In discussing changes to public employee benefits, a critical question is which groups of employees they should be applied to. There is no legal or moral limit to changes for new employees. It would be both illegal and immoral in most instances to make big changes to benefits of those already retired. For the cases …
Pension Reform
Will grasps pensions-will “they” care?
Will Brownsberger’s recent posts and proposed ideas illustrate what a thoughtful legislators does; research, consult, publicly debate and propose. He is one of the good ones. While I would go in the direction of getting the state out of the retirement business, Will is attempting to lead reform that would reshape the pension system and …
A facet of pension reform: Buyback interest
It’s time to eliminate half-price sales of pension benefits for special employee groups.
What pension benefits for state employees are required by federal law?
Financial pressures and equity considerations require that the state rethink how it provides retirement security. Under the Massachusetts constitution, major changes could only be applied to new employees. An important first question in thinking through change options for new employees is: What does federal law require the state to provide to employees?
What’s wrong with the Public Pension System?
Above all, it’s too complicated. Complexity creates abuses and inequities. It also makes the system hard to evaluate and undermines confidence in the system.
Transportation Reform Enacted
Final passage of a landmark transportation reform bill, with a bipartisan vote of 130 to 25 in the House today, signals an end to decades of costly balkanization of our transportation infrastructure. I voted in favor — nothing so controversial and complex can be perfect, but it is a very good bill.