In Los Angeles, Massive Payments to Retirees Don't Even Count as 'Pensions' Anymore
A heavily abused program breaks the limits of what the IRS allows, leaving taxpayers even further on the hook.
Pensions
Chicago Mayor Proposes Dealing Drugs, Gambling to Make Ends Meet
Rahm Emanuel wants pot legalization and a casino so the city can grab more taxes for its pension debts.
Libertarian Jeff Hewitt Wins Seat on Riverside County Board of Supervisors
The L.P.'s biggest 2018 winner wants to tackle California's public sector pension crisis head-on
Chicago Mayoral Candidate Wants To Settle City Debts by Taxing the Neighbors
The Windy City is bleeding population. A commuter tax is most certainly not going to help.
The Public Sector Pension Crisis
Will your state pay what its politicians promised? Almost certainly not.
Why Is Public Employee Disability Claim Data Being Kept Secret?
Lawsuit says California pension agency withholds crucial data.
Public Sector Unions Win Big at the California Supreme Court in Getting San Diego Pension Reforms Overturned
California citizens must now meet and confer with union bosses before qualifying any compensation-related initiatives for the ballot.
L.A.'s New Police Chief Pretended To Retire and Got $1.27 Million for It
Cash-in on a controversial, costly program from city's new top cop.
LAUSD's Fiscal Crisis Can't be Blamed on Charter Schools or Declining Enrollment
Rising benefits costs and a bloated administration is putting Los Angeles' schools deep in the red.
How to Make a Pension Crisis Worse: N.J. Officials Want Back in, Without Paying for It
A bill would allow some officials retroactive access to potentially 10 years of pension payments. Guess who would be on the hook for it?
Pensions, Administrative Bloat, and the Success of Charter Schools Are Driving the Los Angeles Public School System Towards Insolvency
The school district points fingers at charter schools instead of trying to slim down and compete, a new report says.
California Gov. Jerry Brown: 'A Lot of Cities Signed Up for Pensions They Can't Afford'
But he's leaving office without really addressing the state's massive public retirement problem.
Firefighter Earned $300K in Overtime by Working More Hours Than Actually Exist
Donn Thompson was paid for more than 9,200 hours of work last year. But there are only 8,760 hours in a year.
Deputy Who Failed to Engage Parkland Shooter Gets $104,000 Annual Pension for Life
A travesty that sheds light on public retirement costs in Florida and around the country
California Pension Bills Are Sensible Fixes, but They Have Little Chance of Passing
Given the pension funds' fiscal condition, it's hard to understand any serious opposition to these modest measures. But don't hold your breath.
Los Angeles Schools Facing $15 Billion Debt for Retiree Health Care
An unreleased analysis of the school district's post-employment benefits shows liabilities climbed from $13.5 billion in 2015 to $14.9 billion in 2017.
America's Sinking Public Pension Plans Are Now $1.4 Trillion Underwater
Taxpayer contributions to pension plans have doubled in the past decade, but pension debt continues to increase.
Kentucky Teacher Protests Are Political Theater Without Substance
Teachers have shut down schools across the state, allegedly to protest pension changes. But those pension reforms are pretty mild.
It's Not Enough to Get Paid for Not Working: These L.A. Police and Firefighters Figured Out How to Double It
Meet the LAPD couple who made a cool $2 million off the city while hanging out at their condo in Cabo San Lucas.
Woman Still Getting Civil-War Survivor Benefits Shows How Federal Policies Mortgage the Future
Abraham Lincoln couldn't have dreamed that 21st-century Americans would still be paying for pensions created under him.
Gov. Jerry Brown: Courts Must Let California Slash its Public-Sector Pensions
Upcoming state supreme court case may be a game-changer if it reverses "California Rule" holding pension promises inviolate.
Former Penn State VP Jailed for Sandusky Child Sex Scandal Gets $300K Annual Pension
One of the highest retirement payouts in the state. Pennsylvania is dealing with $70 billion in pension debt.
CalPERS Is Shocked—Just Shocked—To Find Cities Reeling Under Growing Pension Debt
California's pension fund looks to shift blame and avoid responsibility.
Neither Major Party Gubernatorial Candidate Has a Serious Plan to Fix New Jersey's Pension Crisis
The state has a $135 billion pension debt, but Phil Murphy and Kim Guadagno would rather spend the campaign's final days fighting the culture war.
California's Six-Figure Pension Club Has 62,000 Members
And seven retirees in Los Angeles pulled down more than $1 million each in retirement benefits last year.
Like Schools, Parks, Social Programs? Too Bad, Because Retirees Get Paid First
New report shows how California's pension obligations are crowding out spending on other things.
The Hidden $700 Billion Debt Owed to Public Workers
The state pension mess is even worse than you think.
Forced Coal Divestment Robs California Pension Fund of Revenue
Millions lost when political influence overrules financial acumen.
This One Chart Will Fill You With Despair for Chicago
But it doesn't say what you think it says.
Michigan's Pension Reforms Are Kind of a Big Deal
All that's missing is Gov. Rick Snyder's signature.
New York City's Slowly Sinking Pensions Are Taking on More Water
Just because you haven't heard about New York City's pension problems doesn't mean they don't exist.
Pennsylvania's Pension Reforms Aren't Perfect, But They're Pretty Good
State still owes over $70 billion to current workers and retirees, but moving future hires to 401(k)-style retirement plans will save taxpayers in the long run.
California Uses One State Credit Card To Pay Off Another
Gov. Jerry Brown wants to borrow $6 billion to pay for California's underfunded public employee pensions.
Can Public Workers Get Pension Benefits Without Actually Working? California Supreme Court Will Decide
California Supreme Court accepts appeal to lower court ruling that stopped workers from padding their pensions by an extra five years of service time.
2 Numbers That Show How Screwed Chicago's Pension Plans Are
Collecting $99 million and paying out $999 million in a single year is not a formula for success.
In His Last Budget, Christie Continues to Show What Not to Do With Pensions
Christie gets half-credit for doing more than any of his predecessors, but his efforts reveal just how daunting the state's pension crisis really is.
We Can't Find Out How Much Retired Federal Workers Get Paid, and That's a Problem
What's retired IRS chief Lois Lerner's pension? No one, besides Lerner, knows. Adam Andrzejewski and Rep. Ron DeSantis want to find out.
California Teachers' Pension System Lowers Projection, Potentially Tripling What Taxpayers Will Owe
And how baseball can explain complicated pension math.
California Mayor Says There's 'No Rational Justification' For City's Six-Figure Pensions
But there's not much he can do to change it, because the city signed off on the benefits in collective bargaining agreements. It's a common story.
Illinois Hoping Citizens Drink State's Debts Away with Statewide Soda Tax
Skyrocketing costs, financial crisis make the Land of Lincoln very thirsty.
Public Workers Can Get Pensions Only for Time They Actually Worked, Court Rules
Before 2011 reforms, state workers could purchase an additional five years of service time to boost pension payouts and retire earlier.
Dallas Mayor Wants Someone to go to Jail Over Pension Disaster
The Texas Rangers (and possibly the FBI) are on it, but maybe we should consider a broader definition of pension crime?
Retired City Manager Gets $216,000 Pension in City Where Average Family Makes $32,000
Out of whack public pension systems essentially are functioning as massive wealth transfer programs, taking from the poor and giving to the rich.
Can States Reduce Unreasonable Pensions? California Supreme Court Will Review
The 'California Rule' is a staple of public sector retirement systems, but could this be its undoing? Many states and cities should hope so.
Hey Boomers, Give Thanks To the Millennials We're Like Totally Ripping Off!
The cost of today's and tomorrow's lavish public pensions and entitlements will be borne by younger Americans.
Nightmare In Deep Ellum: How Pension Obligation Bonds Ruined Dallas Employees' Retirement Dreams
Dallas' pension crisis is another example of why cities and states shouldn't use pension obligation bonds.
NYPD Detective Who Got Bonus Pension for Being 'Disabled' Now Working As Security Guard
When retired NYPD cops are accused of abusing the NYPD's disability pension fund, the NYPD investigates. What could go wrong?
