Comments on: Massive pension spiking uncovered at Contra Costa County

By: BGR

BGR — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:40:46 +0000

I agree with you that BOS deserves most if not all of the blame and should be indicted for collusion and racketeering under the Rico Act and treat the current fiscal calamity like the organized crime that it is. And if you think for one second that SEIU, Nurses, and Local One would not be deeply implicated along with Publuc Safety, you were no County Mgr for 20 yrs.

By: 20+ year County Manager

20+ year County Manager — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:30:00 +0000

This letter posted is an opinion. The Ventura decision in 1997 set the stage. When Contra Costa County decided what would be included in terminal pay and then the projected increase, the employees had to increase their contributions.
Instead of pointing the finger at every public employee perhaps those of you with such a negativity towards public employees should investigate the blantant rape of the retirement system by Safety members and upper County management, such as that given to the CAOs and Department heads. These members will bankrupt the system with their greed. The Board of Supervisors and the various fire district boards should be ashamed of what they have given. When a firefighter makes more in retirement than while they are working, something is really wrong. Let’s all remember it was the BOS that gave Safety 3% at 50. Safety is notorious for boosting their terminal pay by working extraordinary amounts of overtime in the last year before retirement. One might also want to look at the number of Safety who get disability medical retirement, where they do not have to pay taxes. Wake up people. The average county employee has no means or no connections to enhance their retirement. The average county manager has no means to spike their terminal pay either. Put the blame where is belongs – the BOS, the CAO, and the Department heads.

By: Mister Phillips

Mister Phillips — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:17:09 +0000

Pension spiking is increasing one’s final pay for the purpose of increasing his pension benefits. There are many ways to pension spike. For example, an employee can receive a promotion and therefore a raise right before he retires. He can sell his vacation time back on his way out of the door. He can spend his last year working night shift and therefore receiving a pay differential or bonus. He can also work overtime. Any one of these things would increase his final pay and therefore spike his pension.

According to news reports, pension spiking is a big problem in our county government. It reportedly costs tax payers tens of millions of dollars every year. The practice should be stopped. Here is how.

First, county employees who receive promotions should have to stay in their new positions for at least five years before they can retire at their higher salary. Second, unused vacation time, sick leave, personal days, and the like should not be considered for purposes of calculating pension benefits. Third, pay differentials, bonuses, overtime, perks, and the like should not be considered either.

In other words, pension benefits should be a percentage of the employee’s base pay and nothing else. To the extent possible savings from stopping pension spiking and double dipping should be used to increase inadequate county staffing levels starting with rehiring laid off county employees.

By: Mister Phillips

Mister Phillips — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:22:11 +0000

End Double Dipping

Double dipping is receiving a paycheck and pension benefits at the same time from the same employer. Double dipping goes on in our county government. It should not.

First, people who work over 20 hours per week for the county should not be receiving pension benefits from the county. They are not retired.

Second, the county cannot afford to pay pension benefits to people who are not retired from its employ. As of December 31, 2008, Contra Costa County had over $524 million in unfunded pension liability (future retirement payments it does not have money set aside to pay), according to the actuary of the Contra Costa County Employees’ Retirement Association.

Third, allowing people to double dip while others are being laid off and furloughed and having their wages and benefits cut due to lack of funds is unfair. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors should end double dipping.

By: Dennis Dean

Dennis Dean — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:08:44 +0000

New York passes landmark pension reform legislation. The writing is on the wall for all to see.

http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/press_1202092.html