BookRix

Alexandria, VA

Just when you think it can't get any worse (firing the Secretary of State via
twitter), the Trump administration does this and the Republican leadership
remains silent.

------
Video: https://moxox.com
Music: https://muxiv.com
AV: http://yofuk.com

San Rafael,CA

It’s not enough to say “a deal is a deal” when it comes to defined benefit
public pensions. That deal needs to be politically defensible, fair to public
employees and taxpayers alike.

State employees in Texas have a defined benefit pension with no cost of living
increase, but social security does have a COLA and employees can also save (no
employer match) in tax-advantaged retirement accounts. So state taxpayers are
not on the hook for a COLA but employees still have some inflation protection.
Fair and sound.

State employees and the state contribute each paycheck to the constitutionally
protected pension fund. No kicking the can down the road. Sound and fair.

The growth in the number of state employees has lagged far behind the growth
in population and the growth in the state’s economy. That affects the pension
math. In response state employees pay a much larger percentage of their pay
into the fund each month to keep the fund sound and to keep faith with the
taxpayers. Benefits were trimmed a bit. Sound and fair.

But horror stories from states and cities that kicked the can down the road
and sometimes did not even require public employee contributions to the
pension fund poison the well of public opinion nationwide for the rest of us.
A deal is a deal? Get your act together; some of us have plans that are fair
to the taxpayer to defend.

------
Video: https://moxox.com
Music: https://muxiv.com
AV: http://yofuk.com