Massive Increases in California Public Employee Pensions (Sacramento: 2013, credit card)

[NewToCA]

The increases over the past 14 years have been incredible:

The average retirement payout for new retirees in California's biggest public pension system doubled between 1999 and 2012, according to CalPERS data, and initial monthly payments for one group nearly tripled in that period.

In the 14 years covered by the data analyzed by The Sacramento Bee, average first-month pensions to state police and firefighters went from $1,770 to $4,978. California Highway Patrol officers' first-month retirement payments doubled from $3,633 to $7,418, and local government safety employees' pensions went from $3,296 to $6,867.

The Public Eye: California public pension payouts doubled after bump in benefits - The Public Eye - The Sacramento Bee

[SportyandMisty]

Occupy Wall Street should really refocus their anger on the REAL 1% -- public sector unionized employees with their gold-plated pensions & Cadillac health care.

[eureka1]

Yawn. This has already been dealt with . Google "Jerry Brown pension reform."

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Wow

Asked when more employees will be under the new, cheaper pension plan than the more generous benefit program, Pepperdine's Shires predicted 15 to 20 years.

"Even with the new pension formulas," Shires said, "budgets are going to be bitten by these numbers. This isn't going away soon."

Read more here: The Public Eye: California public pension payouts doubled after bump in benefits - The Public Eye - The Sacramento Bee

[Curmudgeon]

The only really MASSIVE increases are in safety retirements. Lost in the OP and the article is this nugget of information: "State miscellaneous workers, a catchall category covering such disparate employees as custodians and computer programmers, saw their initial pension allowances increase from $1,902 in 1999 to $2,884 last year. That's about $220 per month more than retirees would earn if the growth of pensions matched the effects of inflation."

State miscellaneous workers make up the bulk of state employees. In 14 years the average increase in their pensions comes out to about $64.29 a year. That, according to the Bee, would equate to $15.71 a year above inflation. Heaven forbid retirees should receive that much a year above inflation. Why, they might go out and do something wild and crazy with it like pay for three gallons of gas one time only. I shudder to imagine what foolishness they get themselves into with the other $49.08 of the pension increase each year.

Except for safety pensions, an inflammatory bunch of nothing much which is typical of the Bee, fanning the flames of hatred for the bulk of the state workers that give the city much of its revenue. Pension envy is so unattractive.

[Mack Knife]

Has anyone taken the time to understand what "first month" pension benefits payments means? I bet no one of those commenting negatively knows. (I bet the keyboards are singing now though).

What is the AVERAGE monthly pension payment for California State Workers? Here, let me help you:

$2332.00 per month or $27,984.00 per year. Because in most cases those complaining about state worker pensions rarely go beyond headlines, here is a link:

http://www.calpers.ca.gov/eip-docs/a.../retiremem.pdf

Now, that being proved, there are some state workers who earn much higher pension benefits. Just like your State Senators, Governors and lots of others who do so little to get so much. I don't seem to recall anyone complaining about them yet they are responsible, as least as much as the voters, for the financial mess California is in.

I also seem to recall, some years ago when fast food restaurants had bidding wars to hire people and no one was complaining about pensions then. When you were buying that house you couldn't afford in 2008 along with tens of thousands in credit card bills for big screen TVs, new trucks, fancy clothes and your thrice weekly dining out excursions, no one was complaining then either.

It never fails, the economy takes a turn for the worse and all those who contributed to it doing so start complaining about what others earn.

Well, isn't it time you looked in a mirror? When was the last time you worked at a job for more than 20 years, the same job? Mostly likely, few of you. Did you accept then very low paying jobs that result in your dealing with a complaining, entitlement scrounging public day in and day out? I think not. Did you work on most holidays including your kids birthdays, anniversaries and other personally important days? Police and firefighters do. Do you look forward to the end of your work day only to be told you can't go home because the person replacing your for the the next shift was sick? Not asked mind you, told that is just the way it is and you are staying. I think not.

As you sit there, envious of a pension you could have also had but decided not to accept, consider what you've done to make your life better so that you don't have to be jealous of what others earn.

The next time you vote to extend unemployment benefits for more months think about where that money is coming from. State workers aren't causing you to lose your job, politicians and elected officials do that yet you say nary a word when they spend their office allowances in frivolous ways. You don't even take the time to find out, yet complain about a pension that on average reaps a little over $2300 per month for a state worker.

You had a choice. You could have taken a state job but didn't. Why not? Wasn't it good enough for you or didn't it pay enough? Oh, it was ok then for someone else to do that job but now that the people you voted for screwed up the State so bad you can't get a job, now you want to complain.

Whiners and complainers all, contributing nothing but envy and complaints. What have your done to secure your own financial future? Probably nothing so why not complain about those that did right?

I thought so.

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by Mack Knife

Has anyone taken the time to understand what "first month" pension benefits payments means? I bet no one of those commenting negatively knows. (I bet the keyboards are singing now though).

What is the AVERAGE monthly pension payment for California State Workers? Here, let me help you:

$2332.00 per month or $27,984.00 per year. Because in most cases those complaining about state worker pensions rarely go beyond headlines, here is a link:

http://www.calpers.ca.gov/eip-docs/a.../retiremem.pdf

Now, that being proved, there are some state workers who earn much higher pension benefits. Just like your State Senators, Governors and lots of others who do so little to get so much. I don't seem to recall anyone complaining about them yet they are responsible, as least as much as the voters, for the financial mess California is in.

Per the article:

During recent heated debates over public pensions, unions and other defenders of the status quo have cited the average CalPERS pension payment for all retirees, now $2,629 per month, as proof that benefits were modest.

But Pellissier and others in the pension-reform camp said that figure was misleading because it included retirees who took their pensions before 1999's Senate Bill 400, which allowed employers to retroactively increase pension formulas for employees.

According to the reports obtained by The Bee, the average first-month pension allowance for all newly retired pensioners last year was $3,025, up nearly 100 percent from 1999.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by eureka1

Yawn. This has already been dealt with . Google "Jerry Brown pension reform."

That only impacts new hires. Everyone till now gets the gold plated retirement plans and ... you get to pay for them.

[Mack Knife]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

Per the article:

During recent heated debates over public pensions, unions and other defenders of the status quo have cited the average CalPERS pension payment for all retirees, now $2,629 per month, as proof that benefits were modest.

But Pellissier and others in the pension-reform camp said that figure was misleading because it included retirees who took their pensions before 1999's Senate Bill 400, which allowed employers to retroactively increase pension formulas for employees.

According to the reports obtained by The Bee, the average first-month pension allowance for all newly retired pensioners last year was $3,025, up nearly 100 percent from 1999.

Explain what "first month" pension allowance is, not from some cut and paste, explain it and then let's discuss the how and why your understanding is misunderstanding.

Lets not start with copy and paste knowledge, lets deal with facts ok? You read an article, believed it and started a discussion about it. The least you can do is explain the very definition upon which you base your entire argument.

Also, I note you have yet to go to the source for what is being paid out in retirement. CalPers, not the unions, not the Sacramento Bee and not some pension reform advocates is the source for facts on that topic. CalPers is audited and it really doesn't matter what the Sacramento and Pension Reformers happen to think, everyone has opinions. Lets deal with facts.

2012 are the last numbers. 2013 isn't even over yet.

I also note how conveniently you change your position to match new arguments. First, you cited figures for the CHP. Pretty good retirement but then you drop down the figure much lower because it represents a more accurate portrayal of what is really being paid to the average retired state worker. Still not factual but so much lower than your first numbers.

Given the hot topic with which you started the thread, it would seem like you should keep the same position and not change stories.

But please explain what "first month" pension payment is.

[Mack Knife]

Originally Posted by expatCA

That only impacts new hires. Everyone till now gets the gold plated retirement plans and ... you get to pay for them.

Really, define "gold plated" retirement in your own words or is that too just another buzz word that keeps getting repeated in the hopes that people believe it. Talk about most, not the few and lets hear how you define "gold plated".