by Ron DeLord | Oct 4, 2015 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
SACRAMENTO — Nearly two years ago, this column reported on an official financial forecast from the northern California city of Stockton’s bankruptcy proceedings showing that within a few years after exiting bankruptcy the city was likely to re-enter it. It was an...
by Ron DeLord | Oct 4, 2015 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
This is the first of a two-part story on Houston’s pension crisis. The answer to Houston’s $13 billion dollar pension crisis is quite simple. It’s right there in a bill by state Rep. Jim Murphy, just 293 words returning control of 13 pension funds, including...
by Ron DeLord | Oct 4, 2015 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
This is the second part of a two-part story on Houston’s pension crisis. Pensions are swallowing the Houston budget. Take Houston’s legendary dilapidated roads. Houston is spending six times more on pensions than road repairs, and even that’s not enough to cover the...
by Ron DeLord | Sep 27, 2015 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
Last week, Republican legislative leadership proposed a “take it or leave it deal” in the midst of the budget stalemate. It would swap deep cuts in public employees’ retirement security for $300 million more to partially restore K through 12 education funding...
by Ron DeLord | Sep 27, 2015 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
Former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and former San Diego Councilman Carl DeMaio plan to revise and resubmit their proposed statewide initiative aimed at requiring voter approval for new government pension plans in response to a summary by the attorney general that they...
by Ron DeLord | Sep 27, 2015 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed Tuesday a property tax increase totaling $543 million over the next four years to help prop up the $2.9 billion Chicago Policemen’s Annuity & Benefit Fund and the $1 billion Chicago Firemen’s Annuity & Benefit...
