The link to this clever video was sent to us by a supporter. Whoever put it together has a thorough understanding of the issue.
[UPDATE -- SATURDAY 6/12 AT 11:00 AM: The producer of the video removed it from YouTube, apparently due to a possible copyright infringement.]
CFFR has won another court victory on disclosure of public employee pension information.
On Wednesday, the judge in the case California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility v. Orange County Retirement System entered an order concluding that OCERS must provide to CFFR the retiree names, gross retirement amounts, and an identification of the prior public employer of each retiree.
The order by Orange County Superior Court Judge Luis Rodriquez is similar to orders entered in previous lawsuits on this issue in Contra Costa County and Stanislaus County. All three have concluded that the requested records are public.
CFFR was represented in the case by Tim Bittle, Director of Legal Affairs for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
To read or download the court order click here, and for more background on the Orange County case click here. To read about the Contra Costa County case, click here or here.
Last night, Channel 13 in Sacramento broadcast an in-depth report by reporter Mike Luery on the 50% growth of the CalPERS $100,000 Pension Club in just one year. CFFR president Marcia Fritz makes a cameo appearance.
Interestingly, the report starts with Sacramento Fire Captain Christian Pebbles repeating that old tired mantra about firefighters deserving better pensions because they die young. See this column by Steven Greenhut that refutes this myth about public safety employees using data supplied by CalPERS.
Also note the amazing comment near the end by Willie Brown (former mayor of San Francisco and former speaker of the California Assembly) that pensions won’t bankrupt the state — the state will just cease paying them.
CFFR’s request for pension records from the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS) is finally going to have its day in court. Read about it here in this story by Orange County Register reporter Tony Savaadra
Special thanks to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association for assisting CFFR with outstanding representation by its Director of Legal Affairs, Tim Bittle.
You know that an issue has developed widespread awareness when it’s the subject of a skit on Saturday Night Live. In case you missed this past weekend’s show, here’s the skit:
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by Jon Coupal
President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Some days I really love my job! On April 15 of this year I got a “two-fer.”
First, I got to speak to nearly 10,000 tax protesters in front of the Capitol, who were exercising their right to tell lawmakers they are not getting good value for the excessive taxes they pay. And second, in front of these patriots, I had the privilege of presenting the “Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Taxfighter of the Year” award to Marcia Fritz, the president of the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility.
We make this award annually to honor someone in our state who has worked tirelessly on behalf of taxpayers. Often the recipient goes little noticed because they focus on the work at hand, not on any publicity it may bring.
This year, I am happy to say, we found many who deserved the award, but first among equals is Marcia Fritz for her tireless work promoting reform of California’s out-of-control government employee pension system. She recognizes that there is no greater issue facing the fiscal health of our state because, without reform, the taxpayer obligation to support pensions will substantially reduce government’s ability to provide basic services while radically increasing the burden on already beleaguered taxpayers.
Marcia’s efforts to raise awareness have placed this issue on the radar of every policymaker in the state and for this, taxpayers owe her a tremendous “Thank You!”
Source: FlashReport
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger discusses the crisis in the public pension system in his weekly address, calling it “the single biggest threat to our state’s fiscal health and future.”
The California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility has updated its CalPERS $100,000 Pension Club searchable database, and the list has increased in size by almost 50% — to over 9,100 members — compared to just a little over a year ago.
“The majority of new $100K Club members are public safety workers,” says Marcia Fritz, president of CFFR. “City budgets are being strained to keep more cops on the street — easy street.”
The updated elite club list now includes 330 retired state prison guards, 300 retired CHP officers, 175 retired state firefighters, and 90 retired DOJ agents.
Visit the updated list by clicking here.
Should San Diego’s employees have to pay more into their retirement system to help make up for its investment losses and accounting changes? San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith says that’s the law. If he’s right, it eventually could save the city many millions of dollars in a bear market. Read the full story by NBC7’s Gene Cubbison, or watch the video:
Is Los Angeles facing bankruptcy? Does the nation’s second largest city need a bankruptcy court judge to fix its pension problem? These were questions put to Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel Monday morning by Stuart Varney on Fox Business Network’s Varney & Co:
For more information see this Examiner article.
Comment made by California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman at a recent Orange County Register editorial board interview: “The era of a defined benefit program is over.”
Source: The Orange County Register’s editorial blog “Orange Punch” – posted by Brian Calle.
MoneyWatch’s editor-in-chief Eric Schurenberg predicts that public employees will soon be going through their own version of a cold reality bath as anger mounts over tax increases to pay for government pensions, and that ”they can’t count on pension promises that states can’t afford to keep.”
From The Orange County Register . . . click on the cartoon to enlarge . . .
PensionWatch