Neither one of you pointed to any facts that countered the original article. nenebird, in particular (why can’t people just use their first names?), called the statements above ‘untrue, inaccurate or a gross misrepresentation’. And this was so much so that you had to whip out your pension book…

So what? You’re just going to leave it at that? Talk about how bad the conditions are and how, yes, inevitably people pass away when they get old? What? I’m supposed to get all teary-eyed while conveniently forgetting the ‘fact’ that you didn’t say anything on-topic?

I love this! Republicans pluck the hunter/warrior/macho chord in all of us. And Democrats pluck Bambi/tree hugger/pussy chord in all of us… They both prey on emotional states to ‘prove’ that they are ‘right’. Unfortunately, you end up with retards, on both sides of the isle, that make arguments like those above.

It kind of makes you wonder if politicians get elected based on sheer luck.

Something that may have been a generally useful topic for discussion would have been the question of where the pension funding originates. joe (I spell it as he does), ever the historian, points out that, “…5% of the average state employees salary is taken off the top to help pay for their pensions.” Okay. 5% of 55k = 2,750. 22 years, at that rates, is $60,500.

$60,500 in pension savings does not equal $37,500 annually in benefits-for-life.

The obvious question is, “Where does the money come from?”

The assumed obvious answer is, “The person I see, when I look in the mirror.”

So how much IS the taxpayer left to float between the state’s and workers union’s ‘egregious’ accord?

If someone comes up with the answer, hopefully, the same balance that we’re seeing brought back to the corporate structure (yeah right) will also filter down to the union structure (unlikely)…

They’re both pigs. And until people realize that they’re both supporting pigs, this never goes anywhere. It’s sort of stuck in this tug-of-war, back and forth.

***VOTE THIRD PARTY AND HELP TO END THE PLUTOCRACY/CORPORATOCRACY THAT HAVE RUINED THIS NATION. VOTING THIRD PARTY HELPS TO CREATE REAL COMPETITION BETWEEN THE PARTIES. THEY’RE FORCED TO WORK FOR YOUR BENEFIT, INSTEAD OF MAKING THE USUAL UNFULFILLED PROMISES AND CONTINUING ON WITH CRONYISM AS USUAL***

It did make me pull out my Calpers retirement book, which I suppose is a good thing. But oh rats, I am not going to be millionaire.

Bottom line: public jobs often go empty because most people find the salary too low and the conditions under which they must work too egregious. Its during hard time that you get this kind of grousing…

Sad truth: The average retirement payout is 18 months..then these people die…Based on Calpers data…

Anyone who follows the recommendations of a reputable money manager will save and have over a million dollars at retirement. its not rocket science. Just take discipline.