from other jobs or spousal employment, the benefits could be reduced because of federal restrictions.

 

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/34724229.html

[Peter_Puget]

I've been too busy to read much cc.com but somehow not surprised to see this description of a Ponzi scheme used to assert that there is no pension crisis on the horizon.

 

The existence of a total budget crisis doesn't mean the pension scheme is bad.

 

In 2006 near the end of an unprecedented increase in stock market and real estate values state pension plans generally by drawing down on capital and utilizing new conrtributions may have had sufficient resources to pay benefits for several years. This to J_B is evidence of a good plan.

 

[Peter_Puget]

Even worse J_B I looked at the GOA report and found that it is pretty outdated. For example their report is thru 2006. I hate to tell you but a lot has changed since then. I would be so bold as to suggest that revenue steams have declined far below any plan projections and I would also guess that the analysis did not take into account the fact that the DOW would fall to ~ 30% unders its 2007 high.

 

 

both the real and the casino economies crashed thanks to the policies conservatives pushed, revenues have consequently declined below projections and now conservatives claim public employees compensation schemes are the cause of the problem.

 

You guys just don't stop with the non-sense.

 

See post above......

[Peter_Puget]

When Marian Hood, of Gonzales, retired, she assumed she would receive all the benefits she had earned during 35 years of private employment and 10 years with the state.

 

While Hood receives a modest state pension, the 71-year-old retiree gets only about one-third of her anticipated Social Security benefits because of federal rules that limit retirement income.

 

On top of that, the rising cost of living has used up all her extra savings, said Hood, who lives on about $10,000 a year.

 

“Just enough to make ends meet, I’m finding ways,” she said.

 

If relying solely on pension benefits, up to 30 percent of the retirees from the two largest state employee retirement systems would be living under the federal poverty line.

 

The 2008 U.S. federal poverty levels are $10,400 a year for a single person household and $14,000 a year for a two-person household.

 

Officials with the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana, called TRSL, and Louisiana State Employees’ Retirement System, called LASERS, said they do not know how many retirees survive on pensions alone.

 

“Those benefits are very modest,” TRSL spokeswoman Lisa Honore said. “Everybody would like to see retiree benefits that help them meet their living expenses.”

 

Louisiana is one of seven states where state employees do not typically participate in Social Security. If employees receive Social Security benefits from other jobs or spousal employment, the benefits could be reduced because of federal restrictions.

 

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/34724229.html

 

J_B -

 

Seems like the benefits she earned during private employment are social security. She then worked for the state stopped paying Social Security and earned a pension from the state. Now she's screwed. And you consider this reason to support increased government control of the economy.....

[Peter_Puget]

Here's the part of the story J_B didn't paste. (It's from 2008)

 

“We don’t agree with that,” Honore said. “We feel that this is money that you’ve either earned or are entitled to get.”

LASERS Executive Director Cindy Rougeou said she believes attempts to repeal the federal restrictions — called the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset — stall in the U.S. Congress because of an estimated $80 billion price tag.

“But, as you know, that’s like a drop in the bucket,” Rougeou said. “It’s just negatively impacting so many state retirees and so unfairly.”

State employees retirement benefits are based in part on how many years they were employed by the state and their highest earnings.

So, the longer a state employee works and the more they earn, the more they receive in benefits.

Hood said if she had known about the Social Security offsets, she might have stayed in the private sector.

“The state offered more stability and at the time I was 42 years old, had gone through a divorce and needed to think about my retirement years,” she said. “But at the time, it wasn’t clear … that these changes to Social Security would effect my retirement that drastically.

“I thought I’d have the best of both worlds,” she said.

[Hugh Conway]

another glory holer from P_P

[Fairweather]

This, coming from a young man who still lives with his mom and links to Huffingtonpost exclusively? Run along, junior.

isn't this the sort of ad hominem argument you get so worked up over?

 

Not trying to shed any light on your selective exhibit, but it was a response to this:

Regurgitating GOP propaganda to bust unions won't cut it bozo.

[ivan]

This, coming from a young man who still lives with his mom and links to Huffingtonpost exclusively? Run along, junior.

isn't this the sort of ad hominem argument you get so worked up over?

 

Not trying to shed any light on your selective exhibit, but it was a response to this:

Regurgitating GOP propaganda to bust unions won't cut it bozo.

so the lesson is: "i CAN be a dipshit just like you!" ?

 

[Fairweather]

This is spray, comprendes mi amigo?

[olyclimber]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm very rarely, if ever, wrong.

[ivan]

This is spray, comprendes mi amigo?

but you suck at funny, so all spray-bouts w/ you have to be serious, staid affairs

 

if you wish to engage in lebowski references or pick at puns i'd dig the change though...man.

 

 

 

 

[kukuzka1]

you would think employees in the private sector would use the gov. as an baseline of where their pay/benifits should be not wanting the gov employees to go downward just like the private sector has. I know companies used to have pensions?

[CPOly]

"Dept of Social and Health Services B*******, J***** M. Title:

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT 2

Base Comp: $74,220

Benefits: $22,266

Paid Time Off: $17,367

Total Comp: $113,853"

 

If you'd scroll down the page a little more, you'll see that the above information is a mistake. Further down it shows that an Administrative Assistant 5 makes $53,148 base comp. An administrative Assistant 2 is in the pay range 35, which ranges from $28,440 to $36,756 base pay. Funny what a little fact checking will get you!

[Fairweather]

This is spray, comprendes mi amigo?

but you suck at funny, so all spray-bouts w/ you have to be serious, staid affairs

 

if you wish to engage in lebowski references or pick at puns i'd dig the change though...man.

 

 

 

 

You seem a little tense lately, man. Not to worry though; that beautiful summer vacation teachers get will be here before you know it!

[StevenSeagal]

How dare these everyday people accept jobs that have good pay and benefits! They should be punished and forced to work at shittier jobs than all of us who didn't look around or were too proud and full of gov't hatred to take a gov't job ourselves!

[ivan]

 

You seem a little tense lately, man. Not to worry though; that beautiful summer vacation teachers get will be here before you know it!

naww, i'm always testy, as my poor wife will attest

 

who needs vacations to climb? quite the day of adventure 2day!

[ivan]

pink's on your side on that one though, if you care for the company!

[Fairweather]

I've got some bad news for you, Sunshine. Pink isn't well. He stayed back at the hotel...

[ivan]

luther wright and the wrongs do the superior version of that there song