Pensions

• County Pension Funds Can Still Tap Excess Earnings
    County Pension Funds Can Still Tap Excess Earnings Ed Mendel, Public CEO, 5/12/14 An Assembly committee last week approved a bill aligning [...]
• SF examining using pension funds for housing investment
    SF examining using pension funds for housing investment by Joshua Sabatini, SF Examiner, 5/8/14 San Francisco officials are exploring the use [...]
• CalPERS report: pay hike to offset pension cuts?
    CalPERS report: pay hike to offset pension cuts? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 5/5/14 A CalPERS report intended for policymakers, noting that a reform cuts [...]
• San Jose Court’s Flawed Decision Strikes Down Heart of Measure B Pension Reform
    San Jose Court’s Flawed Decision Strikes Down Heart of Measure B Pension Reform By John Moore, Union Watch, 5/2/14 In November of [...]
• After Them, the Deluge (Pensions/Collapse)
    After Them, the Deluge Paul Jacob, Townhall, 4/27/14 Could a mighty earthquake dump much of the California coast into the Pacific Ocean? You [...]
• Why Frequently Cited Average Pension Numbers Are Misleadingly Low
    Why Frequently Cited Average Pension Numbers Are Misleadingly Low By Robert Fellner, Union Watch, 4/28/14 Public pension systems in California, most [...]
• San Ramon Sued Over ‘Pension’ Tax-Taxation TWICE for Same Services
    San Ramon Sued Over ‘Pension’ Tax By Dave Roberts, Public CEO/CalWatchdog, 4/24/14 Is it legal for a city to make new residents [...]
• Turlock: Tax for Roads—or Quiet Payment to CalPRS?
    Turlock takes steps toward road tax, district elections By John Holland, Modesto Bee, 4/23/14 TURLOCK — The City Council took steps Tuesday [...]
• CalPERS Hikes Rate $459 Million, Funding Still Low
    CalPERS Hikes Rate $459 Million, Funding Still Low Ed Mendel, CalPensions/Public CEO, 4/17/14 The CalPERS board approved a major rate hike yesterday, [...]
• Pensions Still Cloud Stockton Bankruptcy Exit
    Pensions Still Cloud Stockton Bankruptcy Exit Ed Mendel, Calpensions/Public CEO, 4/21/14 With a new twist, Stockton’s plan to leave a huge pension [...]
• Bankrupt California City Fighting for Right to Withhold Pension Payments
    Bankrupt California City Fighting for Right to Withhold Pension Payments Governing, 4/21/14 When this bankrupt, working-class city took the unprecedented step [...]
• Atascadero to consider sales tax increase for roads: Real Purpose is to Pay for CalPRS 50% Increase
    Atascadero to consider sales tax increase Council may ask voters to raise the tax to 8 percent to help the city [...]
• Auditor: Will Pension Costs Cause Oakland to Go Bankrupt?
    Oakland auditor sounds pension alarm By Matthew Artz Oakland Tribune, 4/20/14 OAKLAND — Pension costs have more than doubled over the past [...]
• CalPERS hikes state contribution by more than $450M
    CalPERS hikes state contribution by more than $450M Due to the ever-increasing life spans of public employees, the California Public Employees’ [...]
• Former Democrat Assemblywoman: Pensions in Good Shape—the Banks are the Problem
    Hayashi on State Pensions: ‘There is no Problem’; Faults Banks for Budget Mess Steven Tavares, EBCitizen, 4/10/14 State Senate candidate Mary [...]
• All Government Employees and Retirees are Not Equal
    All Government Employees and Retirees are Not Equal By John Moore, Union Watch, 4/11/14 Overlooked in the Pacific Grove government employee pension [...]
• CalSTRS members get $300 million from surplus-while holding $166.9 Billion Unfunded Liability
    CalSTRS members get $300 million from surplus Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 4/7/14 On a split vote, the CalSTRS board last week gave members in [...]
• Good News for Detroit Government Employees—Pensions Will be Cut by Up to 34%-NOT 82%-At Least for Now
    Detroit Announces Planned Pension Benefit Reductions Plan Sponsor, 4/4/14 New bankruptcy paperwork filed by city of Detroit includes benefits reductions for the [...]
• Sen. Walters: CTA Lobbies Against CalSTRS Fix Despite Growing Debt-Inaction Adds $17 BILLION to Debt
    CTA Lobbies Against CalSTRS Fix Despite Growing Debt Senator Mimi Walters, 4/4/14 Even while California’s retirement fund plunges deeper into debt, [...]
• Commentary: Marin’s Pension Plans and Local Taxes
    Commentary: Marin’s Pension Plans and Local Taxes By Bob Bunnell, Public CEO, 4/2/14 A well-managed defined-benefit pension plan has a funded ratio [...]
• Lawsuit Seeks Back Pay, Pension Boost for All California Judges
    Lawsuit Seeks Back Pay, Pension Boost for All California Judges Posted by : Ed Mendel, Public CEDO, Cal Pensions, 3/31/14 A class-action [...]
• Bay Area cities could suffer if public pensions bankrupt California cities this year
    Bay Area cities could suffer if public pensions bankrupt California cities this year Financial troubles facing three Southern California cities could [...]
• CalSTRS rate hike: a start, full phase-in or delay?
    CalSTRS rate hike: a start, full phase-in or delay? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 3/24/14 The total spending increase needed to get CalSTRS, brought low [...]
• Yuba City/Sutter County: CalPRS UNFUNDED Liability is $182 MILLION
    Pat Miller: City, county owe staggering $182 million to CalPERS Pat Miller/Sutter County Taxpayers Association, 3/20/14 The pension debts owed by [...]
• Costa Mesa officials attacked over pension reform
    CA Mayor, Councilman Suing Police Union Over Intimidation Tactics Costa Mesa officials attacked over pension reform by Josh Kaib, Watchdog.org, [...]
• The Bill is Going Up for County Employees-Forced to Pay 50% of Cost of Pensions
    The Bill is Going Up for County Employees Guest Commentary, Public CEO, 3/17/14 California counties demand employees pay half their pension contribution. Two [...]
• Rising pension expenses to put an end to Long Beach’s brief period of financial stability
    Rising pension expenses to put an end to Long Beach’s brief period of financial stability By Eric Bradley, Press-Telegram, 3/11/14 Containing pension [...]
• Once bankrupt, Vallejo still can’t afford its pricey pensions
    Once bankrupt, Vallejo still can’t afford its pricey pensions By Melanie Hicken, CNN, 3/10/14 The California city of Vallejo emerged from [...]
• CalPRS to Raise Long Term Health Care Fees by 85% in Two Years
    CalPERS plans big rate increase for long-term care insurance Decision time is coming for 41,000 people with long-term care insurance through [...]
• Berkeley has a $428 Million Unfunded Pension Liability-$313 Million Budget
    Berkeley city budget in good short-term shape, but problems loom with pension costs by Lance Knobel, Berkeleyside, 3/11/14 Parking fines are projected [...]
• California Mayors Fight Pension Proposal That Would Allow Them to Cut Costs
    California Mayors Fight Pension Proposal That Would Allow Them to Cut Costs California City News, 3/6/14 San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed offered [...]
• Chiang Unveils Plan to Reduce State’s $64.6 Billion Retiree Health Care Liability
    Chiang Unveils Plan to Reduce State’s $64.6 Billion Retiree Health Care Liability State Controller John Chiang, 3/6/14 SACRAMENTO – State Controller John [...]
• Feds: CalSTRS Needs $12.3 Billion Infusion to Keep Doors Open
    Public Sector Pension Plans Do Not Pass the “Smell Test” By Ed Ring, Unions Watch, 3/4/14 “Pew’s relationship with the Arnold Foundation [...]
• Torrance’s public employee retirement debt soars—almost DOUBLES Overnight
    Torrance’s public employee retirement debt soars—almost DOUBLES Overnight By Nick Green, Daily Breeze, 3/1/14 Torrance >> The city’s unfunded pension liability for [...]
• Three new rulings on retiree health care cuts-not good for taxpayers
    Three new rulings on retiree health care cuts Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 3/3/14 A federal appeals court last week gave Sonoma County retirees [...]
• San Jose, other cities can look toward ‘service insolvency”
    San Jose, other cities can look toward ‘service insolvency” Steven Greenhut, Public Sector, 2/27/14 San Jose is only 117 miles from Sacramento, [...]
• Will We Have a Pension Tax?
    Will We Have a Pension Tax? Written by Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA, 2/25/14 LA WATCHDOG-“A Time for Truth,” the January [...]
• CalSTRS Financial Problems Started Under Amateur Guv Arnold
    Huge CalSTRS funding hole grew for 10 years Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 2/24/14 Getting CalSTRS back to full funding, if rates are steadily increased [...]
• CalSTRS is a Big Fat Liar—Unfunded Liabilities are $166.9 Billion Under Federal Rules—Not $71 Billion Under Phony Accounting
    CalSTRS debt soars under new accounting rules Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 2/21/14 New government accounting rules will more than double the pension debt reported [...]
• CalSTRS Needs $1 Billion ADDED Next Year and $5 Billion The Year After to Avoid Total Collapse
    Almost $1 billion needed in 2015 to fix Calif. teachers pensions John Myers, KXTV, 2/19/14 State legislators are getting a cold dose [...]
• By 2020—Pensions Will be 35% of Gov’t Employee Cost—70% for Public Safety
    CalPERS rate hike: governor wins, cities lose Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 2/19/14 A divided CalPERS board yesterday approved a faster rate hike for the [...]
• Nine charter schools fail new CalPERS entry test
    Nine charter schools fail new CalPERS entry test Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 2/18/14 CalPERS has denied membership to nine charter schools, saying a proposed [...]
• The Fall of Pacific Grove – Privately Owned Real Property are the Only Assets to Pay for Pensions
    The Fall of Pacific Grove – Privately Owned Real Property are the Only Assets to Pay for Pensions By John Moore, [...]
• Great year for CalSTRS won’t alter need for big increase in contributions-50%!
    Great year for CalSTRS won’t alter need for big increase in contributions By John Fensterwald, EdSource, 2/18/14 The Assembly committee that will decide [...]
• CalSTRS shortfall will require a shared responsibility
    CalSTRS shortfall will require a shared responsibility | By Assemblyman Rob Bonta. EdSource, 2/15/14 The California Teachers Retirement System, or CalSTRS, is facing a [...]
• The California Rule for public pensions: illegal or just knuckleheaded?
    The California Rule for public pensions: illegal or just knuckleheaded? Steve Eide, Public Sector, 2/12/14 San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed’s pension reform [...]
• Is California’s Union-Controlled Legislature Waking up to Pension Problem?
    Is California’s Union-Controlled Legislature Waking up to Pension Problem? By Jon Coupal, Union Watch, 2/12/14 Is it possible that the California Legislature [...]
• Those Paying for CalPRS/CalSTRS subsidies Get Almost NO Return on Social Security
    How Does “Zero-point-Eight at Sixty-Eight” Sound for a Pension Plan? By Ed Ring On, Union Watch, 2/11/14 The economy is picking up [...]
• The big casino: paying pension debt with bonds
    The big casino: paying pension debt with bonds Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 2/10/14 An $8 million pension bond was approved last week by voters [...]
• Faster rate hikes sought for CalPERS and CalSTRS
    Faster rate hikes sought for CalPERS and CalSTRS Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 2/6/14 Gov. Brown yesterday urged CalPERS to speed up a $1.2 billion [...]
• Reed pension reform stalls, 401(k) favored in poll
    Reed pension reform stalls, 401(k) favored in poll Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 1/31/14 San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said yesterday the backers of a [...]
• Assembly Speaker vows to tackle challenge of teacher pensions this year
    Assembly Speaker vows to tackle challenge of teacher pensions this year By John Fensterwald, EdSource, 1/30/14 Assemblyman Rob Bonta, left, and Speaker John [...]
• Assembly Speaker vows to tackle challenge of teacher pensions this year-with your tax $$
    Assembly Speaker vows to tackle challenge of teacher pensions this year By John Fensterwald, EdSource, 1/30/14 Assemblyman Rob Bonta, left, and Speaker [...]
• CalSTRS: where is the urgency? It is Unsustainable
    CalSTRS at a crossroads Adam Tatum, Public Sector, 1/27/14 Reading California’s 2014-15 proposed budget, one could easily be hooked by proclamations of [...]
• EDITORIAL: Prepare now for pension avalanche — Cities Could go Belly-Up
    EDITORIAL: Prepare now for pension avalanche Local governments need to start planning now for higher costs for providing pension benefits through [...]
• Ventura County pension reform has poster child-$283,000 Pension for former sheriff
    Ventura County pension reform has poster child Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 1/27/14 Backers of an initiative that would give new Ventura County employees a [...]
• Why Aren’t Pension Funds Investing in California?
    Why Aren’t Pension Funds Investing in California? by Daniel H. Scherotter‚ Beyond Chron, 1/27/14 In their January 23 article (“Pension Cutters Bet [...]
• Sonoma County’s Pension Crisis – Analysis and Recommendations
    Sonoma County’s Pension Crisis – Analysis and Recommendations By Ken Churchill, Public CEO, 1/17/14 New Sonoma, a volunteer organization of financial experts [...]
• Guv Brown Wants to CONTROL CalSTRS Teacher Contributions—Take Away From Districts
    Brown ‘committed’ to getting CalSTRS rate hike Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 1/13/14 A new state budget Gov. Brown proposed last week does not have [...]
• Pension Initiative Gets Mixed LAO Cost Analysis
      Pension Initiative Gets Mixed LAO Cost Analysis By Ed Mendel, Publice CEO, 1/8/14 A pension reform initiative proposed by San Jose Mayor [...]
• CalPERS Plans Rate Hike, Third in Last Two Years
      CalPERS Plans Rate Hike, Third in Last Two Years By Ed Mendel, Publice CEO, 1/6/14 To cover the cost of retirees [...]
• Pensions Pushing Pacific Grove to Bankruptcy—Monterey on Moodys Watch List
    The Fall of Pacific Grove – How it Began, and How City Officials Fought Reform By John Moore, Union Watch, 1/5/14 Part [...]
• CalSTRS: Unfunded Liability $170 Billion—and Growing
    The gap grows Steve Williams, Victor Valley Daily Press, 1/3/14 We’re talking here about pensions generally and the California State Teachers’ Retirement [...]
• California judge bars voter-approved pension cuts for city workers
    California judge bars voter-approved pension cuts for city workers By Tim Reid, Reuters, 12/23/13 A state court judge has barred the city [...]
• CalPERS moves to exclude privately-run charters-saves teachers from losing pension funds!
    CalPERS moves to exclude privately-run charters by Tom Chorneau, Cabinet, 12/19/13 (Calif.) New eligibility requirements for participating in the California Public Employees’ [...]
• Burbank Firefighters Reach Pension Deal-unfunded liabilities GROW 25% in Year
    Burbank Firefighters Reach Pension Deal California City News, 12/17/13 The City of Burbank and its Firefighters Chief Officers’ Unit have reached a [...]
• CalPERS Understands a Better Investment ($100 Million) Is Made is Asia—NOT California
    Calpers boosts Asia hedge fund Double Haven’s assets to $710 mln By Nishant Kumar, Reuters, 12/15/13 The California Public Employees’ Retirement System [...]
• Pensions will cost San Joaquin County Millions More
    Pensions will cost S.J. more By Zachary K. Johnson, Stockton Recordm 12/9/13 Longer life spans for retirees will push up the [...]
• Stockton Doomed to Another Bankruptcy; Getting Out of bankruptcy the Worst Possible Way
    Stockton Doomed to Another Bankruptcy; Getting Out of bankruptcy the Worst Possible Way Global Economic Analysis, 12/14/13 Heading into bankruptcy Stockton, [...]
• Stockton: What Doing Nothing About Pensions Will Cost—a Second Bankruptcy shortly After Leaving Bankruptcy
    Stockton: What Doing Nothing About Pensions Will Cost By Steve Malanga, Public Sector, 12/11/13 A recent story in the New York Times noted that [...]
• Seiler: CalPERS is worried
    CalPERS is worried By John Seiler, Calwatchdog, 12/8/13 Last week, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes ruled that Detroit city workers’ pensions could be [...]
• Pension Battle Shifts to San Jose, San Bernardino, Stockton—Will They Stand up for Taxpayers or Unions?
    Pension Battle Shifts to San Jose, San Bernardino, Stockton By Mike Shedlock, Union Watch, 12/5/13 Now that a federal judge in Michigan [...]
• Detroit Allowed to Cut Pensions by 80%!! Watch Out CalPERS and CalSTRS
    VAPORIZED: Detroit Obliterates Retirement Funds: 80% Cuts to Pensioners: “This Is Going to Affect Everyone” by Mac Slavo, DC Clothesline, 12/4/13 Though [...]
• City of Los Angeles: Pension System has $10 Billion Unfunded Liability and Growing
    Pension Reform: What Will Eric Do? Written by Jack Humphreville, city Watch LA, 12/3/13 LA WATCHDOG-Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Herb [...]
• Retiree health: bigger budget bite than pensions?
    Retiree health: bigger budget bite than pensions? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 12/2/13 The rapidly growing cost of state worker retiree health care, a more [...]
• How Unions and Bankers Work Together to Protect Unsustainable Defined Benefits
    How Unions and Bankers Work Together to Protect Unsustainable Defined Benefits By Ed Ring, Union Watch, 11/26/13 One of the biggest unreported, [...]
• N.Y. Leads With $66.5 Billion Unfunded Retiree Cost, S&P Says-California Close Second
  N.Y. Leads With $66.5 Billion Unfunded Retiree Cost, S&P Says By Freeman Klopott, Bloomberg, 11/25/13 New York’s $66.5 billion unfunded obligation for [...]
• California teachers’ pensions sink further into debt
    California teachers’ pensions sink further into debt By Kevin Martinez, World Socialist Web site, 11/27/13 A new report released by the California [...]
• San Diego City Employee Pension Contributions, Same as They Ever Were
    San Diego City Employee Pension Contributions, Same as They Ever Were By Catherine Green, Public CEO, 11/26/13 City Attorney Jan Goldsmith’s big gamble [...]
• San Diego Pension System has $2.3 BILLION in unfunded Liabilities-Still Gives $5.5 Million in Bonuses—“13th” Check”
    City retirees get ’13th check’ bonus After skipping last year, they get $5.5 million By Lee Ann O’Neal, San Diego U-T, 11/22/13 A [...]
• Fixing California: Report ignores state’s vast pension liabilities
    Fixing California: Report ignores state’s vast pension liabilities By U-T San Diego Editorial Board, 11/21/13 Imagine a family in which both parents [...]
• CalPERS wants a taxpayer rescue
    CalPERS wants a taxpayer rescue Steve Williams, VV Daily Press, 11/19/13 Relatively speaking, the setback CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System) suffered [...]
• CalPERS/CalSTRS Five Year Rate Increase “Under” 50%-was 27% a Few Weeks Ago
  last fiscal year.”   CalPERS Investment Change Unlikely to Raise Rates Public CEO, 11/18/13 An increase in CalPERS employer rates from switching to a [...]
• Bankrupt Detroit: Could Cut CURRENT Retirement Payments by 84%-Lesson for California Unions
    Detroit Will Slash Retiree Pensions, Law Nothwithstanding and Unions Standing Around by burypensions, 11/18/13 Scott Walker’s book comes out tomorrow in which, it [...]
• Unions Forced to Reduce Pensions of Retirees—Will Public Pension Plans Also Cut Benefits of Those Already Receiving Them?
    Retired union workers facing ‘unprecedented’ pension cuts By Melanie Hicken, CNN Money, 11/15/13 Hundreds of thousands of retired union workers are facing [...]
• Los Angeles Pension System: $5.4 Billion in Unfunded Liabilities
    Bonkers Returns Reduce LACERS Unfunded Pension Liability to ONLY $5.4 Billion Written by Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA, 11/15/13 The Los [...]
• CalSTRS Contributions Inadequate; Unions Call Reformers “Right-Wing Ideologues”
    CalSTRS Contributions Inadequate; Unions Call Reformers “Right-Wing Ideologues” By Ed Ring, Union Watch, 11/12/13 In the most recent year for which there [...]
• San Diego Pension board move increases city’s contribution by $12 Million
    Pension board move increases city’s contribution Written by City News Service, 11/8/13 The city of San Diego’s budget for the next fiscal [...]
• SD pension costs to rise-basic services must be cut to pay
    SD pension costs to rise By Mark Walker, San Diego U-T, 11/8/13 The San Diego City Employee’ Retirement System has reduced its [...]
• Teacher pensions deficit grows $22 million a day
    Teacher pensions deficit grows $22 million a day John Myers, News 10, 11/8/13 It’s still just a speck on the horizon, [...]
• Scandal at CalPERS: $640 Billion in Unfunded Liabilities—DOUBLES Bonuses As Reward
  Calpers Doubles Bonus Payouts to Employees as Losses Recouped By Michael B. Marois, Bloomberg, 11/4/13 The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the [...]
• CalPERS Members Live Longer, May Push Up Rates
    CalPERS Members Live Longer, May Push Up Rates By Ed Mendel, Public CEO, 11/4/13 A new study shows CalPERS members are living [...]
• California agencies gamble on pension bonds to cover debts – and lose
    California agencies gamble on pension bonds to cover debts – and lose Jennifer Gollan, Center for Investigative Reporting, 10/29/13 The city of [...]
• California Pension Wars
    Pension Wars Written by Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA, 10/29/13 On October 15, San Jose’s Democratic Mayor Chuck Reed and four [...]
• Will Transit Challenge Derail Pension Reform?
    Will Transit Challenge Derail Pension Reform? By Ed Mendel, Public CEO, 10/28/13 Bay Area Rapid Transit workers may begin making annual payments [...]
• CalSTRS Opposes Reform to Save Teachers Retirement—Prefers Cutting Benefits
    CalSTRS Statement on Proposed Pension Reform Act of 2014 Ballot Measure CalSTRS press release, 10/17/13 WEST SACRAMENTO, CA – In response to [...]
• Democrats vs. Democrats in Pension Ballot Measure Fight Against Union Sweetheart Deals
    An attempt to reform pensions could pitch Democrat against Democrat The Economist, 10/26/13 CALIFORNIA’S Bay Area, one of the most left-wing parts [...]
• Fixing California: A fix for the financial hole that just gets deeper
    Fixing California: A fix for the financial hole that just gets deeper By U-T San Diego Editorial Board, 10/21/13 Despite a decade [...]
• California pension fund to appeal San Bernardino bankruptcy eligibility
    California pension fund to appeal San Bernardino bankruptcy eligibility Reuters, 10/18/13 The largest U.S. public employee pension fund said Thursday that it [...]
• CalPERS Issues Statement on Public Pension Ballot Initiative-They Hate It
    CalPERS Issues Statement on Public Pension Ballot Initiative CalPERS Press Release, 10/16/13 Sacramento, CA – The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) [...]
• New Accounting Rules Will Double CalSTRS Reported Unfunded Liability-$166.9 BILLION
    New Accounting Rules Will Double CalSTRS Reported Unfunded Liability By Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, 10/11/13 It’s been said that [...]
• Moodys: Stockton Pension Bonds DEEP Junk
    Moody’s lowers Stockton, Calif., pension bonds deeper into junk Reuters, 10/15/13 Moody’s Investors Service lowered the pension obligation bonds of Stockton, California, [...]
• Pension reform initiative would ‘empower’ cities
    Pension reform initiative would ‘empower’ cities Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 10/14/13 San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed may soon file a proposed statewide initiative aimed [...]
• Sometimes San Fran Government Board Exhibits Common Sense
    SF board decides not to divest pension money from fossil fuel companies by Joshua Sabatini, SF Examiner, 10/11/13 San Francisco’s public [...]
• CalPERS greed killing cities
    CalPERS greed Steve Williams, Daily Press, 10/8/13 Anybody remember the first California city to throw in the towel and declare bankruptcy because [...]
• Bankrupt Stockton Pins Hopes on Tax Increase, Not Pension Reform-Planning for 2nd Bankruptcy
    Bankrupt Stockton Pins Hopes on Tax Increase, Not Pension Reform Scott Shackford, Reason, 10/7/13 Calif, leaders have confirmed their bankrupt city will [...]
• New Focus on Showing Risk as CalPERS Rates Go Up
    New Focus on Showing Risk as CalPERS Rates Go Up By Ed Mendel. Public CEO, 10/7/13 A new CalPERS projection shows employer [...]
• Critics assail Marin County ‘pension roulette’
    Critics assail Marin County ‘pension roulette’ By Nels Johnson, Marin Independent Journal, 10/6/13 Marin’s city and county governments have mounted a retiree [...]
• CONTINUED LEGISLATIVE INACTION ON CALIFORNIA TEACHERS’ PENSIONS UNDERMINES K-12 BUDGETS
    Continued Legislative Inaction on California Teachers’ Pensions Undermines K-12 Budgets Analysis shows annual funding to be diverted from school district and/or [...]
• EDITORIAL: Tame pension costs — or become another Vallejo
    EDITORIAL: Tame pension costs — or become another Vallejo Vallejo’s experience shows that local governments need to rein in pension costs [...]
• California OPEB Decision Could Be Credit Negative
    California OPEB Decision Could Be Credit Negative Fitch Ratings, 10/2/13 A superior court decision last month in California (although quite narrow [...]
• Vallejo Faces 2nd Bankruptcy Because They Didn’t Restructure Pensions
    Vallejo Faces 2nd Bankruptcy Because They Didn’t Restructure Pensions By Mike Shedlock, Union Watch, 10/2/13 Editor’s Note: An article published today in [...]
• Pension-Cutting Ballot Initiative Revealed
    Pension-Cutting Ballot Initiative Revealed by Gary Cohn‚ Beyond Chron, 9/27/13 In a move to slash the retirement benefits of public employees in [...]
• University of California raises pension payments for service workers .
    University of California raises pension payments for service workers . Steven E.F. Brown, San Francisco Business Times, 9/25/13 The University of California [...]
• Were San Jose workers really ‘victims’ of their politicians?
    Were San Jose workers really ‘victims’ of their politicians? By Steve Malanga, Public Sector, 9/25/13 Monday’s New York Times piece on San [...]
• NY Times Misleads on San Jose on Pensions
    Reports on Public Insolvency Incomplete Without Employee Compensation Data By Ed Ring, Union Watch, 9/24/13 On Sept. 23rd the New York [...]
• Struggling, San Jose Tests a Way to Cut Benefits Because of Pension Costs
    Struggling, San Jose Tests a Way to Cut Benefits By RICK LYMAN and MARY WILLIAMS WALSH, NY Times, 9/23/13 TO SEE COMPLETE [...]
• Government Pensions Systems: Keeping Two Sets of Books
    Keeping Two Sets of Books By Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, 9/22/13 It’s been said that after Al Capone was sentenced [...]
• Judge rules retiree health protected like pension
    Judge rules retiree health protected like pension Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 9/23/13 A superior court judge overturned a freeze on retiree health care [...]
• Pensions, rising costs to pressure California school budgets -Fitch
    Pensions, rising costs to pressure California school budgets -Fitch Reuters, 9/23/13 - Bigger payments to California’s pension fund for teachers and other [...]
• State Pension Reform Will Spell Relief For Santa Monica, But Not For A Long While
    State Pension Reform Will Spell Relief For Santa Monica, But Not For A While         By Jason Islas, Santa Monica Lookout, 9/19/13 A [...]
• CalSTRS Unsustainable Unfunded Liability: $71 Billion. On January 1, 2014-$166.9 BILLION
    CalSTRS debt soars under new accounting rules Ed Mendel, Calpensions, 9/16/13 New government accounting rules will more than double the pension debt [...]
• Orange County Pension Unfunded Liability: In 2004-$1 Billion. In 2013-$5 Billion
    Supervisors’ Choice for Pension Board Draws Controversy By NORBERTO SANTANA JR., Voice of Orange County, 9/11/13 The Orange County Board of Supervisors [...]
• Pensions Are Still Making Ludicrous Assumptions About Future Returns
    Pensions Are Still Making Ludicrous Assumptions About Future Returns John Mauldin, Thoughts From The Frontline , 9/8/13 TO SEE GRAPHS PLEASE CLICK [...]
• Sacramento Democrats Approve Bill to Allow County Pension Funds SECRET Equity Deals—Corruption Permitted?
    Bill would give California county pension funds privacy shield larger ones enjoy By Randy Diamond, pensions and investments online, 9/4/13 A bill [...]
• Brown Offers ANOTHER Payoff to Unions—This Time Using Pension Money
    Brown offers pension deal to unlock transit funds By Michael Gardner, San Diego U-T, 9/4/13 Gov. Jerry Brown has offered the Obama [...]
• California UnFunded Pension Liability Now $640,000,000,000—Using Accurate Numbers for First Time
    New Era of Pension Finance Shows Huge Liabilities for States BY: Liz Farmer, Governing, 9/4/13 The nation’s state public employee pensions combine [...]
• Slash and Burn: The War Against California Pensions
    Slash and Burn: The War Against California Pensions by Gary Cohn, Frying Pan News, 9/3/13 Benjamin Gamboa doesn’t know John Arnold, but [...]
• CalPERS vs. San Bernardino: What do they want?
    CalPERS vs. San Bernardino: What do they want? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 9/3/13 A federal judge ruled San Bernardino eligible for bankruptcy last week, [...]
• Daniel Borenstein: Pensions driving East Bay’s largest fire district toward bankruptcy
    Daniel Borenstein: Pensions driving East Bay’s largest fire district toward bankruptcy By Daniel Borenstein, Bay Area News Group 08/31/2013 The East Bay’s [...]
• Court Rules Bankrupt San Bernardino Can Refuse to Pay Greedy CalPERS
    San Bernardino Eligible for Chapter 9 Bankruptcy California City News, 8/29/13 Despite objection from CalPERS, a federal judge ruled yesterday that San [...]
• Saving Pensions Will Require Unions To Face Reality
    Saving Pensions Will Require Unions To Face Reality By Ed Ring Union Watch, 8/28/13 “Not surprisingly, within moments of news of [...]
• CalPERS Looking At Investments Based on RACE Instead of Highest Quality—Bigoted Investment Policy
    CalPERS pushed to invest through minority firms Ed Mendel, CalPension, 8/26/13 CalPERS is not investing enough money through minority-owned firms, two trade associations [...]
• Unions Upset With Public Knowing How Public Pension Money is Being Spent
    California’s Public Sector Union Pension Secrecy Lobby By Steven Greenhut, Union Watch, 8/26/13 Last month, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) [...]
• Why, Even with a Pension Crisis, LA Won’t Tank Like Detroit
    Why, Even with a Pension Crisis, LA Won’t Tank Like Detroit Written by Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA, 8/23/13 LA WATCHDOG - When [...]
• How to Low-Ball a National $4.4 Trillion Pension Hole
    How to Low-Ball a $4.4 Trillion Pension Hole By James Greiff, Bloomberg, 8/20/13 Last week’s report that Philadelphia borrowed $50 million to [...]
• Skimming ‘excess’ pension investment earnings
    Skimming ‘excess’ pension investment earnings Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 8/19/13 An issue in the San Jose pension reform trial, a “13th check” bonus for [...]
• Contra Costa Times editorial: Staggering new county pension costs numbers should set off alarm bells
    Contra Costa Times editorial: Staggering new county pension costs numbers should set off alarm bells Contra Costa Times editorial, 8/9/13 Contra Costa [...]
• Public pensions become issue in labor strikes
    Public pensions become issue in labor strikes Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 8/12/13 As retirement costs grow, traditional labor disputes over wages and health coverage [...]
• Can San Jose cut pensions of current workers?
    Can San Jose cut pensions of current workers? CalPensions, 8/5/13 After a five-day trial last month, a judge is looking at 13 issues [...]
• CalSTRS Admits Truth: Broke in Thirty Years
      Healthy Short-Term Returns Are Not Enough to Cure Chronic Underfunding Jack Ehnes, CalSTRS, 7/18/13 In the last three years, CalSTRS has experienced significant [...]
• CalPERS still in choppy seas after ‘perfect storm’
    CalPERS still in choppy seas after ‘perfect storm’ Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 7/29/13 Employer satisfaction with CalPERS dropped during the last two years, a [...]
• California court battle with unions sets stage for pension reform showdown
    California court battle with unions sets stage for pension reform showdown Jim Christie, Reuters, 7/23/13 California’s third-largest city, San Jose, and its [...]
• Greenhut: Possible Ballot Measure to Stall Pension System Collapse
    Tackling the Pension Problem After a series of setbacks, California reformers regroup. Steven Greenhut, City Journal, 7/17/13 A statewide constitutional initiative planned for [...]
• Seiler: CA take note: Detroit bankruptcy could slash pensions 90%
    CA take note: Detroit bankruptcy could slash pensions 90% By John Seiler, Calwatchdog, 7/18/13 Detroit declared bankruptcy today. For California, here are [...]
• Businesses Should Fear States’ Big Pension Debts
    Businesses Should Fear States’ Big Pension Debts By Steven Malanga, Real Clear Markets, 7/10/13 In late June the ratings agency Moody’s issued [...]
• Gov’t Transportation Systems Cutbacks Explored: Pension Crisis Cause and Feds Refuse to Fund
    Santa Barbara MTD May Roll Back Bus Service as Feds Withhold Funding City Council will hear proposals from the district on [...]
• Good News/Bad News: CalPERS Rate of Return is 12.5%-Last year was 1%-Still Added $5 Billion in Unfunded Liabilities in Last Four Months
    CalPERS sees 12.5% return on investments The California Public Employees’ Retirement System saw a 12.5 percent return on investments in [...]
• Cautionary Tale for California Cities: Detroit pensions could take big hit in bankruptcy
    CA take note: Detroit pensions could take big hit in bankruptcy By John Seiler, Calwatchdog, 7/13/13 Although California’s current financial fortunes seemingly [...]
• What Recovery? California Unfunded Pension Liabilities: Up 5% Since February
    Study: State’s pension debt spiked since February A California Common Sense study says that despite glowing reviews for Brown’s 2013-2014 budget [...]
• Court to “rule” if San Bernardino is “eligible” to be in bankruptcy—doesn’t matter the town has no money. It IS bankrupt
    San Bernardino Seeks Ruling It’s Eligible for Chapter 9 By Edvard Pettersson Bloomberg, 7/5/13 San Bernardino asked a bankruptcy judge to set [...]
• $20M hole blown in San Diego’s budget due to pension crisis
    $20M hole blown in San Diego’s budget Board refuses to lower city’s pension bill By Craig Gustafson, San Diego U-T, 7/1/13 City leaders [...]
• Even Rich, Texas Billionaire Democrat Obama Supporters Want CA pension to Close—Re-open as 401/(k)
    Billionaire Texas Democrat seeks to reform CA pensions By Wayne Lusvardi, Calwatchdog, 6/26/13 California’s pension problems are so massive that any help [...]
• CalPERS wants lien on local government assets—even if cops have to be fired
    CalPERS wants lien on local government assets Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 6/24/13 Bankrupt San Bernardino skipped its payments to CalPERS this fiscal year, an [...]
• ‘Pension pickup’: Bay Area taxpayers foot the bill for little-known perk
    ‘Pension pickup’: Bay Area taxpayers foot the bill for little-known perk By Thomas Peele and Daniel Willis, Oakland Tribune, 6/24/13 TO SEE [...]
• New CalPERS rate-hike era begins with cost cut-and 50% “contribution” increase
    New CalPERS rate-hike era begins with cost cut Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 6/19/13 State pension costs drop slightly in the new fiscal year under [...]
• Seiler: Detroit to renege on pensions? CA next?
    Detroit to renege on pensions? CA next? By John Seiler, Calwatchdog, 6/16/13 California’s finances are overflowing today. The Legislature just passed a [...]
• Brown and Democrats Ignore Facts About Gov’t Pension Collapse—NOT About Investment Loses
    California’s Misleading Pension ’Losses’ By David Crane, Bloomberg, 6/16/13 The executive of Sacramento County in California recently attributed the increase in his [...]
• California on the Brink: Pension Crisis About to Get Worse
    California on the Brink: Pension Crisis About to Get Worse By Elizabeth MacDonald, Fox Business, 6/12/13 A growing number of key California [...]
• Santa Barbara County Fiscal Gap Widening Under Heftier Employee Salaries, Pensions
    Santa Barbara County Fiscal Gap Widening Under Heftier Employee Salaries, Pensions Board of Supervisors will hear budget proposals from all departments [...]
• County pension costs are rising in San Diego and Everywhere in California
    County pension costs are rising By Lee Ann O’Neal, San Diego U-T, 6/7/13 The cost to San Diego County government for its [...]
• Is Boeing the Start of REAL Pension Reform—by ENDING Pensions?
    Boeing engineers’ union adapts to new world without pensions Steve Wilhelm, Puget Sound Business Journal, 6/6/13 Boeing union engineers are gradually adjusting [...]
• Cops, firefighters may have to pay more for benefits -equals a take home pay cut
    Cops, firefighters may have to pay more for benefits Ashley Archibald, Santa Monica Daily Mirror, 5/31/13 CITY HALL — Cops and firefighters [...]
• Wealthy Sonoma faces similar problems to Stockton-CalPERS Could Cause Bankruptcy
        Wealthy Sonoma faces similar problems to Stockton By Steven Greenhut, Public Sector Inc., 5/29/13 Defenders of the state’s fiscal status quo routinely [...]
• Reforming Public Sector Unions and Public Sector Pensions is NOT “Anti-Worker”
    Reforming Public Sector Unions and Public Sector Pensions is NOT “Anti-Worker” By Editor, Union Watch, 5/28/13 An incoming email responding to last [...]
• Briefing Report: Carve-Outs and Realizing That 50/50 for Pension Payments is Only a Labor Friendly Infomercial
    Briefing Report: Carve-Outs and Realizing That 50/50 is Only a Labor Friendly Infomercial California Republican Senate Caucus, 5/30/13 Equal sharing of normal [...]
• Grimes: Democrat Assembly bill would stall local pension reform efforts
    Assembly bill would stall local pension reform efforts By Katy Grimes, Calwatchdog, 5/24/13 A bill to make it nearly impossible for local [...]
• Pension costs set to skyrocket for Petaluma and most other cities-cops, parks and roads to be cut
  California is in a Depression. Guv Brown claims a “surplus”—while the State Auditor reminds us we have $127 billion in [...]
• City of Santa Barbara Facing Soaring Retirement Costs
    City of Santa Barbara Facing Soaring Retirement Costs By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk, 5/14/13 The City of Santa Barbara expects its retirement costs [...]
• Seiler: Yes, govt. pensions can be completely canceled
    Yes, govt. pensions can be completely canceled By John Seiler, Calwatchdog, 5/15/13 We’re constantly told that California governments have a “constitutional obligation” [...]
• Union actuary says UC overstates pension costs-prefer system to collapse
    Union actuary says UC overstates pension costs Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 5/13/13 A large technical-worker union that plans a strike at five University of [...]
• Backlash Feared if CalPERS Demands $$ From Bankrupt Cities
    Backlash Feared if Pensions Fight for Funds Special Report from Capitol Weekly, By Ed Mendel, 5/9/13 The question of whether pensions are [...]
• CalPERS Trying to Force Bankrupt San Bernardino to Pay $13 Million That Does not Exist
    CalPERS won’t refinance San Bernardino debt Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 5/6/13 Bankrupt San Bernardino’s new budget restarts CalPERS payments in July after skipping about [...]
• Democrats Want Pension $$ Pulled From Tribune Company. If Koch Brothers Buy the L.A. Times
    Garcetti, Zine try to pressure Tribune over Koch rumors By Kevin Roderick, LA Observed, 4/30/13 No one knows how seriously the Koch [...]
• Los Angeles City Pension Costs Grew 25% Annually Over Last Decade
    Los Angeles City Pension Costs Grew 25% Annually Over Last Decade Public CEO, 3/6/13 California Common Sense (CACS) released a report analyzing [...]
• Cities ask workers to pay their own pension costs
    Cities ask workers to pay their own pension costs Michal Conger, The Washington Examiner, 4/30/13 Pension costs have caused several recent high-profile [...]
• CalPERS: The Bill Has Come Due
    The Bill Has Come Due Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, 4/21/13 Expect to hear a lot more pronouncements from state and [...]
• How much can pensions squeeze other programs? How many cops need to be fired to pay for CalPERS?
    How much can pensions squeeze other programs? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 4/22/13 The question of whether pensions are “sustainable” may get an answer as [...]
• CalPERS: $5.7 million to end San Jose council pensions
    CalPERS: $5.7 million to end San Jose council pensions By John Woolfolk San Jose Mercury News, 4/21/13 TO SEE THE COMPLETE STORY [...]
• Grand Jury Says San Mateo Pension Liability a Serious Concern
    Grand Jury Says San Mateo Pension Liability a Serious Concern California County News, 4/17/13 San Mateo’s pension liabilities are out of control, [...]
• Unsustainable CalSTRS Tries to Run Profitable Business
    CalSTRS wants change at Timken shareholder meeting The California State Teachers’ Retirement System hopes to drive change at the annual shareholder [...]
• To Save Itself: Town LEAVES CalPERS
    Canyon Lakes Severs Ties with CalPERS California City News, 4/18/13 The tiny city of Canyon Lake has decided to sever its ties [...]
• Bottom Line: CalSTRS is Unsustainable—It Could Force School Districts and Teachers into Bankruptcy
    CalSTRS benefit hikes big part of pension debt Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 4/15/13 If not for pension and benefit increases as the stock market [...]
• Union Owned Mayor of San Diego Wants Unsustainable Pension System to Stay
    Mayor Filner Wants City Attorney Goldsmith to Drop Pension Lawsuit KPBS San Diego, 4/11/13 Mayor Bob Filner plans to publicly urge City Attorney [...]
• The Pension Fund That Ate California
    The Pension Fund That Ate California CalPERS’s corruption, insider dealing, and politicized investments have overwhelmed taxpayers with debt. Steven Malanga, City Journal, [...]
• Stockton bankruptcy: roll back pension ‘spiking’?
    Stockton bankruptcy: roll back pension ‘spiking’? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 4/8/13 While ruling Stockton eligible for bankruptcy last week, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein [...]
• CalPERS Pension System in the Crosshairs of Stockton Bankruptcy Dispute
    CalPERS Pension System in the Crosshairs of Stockton Bankruptcy Dispute By Mike Shedlock, Union Watch, 4/5/13 A few days ago a federal [...]
• Los Angeles Pension Fund: Unfunded Liability Growing $1 Billion a Year
    The Unholy Alliance Becomes More Unholy Written by Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA, 4/2/13 LA WATCHDOG - The Unholy Alliance, epitomized as the [...]
• Judge Allows Stockton to Default on Pension Obligation Bonds
    Judge Rules Stockton CA Bankruptcy is Valid, City Acted in Good Faith By Mike Shedlock, Union Watch, 4/1/13 Today a judge [...]
• California watches as small city goes after Calpers
    California watches as small city goes after Calpers By Tim Reid, Reuters, 3/26/13 Officials of a tiny California city say they believe [...]
• California’s New Taxes Are Paying for Pensions
    California’s New Taxes Are Paying for Pensions By David Crane, Bloomberg, 3/27/13 What if a corporation raised $500 million in a [...]
• CalPERS Effort to Kill Basic Services and Jobs—50% Contribution Increase
    CalPERS rate hike: 50 percent over six years Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 3/25/13 The CalPERS board last week tentatively approved an employer rate hike [...]
• CalSTRS: $73 BILLION Unfunded Liabilities—Growing by $17 MILLION A DAY
    Editorial: State must fix liabilities that loom at CalSTRS By the Sacramento Bee Editorial Board, 3/25/13 TO SEE THE COMPLETE EDITORIAL CLICK [...]
• GASB Loopholes Created Illusions of Solvency for CalPERS/CalSTRS
    GASB Loopholes Created Illusions of Solvency By Editor, Union Watch, 3/19/13 What if most of the public employee compensation enhancements of the [...]
• Rookie’s bill proposes Brown’s CalPERS reform
    Rookie’s bill proposes Brown’s CalPERS reform Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 3/18/13 Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, an upset victor last fall in a new [...]
• CA pension conference in HAWAII: One Topic, “Avoiding a Front Page Scandal at Your Pension Fund,”
    As pensions burn, officials learn the fiddle By U-T San Diego Editorial Board, 3/3/13 In a striking symbol of how little the [...]
• SEC FINDS STATE OF ILLINOIS VIOLATED SECURITIES LAWS: Lying About Pension Bonds
    SEC FINDS STATE OF ILLINOIS VIOLATED SECURITIES LAWS Written by Chriss W. Street, 3/11/13 The United States Securities & Exchange Commission [...]
• Post-crisis reforms make pensions sustainable?
    Post-crisis reforms make pensions sustainable? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 3/11/13 A nationwide study, including CalPERS and CalSTRS, projects that huge pension fund losses during [...]
• CalPERS has $22 billion invested in California
    CalPERS has $22 billion invested in California Mark Anderson, Sacramento Business Journal, 3/6/13 California Public Employees’ Retirement System is one of the [...]
• Pension ‘cram down’ in Stockton bankruptcy?
    Pension ‘cram down’ in Stockton bankruptcy? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 3/4/13 A federal judge suggested last week that pension cuts in the Stockton [...]
• Think Bankrupt Pension Plans Can’t Cut Pensions? Look at 55% cut in Rhode Island City
    Woonsocket retirees warned pension fund will run out of money in 10 years Cash-strapped city asks for benefit cuts By Ted Nesi, [...]
• As economy recovers, CalPERS may raise cost to local government agencies
    As economy recovers, CalPERS may lift rate lid Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 2/25/13 CalPERS last week gave some 1,575 local governments a small increase [...]
• CalPERS Trying to Hide its Real Estate Dealings From Public—Democrat Bill to Hide $24 Billion in Investments
    Proposed California law would shield public real estate deals By Jim Sanders, Sacramento Bee, 2/24/13 TO SEE COMPLETE STORY CLICK ON BLUE [...]
• Stockton, San Bernardino Can’t Pay Pension Obligation Bonds—Moodys Down Grades the Contra Costa Obligation Bonds
    Moody’s lowers Contra Costa Co., Calif. pension obligation bonds Posted by Asad Naeem, brecorder, 2/21/13 SAN FRANCISCO: Moody’s Investors Service downgraded on [...]
• CalPERS Pushing Government Employees Out of PRIVATE Long Term Coverage—Into Federal Program (socialism)
    Outrage at CalPERS’ 85% rate hike for long-term care By Dave Roberts, Calwatchdog, 2/20/13 When tens of thousands of state employees signed [...]
• CalPERS to divest from two makers of assault weapons that are illegal in California
    CalPERS to divest from two makers of assault weapons that are illegal in California Central Valley Business Times, 2/21/13 • Prompted [...]
• January 1, 2014—HONEST Accounting for CalPERS—Unfunded Liabilities TRIPLE
    Accounting Standards, Not Elections or Litigation, Will Finally Enable Reform By Editor, Union Watch, 2/19/13 “Apres moi le deluge” Louis XV If accounting [...]
• Historic maneuvers haunt CalSTRS
    Historic maneuvers haunt CalSTRS By Ed Mendel, Capitol Weekly, 02/18/13 Some still have hard feelings about what happened when CalSTRS, now deep in [...]
• Report Cites Rising Pension Costs Amid Judge’s Prop B Rejection
    Report Cites Rising Pension Costs Amid Judge’s Prop B Rejection By Megan Burke, Maureen Cavanaugh, Amita Sharma, KPBS San Diego, 2/14/13 Public sector [...]
• San Bernardino Police, Firefighters Threaten to Sue City Over Benefits
    San Bernardino Police, Firefighters Threaten to Sue City Over Benefits California City News, 2/14/13 Police and firefighter unions in the City of [...]
• Insolvent CalSTRS Now Wants to Make Management Decisions for Successful Disney
    CalSTRS pushes for separate Disney governance by Mark Anderson, Sacramento Business Journal, 2/14/13 The California State Teachers’ Retirement System wants more independence [...]
• Is Alameda County the Next to Fail Due to Pension Payments?
    Is Alameda County Paying Enough into its Pension System? An analyst from Mendocino County says Alameda and other counties are seriously [...]
• Assemblywoman Grove: No Federal Bailout of Mismanaged California Pension System
    Assemblywoman Shannon Grove Introduces “No Pension Bailout” Resolution Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, 2/06/13 AJR 10 would oppose a federal bailout of California’s pension [...]
• Pension fixes are false hope of real reform
    Pension fixes are false hope of real reform By: Melissa Griffin, SF Examiner, 02/07/13 At the Jan. 24 meeting of the state [...]
• Fresno County Budget: 25% to Pensions!
    Pension costs continue to squeeze Fresno County By Kurtis Alexander, The Fresno Bee, 2/9/13 TO SEE THE COMPLETE STORY CLICK ON BLUE [...]
• The Pension Fund That Ate California
    The Pension Fund That Ate California CalPERS’s corruption, insider dealing, and politicized investments have overwhelmed taxpayers with debt. Steven Malanga, City Journal, [...]
• Add $200 Million to CA Deficit Thanks to CalPERS
    CalPERS projects $200 million state rate hike Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 2/7/13 Annual state pension payments to CalPERS are expected to increase $200 million [...]
• CalSTRS: $4.5 billion rate hike for full funding
    CalSTRS: $4.5 billion rate hike for full funding Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 2/4/13 A new report says CalSTRS needs $4.5 billion more a year [...]
• Sonoma County’s pension gap grows $50 million-basic services to be cut
    Sonoma County’s pension gap grows $50 million By BRETT WILKISON, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT, 2/1/13 For the second time in two years, officials [...]
• How much do big pensions widen funding gap?
    How much do big pensions widen funding gap? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 1/30/13 As local governments scrambled to meet a Jan. 1 reform deadline [...]
• CalPERS Phony anti-Gun Divestment Campaign—Why Not Sell Lockheed and Boeing Stock as Well?
    Why don’t pension funds divest from ALL arms companies? By John Seiler, Calwatchdog, 1/30/13 After the December shootings at Newtown, Conn., California [...]
• Bill would exempt thousands of California public employees from pension overhaul
    Bill would exempt thousands of California public employees from pension overhaul By Jon Ortiz, Sacramento Bee, 1/29/13 TO SEE COMPLETE STORY [...]
• Ending California’s Numbers Game-Need Honest Numbers for Pension Systems
  What would happen if CalPRS and CalSTRS were actually audited? What would happen if the public understood that billions of [...]
• LA leads nation in big-city retiree health funding
    LA leads nation in big-city retiree health funding Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 1/24/13 Los Angeles has the best-funded retiree health care among the nation’s [...]
• How would Stockton bankruptcy cut pensions?
    How would Stockton bankruptcy cut pensions? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 1/17/13 Bond insurers who want CalPERS to share the financial pain of the Stockton [...]
• Moody’s Proposed Adjustments to Local Govt Pension Data Could Impact Credit Ratings by TRIPLING Real Pension Debt
    Moody’s Proposed Adjustments to Local Govt Pension Data Could Impact Credit Ratings California City News, 1/15/13 Moody’s Investors Service has proposed adjustments [...]
• Guv Brown Has Phony Pension Reform Exposed—Public Relations NOT Policy His Forte
    Daniel Borenstein: CalPERS planning to gut a key cost-control provision of new pension law By Daniel Borenstein, Bay Area News Group, [...]
• Seiler: CalSTRS moves to increase your taxes
    CalSTRS moves to increase your taxes By John Seiler, Calwatchdog, 1/10/13 The California State Teachers Retirement System just moved to increase your [...]
• The Persistent Pension Fund Doublethink Behind the 7.0% Per Year Projection
    The Persistent Pension Fund Doublethink Behind the 7.0% Per Year Projection By Ed Ring, Union Watch, 1/10/13 “Doublethink means the power of [...]
• CalSTRS Invest Based on Ideology Instead of Fiduciary Responsibility.
    CalSTRS investments get hard look after tragedy Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 1/10/13 The nation’s second largest public pension fund, reacting to a mass [...]
• What happened to pension reform in California?
    What happened to pension reform in California? By: Tim Cavanaugh, Human Events, 1/7/13 To look at California’s ongoing budget stagnation, you’d never [...]
• Brown’s pension bill: the biggest ‘rollback’?
    Brown’s pension bill: the biggest ‘rollback’? CalPensions, Ed Mendel, 1/3/13 Gov. Brown pushed through legislation that cuts and caps public pensions for new [...]
• Feds STOP Funding Federal Pensions—NO $$ to Pay
    State Budget Solutions Statement on Geithner’s Decision To Stop Funding Pensions State Budget Solutions, 1/2/13 Alexandria, VA - Bob Williams, President of [...]
• San Bernardino may have to pay pensions before police protection
    San Bernardino may have to pay pensions before police protection By Wayne Lusvardi, Calwatchdog, 12/26/12 Do pension payments have the first claim [...]
• Pension, Redevelopment Decisions Costly for San Diego -City to LOSE $41 Million First Year
    Pension, Redevelopment Decisions Costly for San Diego   San Diego News Room, 12/20/12 SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The city of San Diego’s budget [...]
• The Financial Arsonists of Contra Costa County-Pension Crisis is Fuel
    The Financial Arsonists of Contra Costa County By Editor, Union Watch, 12/18/12 When a house is burning down, firefighters rush to save [...]
• Pension Crisis Mostly the Cause: Starving CA govt. begins to devour itself
    Starving CA govt. begins to devour itself By Mark Cabaniss, Calwatchdog, 12/18/12 Caught between rising pension costs and declining tax receipts, several [...]
• CalPERS seeks to be new California ‘Octopus’
    CalPERS seeks to be new California ‘Octopus’ By Wayne Lusvardi, Calwatchdog, 12/17/12 In 1901, Frank Norris wrote a novel, “The Octopus: A Story [...]
• CalPERS fight tries to salvage full pensions-Cities Unable to Pay
    CalPERS fight tries to salvage full pensions By Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee, 12/16/12 TO SEE COMPLETE STORY CLICK ON BLUE HEADLINE “There is [...]
• CalPERS Faces Constitutional Showdown with Bondholders in SBDO Bankruptcy Fight
    CalPERS Faces Constitutional Showdown with Bondholders in SBDO Bankruptcy Fight California City News, 12/13/12 San Bernardino’s bondholders have added to the legal [...]
• Union Leaders Criticize OC Retirement System’s Decision to Lower Investment Returns Rate
    Union Leaders Criticize OC Retirement System’s Decision to Lower Investment Returns Rate California County News, 12/12/12 The recent decision of the Orange [...]
• Illinois pension crisis: could it happen here?
    Illinois pension crisis: could it happen here? Ed Mendel, Calpensions, 12/10/12 Illinois state pension systems are the worst-funded in the nation — called [...]
• Sleepless in Stockton-Thanks to Unions and Pensions
    Sleepless in Stockton As the bankrupt city struggles to ensure public safety, its unsecured creditors - retirees, bondholders, and CalPERS - [...]
• City Hall Can Kickers: What Is Your Solution for the $19 Billion Pension Liability?
    City Hall Can Kickers: What Is Your Solution for the $19 Billion Pension Liability? Jack Humphreville, CityWatchLA, 11/30/12 LA WATCHDOG - Now [...]
• Can LA Afford the Fire and Police Pension Plans?
    Can LA Afford the Fire and Police Pension Plans? Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA, 11/27/12 LA WATCHDOG - The City’s contribution to [...]
• San Bernardino to Curb Payments on Retirees in Bankuptcy-CalPRS to Sue
    San Bernardino to Curb Payments on Retirees in Bankuptcy By James Nash, Bloomberg, 11/26/12 San Bernardino, the second-largest U.S. city to seek [...]
• CalSTRS: Action on long-delayed rate increase?
    CalSTRS: Action on long-delayed rate increase? Ed Mendel, Calpensions, 11/26/12 More money for the underfunded California State Teachers Retirement System may be considered [...]
• Feds: Government’s pension backstop faces shortfall due to overly cautious investments
    Un-Risky Business Government’s pension backstop faces shortfall due to overly cautious investments BY: Bill McMorris, Washington Free Beacon, 11/21/12 The federal government’s backstop [...]
• High cost of leaving CalPERS may get higher-Public told 7.5% returns-cities told 2%
    High cost of leaving CalPERS may get higher Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 11/19/12 The CalPERS board may make it more costly for struggling local [...]
• Outsourcing pension costs: Costa Mesa hits snag
    Outsourcing pension costs: Costa Mesa hits snag Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 11/12/12 Costa Mesa voters last week rejected a proposed city charter, a switch [...]
• CalPERS reports 4.3% return for quarter on strength of public equity-budgeted based on 7.5%
    CalPERS reports 4.3% return for quarter on strength of public equity By Randy Diamond, Pensions and Investments, 10/30/12   CalPERS posted a 4.3% [...]
• Appeals Court Rules Local Govt Bound by Past Commitments to Pay Future Retirement Benefits
  Appeals Court Rules Local Govt Bound by Past Commitments to Pay Future Retirement Benefits California City News, 11/6/12 A legal dispute from [...]
• Pension reform: Will LA make 401(k)s a trend?
    Pension reform: Will LA make 401(k)s a trend? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 11/5/12 Signature gathering began last week for an initiative to switch new [...]
• Pension Reform: Villaraigosa v. Riordan
  Pension Reform: Villaraigosa v. Riordan Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA, 10/29/12 LA WATCHDOG - The Riordan Plan for pension reform will be [...]
• San Bernardino, Compton stop paying CalPERS
    San Bernardino, Compton stop paying CalPERS Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 10/29/12 CalPERS filed court actions against two financially troubled cities, San Bernardino and Compton, [...]
• Pension debt: ticking time bomb or myth?
    Pension debt: ticking time bomb or myth? EdMendel, CalPensions, 10/22/12 A new study of the 100 largest U.S. public pension funds shows CalSTRS [...]
• CalPERS to San Bernardino: Fire Cops and Firefighters—Give US Your $$
    Calpers threatens San Bernardino over pension debt By Tim Reid, Reuters, 10/19/12 TO SEE COMPLETE STORY CLICK ON BLUE HEADLINE Calpers, one of [...]
• Bankrupt San Bernardino halts payments to Calpers
    Bankrupt San Bernardino halts payments to Calpers By Tim Reid and Jim Christie, Reuters, 10/19/12 San Bernardino, California, has failed to make [...]
• 5 Reasons Why Riordan’s LA Pension Measure Can’t Win
    5 Reasons Why Riordan’s LA Pension Measure Can’t Win By Joe Mathews, nbclosangeles, 10/17/12 Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan appears onstage [...]
• Report warns Santa Cruz governments pensions face $1.3B deficit
    Report warns local pensions face $1.3B deficit By Jason Hoppin, Santa Cruz Sentinel, 10/16/12 SANTA CRUZ — A handful of local public [...]
• Humpreville: LA’s Pension War Goes Nuclear
    LA’s Pension War Goes Nuclear Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA, 10/15/12 LA WATCHDOG - Mayor Richard Riordan’s proposed ballot measure, the “Fair [...]
• Judges and pensions: classic conflict of interest
    Judges and pensions: classic conflict of interest Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 10/15/12 The public employees most lightly touched by a pension reform signed by [...]
• San Leandro to have Bond Rating Dropped: When is the Bankruptcy? Pensions at Fault.
    In a press release announcing the actions, the rating agency specified the pension bond as the reason that San Leandro [...]
• Big city pension reform: San Diego, LA begin-Too Little, Too Late
    Big city pension reform: San Diego, LA begin Ed Mendel, Calpensions, 10/1/12 The San Diego city council is expected to approve a 401(k)-style [...]
• Stockton bankruptcy: bond insurers vs. CalPERS
    Stockton bankruptcy: bond insurers vs. CalPERS Ed Mendel, Calpensions, 9/24/12 Bond insurers arguing that Stockton is ineligible for bankruptcy because it did not [...]
• Humphreville: Pension Reform: Antonio’s Optical Illusion
    Pension Reform: Antonio’s Optical Illusion Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA, 9/20/12 LA WATCHDOG - At a well attended Wednesday morning press conference [...]
• Even CalSTRS Invests Big Time in Texas Properties
    CalSTRS ups stake in Austin office buildings Sacramento Business Journal by Mark Anderson, 9/20/12 The California State Teachers’ Retirement System and Thomas [...]
• Yes, we can break public-employee pensions
    Yes, we can break public-employee pensions By Mark Cabaniss, Calwatchdog, 9/20/12 The politicians in charge of “doing something” about the ongoing California [...]
• Brown Does NOT Reform $21 Billion in Unfunded Liabilities UC System Pension Plan—Still Insolvent
      Pension reform: CalSTRS gets hope, CSU low rate EdMendel, CalPensions, 9/17/12 What CalSTRS regards as its “most significant reform issue” was not in [...]
• Oakland Teacher Predicts ‘Civil Unrest’ Over California Gov. Brown’s Meager Pension Reform
      Oakland Teacher Predicts ‘Civil Unrest’ Over California Gov. Brown’s Meager Pension Reform Kyle Olson, Townhall, 9/14/12 California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a [...]
• San Diego Could Pay Millions More To Pension Next Year
      San Diego Could Pay Millions More To Pension Next Year By Katie Orr, KPBS San Diego, 9/13/12 SAN DIEGO — Turmoil [...]
• So What About LA’s Pension Time Bomb?
        So What About LA’s Pension Time Bomb? Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA LA WATCHDOG - We have been overwhelmed by the [...]
• CalSTRS: Pension Reform Does Not Address $64 Billion Unfunded Liability
        CalSTRS Releases Summary of Pension Changes and Funding Resolution CalSTRS, 9/7/12 Anti-Spiking Tools Valuable but Funding Plan Still Needed CalSTRS has conducted an [...]
• Brown Pension Reform Keeps CalSTRS Insolvent—Meager Savings while Unfunded Liabilities Grow
      CalSTRS estimates $22.7 billion savings from pension reform By John Fensterwald, EdSource, 9/6/12 The pension reforms that the Legislature passed before skipping town [...]
• Controller Releases Review of CalSTRS’ Pension-Spiking Oversight
        Controller Releases Review of CalSTRS’ Pension-Spiking Oversight State Controller John Chiang, 9/5/12 SACRAMENTO – State Controller John Chiang today released his [...]
• Pension reform allows cities to bypass bargaining
      Pension reform allows cities to bypass bargaining Ed Mendel, Calpensions, 9/4/12 Pension reform approved by the Legislature last week gives many cities new [...]
• On Pensions, Republicans Are Right — And Insane -In a Good Way
        On Pensions, Republicans Are Right — And Insane By Joe Mathews, nbcsandigoe, 9/1/12 The pension legislation put forward by Gov. Brown and [...]
• Brown Pension Reform is Pension Fraud on Taxpayers
      Daniel Borenstein: Latest problem in pension bill undermines big cost-savings claim By Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 8/31/12 TO SEE COMPLETE STORY CLICK [...]
• Seiler: Gov. Brown’s pension non-reform
    Gov. Brown’s pension non-reform By John Seiler, Calwatchdog, 8/31/12 As the smoke and the rhetoric have settled, you know pension reform is [...]
• Pension reform savings: $40 billion to $60 billion-unfunded liabilities continue to grow anyway
      Pension reform savings: $40 billion to $60 billion Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 8/30/12 A pension reform plan worked out by Gov. Brown and Democratic [...]
• Senator Walters Concerned About Legality of Pension Conference Report
      Senator Walters Concerned About Legality of Pension Conference Report Senator Mimi Walters, 8/29/12 SACRAMENTO - Senator Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) has several concerns [...]
• CalPERS: California public pension reform savings could reach $60 billion (over 30 years)
      CalPERS: California public pension reform savings could reach $60 billion Sacramento Bee, 8/29/12 TO SEE COMPLETE STORY CLICK ON BLUE HEADLINE “California [...]
• Governor announces pension plan which doesn’t save system
      Governor announces pension plan By Andy Wright, Pulse of the Bay, 8/28/12 Gov. Jerry Brown discusses the state budget and a ballot [...]
• Pension reform: top-paid school administrators to take biggest hit
      Pension reform: top-paid administrators to take biggest hit By John Fensterwald, Edsource, 8/29/12 The retirement age for new teachers will be pushed back [...]
• Sacramento’s double standard about pension reform
      Sacramento’s double standard about pension reform By: Melissa Griffin, SF Examiner, 08/26/12 The Friday deadline for the state Legislature to pass a [...]
• California Politicos, Unions Play Pension Roulette
      California Politicos, Unions Play Pension Roulette By Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, nbclosangeles, 8/25/12 “Money” — to paraphrase a famous political dictum — “is [...]
• An Expensive Goodbye: Payouts for Unused Sick Time Breaking the Bank for Cash-Strapped Cities?
      An Expensive Goodbye: Payouts for Unused Sick Time Breaking the Bank for Cash-Strapped Cities? California City News, 8/23/12 This summer’s municipal bankruptcies [...]
• Greenhut: Even in Bankruptcy, Unions Get Special Treatment
    .   Even in Bankruptcy, Unions Get Special Treatment The pension-debt time bomb detonates in bankruptcy court. Steven Greenhut, Reason, 8/17/12 Municipal bonds have long [...]
• Can CalPERS investments do well by doing good?
      Can CalPERS investments do well by doing good? EdMendel, CalPensions, 8/20/12 Responding to legislation, the CalPERS board last week approved a five-year plan [...]
• Retirement costs for L.A. cops, firefighters going way up-56%
      Retirement costs for L.A. cops, firefighters going way up By Mark Lacter, LA Observed, 8/16/12 We’re talking 56 percent over the next [...]
• CalPERS Thuggery Highlights Pension Scam
    CalPERS Thuggery Highlights Pension Scam Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA, 8/16/12 LA WATCHDOG - In a stunt that would make South [...]
• The coming great California pension property tax earthquake
  The coming great California pension property tax earthquake By Wayne Lusvardi, Calwatchdog, 8/16/12 The most widespread and persistent folktale about California is [...]
• CalPRS DEMANDS Investments Lose $$ As Long as Investments are CA Firms
      Don’t kill in-state investment plan, CalPERS panel urges By Randy Diamond, Pensions and Investments, 8/15/12 CalPERS’ investment committee urged staff not to [...]
• Legal pension hikes: air time, golden handshake
      Legal pension hikes: air time, golden handshake Ed Mendel, CalPensions,8/13/12 If the Legislature attempts pension reform this month, one of the targets may [...]
• Declaration of war’: Wall Street may end up going after union benefits in Stockton.
      Stockton bankruptcy leads to pension clash By: Peter Henderson and Jim Christie, SF Examiner, 08/13/12 ‘Declaration of war’: Wall Street may end [...]
• Greenhut: CalPERS reveals its true colors
      CalPERS reveals its true colors Steven Greenhut, Cal Watchdog, 8/10/12 When the California Public Employees’ Retirement System — the nation’s largest retirement [...]
• Pension Envy in California
      Pension Envy A glimpse into the public-union mind-set Steven Greenhut, City Journal, 8/7/12 Rhode Island’s Democratic state treasurer, Gina Raimondo, is fond of [...]
• Bankrupt California cities slash public services to fund six-figure pensions
      Bankrupt California cities slash public services to fund six-figure pensions RT, 8/4/12 As some California cities face bankruptcy, public services are being [...]
• Stockton Police Chief’s $204,000 Pension Contributes to Bankrupt City’s Woes
      Stockton Police Chief’s $204,000 Pension Contributes to Bankrupt City’s Woes Matt Welch, Reason, 8/1/12 Here is a depressingly familiar story about public [...]
• New Problem for Insolvent Pension Plans: IRS Violations
      Are public pensions following IRS tax-delay rules? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 7/30/12 The IRS is taking a new look at whether public pension systems [...]
• Pasadena, South Pasadena and San Marino grapple with rising non-salary costs that significantly hurt budgets.
      Pensions, benefits add up to trouble Pasadena, South Pasadena and San Marino grapple with rising non-salary costs that significantly hurt budgets. By [...]
• CalPERS will get its due from bankrupt cities
      CalPERS will get its due from bankrupt cities Troubled municipalities pare budgets but continue to pay pension fund By Randy Diamond, Pensions [...]
• Stockton plan cuts bond payment and stiff bondholders of $197.5 million
    Stockton plan cuts bond payment: $197.5 million Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 7/23/12 A Stockton bankruptcy proposal does not cut pensions, but the city wants [...]
• City-State Interests Collide Concerning California Pension Reform
      City-State Interests Collide Concerning California Pension Reform By Faith Eischen., 07/17/12 Independent Voters Network As the California budget continues to face [...]
• CalSTRS posts 1.8% return on investment
      CalSTRS posts 1.8% return on investment Dennis McCoy, Sacramento Business Journal, 7/16/12 West Sacramento-based California State Teachers’ Retirement System reported a low [...]
• Taxpayers may have to pick up tab as CalPERS joins the 1% club
      Taxpayers may have to pick up tab as CalPERS joins the 1% club San Francisco Business Times by Mark Calvey, 7/16/12   California [...]
• Moodys: CA Must add $13 Billion MORE to Pension Fund
      Moody’s Changes Pension Solvency Assumptions By Editor, Union Watch, 7/11/12 Still unappreciated among defenders of public employee pension benefits is [...]
• Pension Costs Help Sink San Bernardino
      Pension Costs Help Sink San Bernardino aiCIO, 7/1112 The San Bernardino City Council has voted to enter bankruptcy [...]
• Backlash from City Leaders Forces Guv and Leg Leaders to Deny Overriding Local Pension Votes
      Backlash from City Leaders Forces Guv and Leg Leaders to Deny Overriding Local Pension Votes California City News, 7/10/12 We relayed recently [...]
• CA Holds One-Fourth of Nations $2.2 Trillion in Unfunded Pension Liabilities
      Moody’s estimate triples pension debt: $2 trillion Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 7/9/12 A new estimate from Moody’s Investor Services triples national public pension debt [...]
• Oakland to Issue pension Obligation Bonds: Stockton Bond Firm will Lose $121 Million in City Bankruptcy
      Rating Action: Moody’s assigns Aa3 rating to Oakland’s Pension Obligation Bonds Series 2012A Global Credit Research, 6/19/12 Approximately $1.1 billion in debt affected [...]
• Top cops in San Bernardino receive over $200,000 a year in retirement benefits
      Top cops receive over $200,000 a year in retirement benefits Sharon Gilbert, Los Angeles County Political Buzz Examiner, 6/30/12 SAN BERNARDINO - [...]
• Leaving the California Public Employees’ Retirement System could mean a price tag of between $60 and $80 million for the city.
      Cost to leave CalPERS ‘astounding,’ city manager says By Stephanie Dumm Lincoln Messenger, 6/29/12 Leaving the California Public Employees’ Retirement System could [...]
• Orange County: Unions Refuse Pension Reform—Let the voters Decide
      Is Orange County Headed for a Pension Ballot Initiative? NORBERTO SANTANA JR., voiceofoc.org, 6/26/12 Just as county leaders begin labor negotiations, [...]
• Grimes: CA Democrats kill pension reform bills
      Democrats kill pension reform bills By Katy Grimes, CalWatchdog, 6/21/12 Antics today in the California Senate hit an all time low when [...]
• Melissa Griffin: When CA gov’t employee benefits are bad for all
      Melissa Griffin: When employee benefits are bad for all By: Melissa Griffin, SF Examiner, 06/15/12 Can we all just hold hands for [...]
• Will IRS Stop San Jose Pension Reform Like the OC Effort?
      IRS pension snag: San Jose joins Orange County? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 6/14/12 A key part of a pension reform approved by San Jose [...]
• Editorial: CalPRS and CalSTRS: Collapsing Before Our Eyes by Stephen Frank
      Editorial: CalPRS and CalSTRS: Collapsing Before Our Eyes by Stephen Frank Editorial by Stephen Frank, 6/14/12 In the past year, while the [...]
• CalPRS DOWN 4.8% Not Up By 7.75%-Unfunded Liabilities to Skyrocket—Again
      California Pension Fund Down Almost 5% as Year End Looms By Michael B. Marois, Bloomberg, 6/11/12 The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, [...]
• What Would You Do With an Extra $13,000?
      What Would You Do With an Extra $13,000? By Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, 6/11/12 When discussing spending programs and government [...]
• Unions Sue San Jose and San Diego to STOP Pension Reform and to Bankrupt These Cities
    San Diego Asks Appeals Court to Rule on Pension Measure       San Diego News Room, 6/7/12 SAN DIEGO (CNS) [...]
• Will San Jose, San Diego lead pension reform?
      Will San Jose, San Diego lead pension reform? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 6/4/12 One reason San Jose and San Diego will vote on widely [...]
• A Progressive’s Progress-Pension Reform, Not Union Reform
    A Progressive’s Progress San Jose mayor Chuck Reed shows how Democrats can take the lead on public-pension reform. Steven Greenhut, City Journal, [...]
• GASB pension rules: sticker shock less likely
      GASB pension rules: sticker shock less likely Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 5/29/12 New public pension accounting rules scheduled to be issued next month, once [...]
• Saving CA State and Local Public Pension Funds Could Require an Additional $40 Billion Per Year from Taxpayers
  If CalPRS was honestly run cities would have to contribute billions more each year to bring it to solvency. “As can [...]
• CalSTRS SMART NOT to Invest $820 million in CA Real Estate
      CalSTRS puts $820 million in East Coast realty By Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee, 5/25/12 TO SEE COMPLETE STORY CLICK ON BLUE HEADLINE “CalSTRS’ [...]
• Why Cities Are Broke: CA Public Pension Contributions Up 304% Over the Last Decade
        California Public Pension Contributions Up 304% Over the Last Decade Matt Welch, Reason, 5/23/12 Want to know what a drag the California [...]
• CalPERS looks at job-creating infrastructure-purpose is to LOSE $$$
      CalPERS looks at job-creating infrastructure Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 5/21/12 The nation’s largest public pension fund, CalPERS, is holding a meeting in San Diego [...]
• CalPERS ignores Brown, delays pension payment-unfunded liabilities go up by $149 million
      CalPERS ignores Brown, delays pension payment Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 5/17/12 The CalPERS board yesterday raised the annual state payment for state worker pensions [...]
• Democrats in California are Pension “deniers”.
      Pension deniers attempt to shame reform advocates By Brian Calle, Cal Watchdog, 5/15/12 If you have not read or heard anything about [...]
• Ballot-box pension reform wins first court test-voters win against unions
      Ballot-box pension reform wins first court test Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 5/14/12 A superior court judge this month upheld a voter-approved initiative giving lower [...]
• CalPRS to Add $200 Million More to the Deficit Next Year
      CalPERS actuaries: state rate up $213M to $3.7B Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 5/8/12 Actuaries recommend a $213 million increase in annual state pension payments [...]
• Vote no on Measure S in Contra Costa-Vote NO on Any Tax Increase
      Vote no on Measure S Dave Roberts, The Press, 5/3/12 Imagine what would happen if you walked into your boss’s office and [...]
• Insolvent CalPRS Decides to Act Like Occupy Gang Instead of Fiduciaries for Pension Funds
      Calpers: We’re getting even more activist By Maureen Farrell @CNNMoneyInvest, 5/2/12 As Occupy Wall Street rages, Occupy boardroom shows no signs of [...]
• Union Pension Agreements Killing NY Times, Bee and Other Newspapers
  The New York Times stands behinds unions—as long as they stay away from that dead tree company. In fact, the [...]
• Coupal: CA Pols Add to Uncertainty for Retirees
      California Pols Add to Uncertainty for Retirees Jon Coupal, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, 5/1/12 Retirees and aging baby boomers hoping to join [...]
• Pension Corruption Found in Stockton
      Elected official pensions: target for reform? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 4/30/12 Stockton has enrolled three mayors and 14 city council members in CalPERS since [...]
• CalSTRS: on the road to ruin or recovery?
        CalSTRS: on the road to ruin or recovery? EdMendel, CalPensions, 4/23/12 An annual look at CalSTRS, the nation’s second largest public pension system, [...]
• CalPRS BLOWS Half a Billion $$ on Amateur Computer System
      $500M state pension software system wracked by backlogs Officials: Problems will get worse before they get better Chris Kanaracus ,(IDG News Service), [...]
• Greenhut: Reform by Any Other Name-Pensions in San Jose?
      Reform by Any Other Name Call it “modification” if you prefer—but San Jose’s pension initiative will be a national bellwether. Steven Greenhut, [...]
• CalSTRS takes 4.31% investment loss in second half of 2011—Predicted 7.75% GAIN
    CalSTRS takes 4.31% investment hit in second half of 2011 By Randy Diamond , Pensions and Investments, 4/13/12 CalSTRS’ investment committee on [...]
• County legacy: court-ordered pension ‘spiking’-killing local gov’t
      County legacy: court-ordered pension ‘spiking’ Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 4/16/12 CHINO — Proposed legislation may curb “spiking” that has made county retirement systems notorious [...]
• Sonoma County $855,488,566 Union Pension Scam—paid for by Taxpayers
      The Sonoma County Retroactive Pension Increase: Gross Incompetence or Billion Dollar Scam? By Ken Churchill, Union Watch, 4/15/12 In 2002, the Sonoma [...]
• Caldwell: Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors to Cost Taxpayers Millions in Pension Interest Costs
        Unbelievable! Andy Caldwell, Colab, 4/11/12 The Board of Sups sends a request to the County Retirement Board to consider spreading [...]
• CalSTRS down to 69 percent funded
      CalSTRS down to 69 percent funded Without big market return in 2011, it would be worse By John Fensterwald - Educated [...]
• CalSTRS Unfunded Liability Grows to $64.5 Billion—Ratio Down to 69.4%-Insolvent?
    CalSTRS’ unfunded liability rises 13%; funding ratio falls to 69.4% By Randy Diamond , Pensions and Investments, 4/9/12 CalSTRS’ unfunded liability climbed [...]
• How Retroactive Pension Increases and Lower Investment Returns Have Blown Up Sonoma County’s Pension System
      How Retroactive Pension Increases and Lower Investment Returns Have Blown Up Sonoma County’s Pension System By Ken Churchill, Union Watch, [...]
• Capping big pensions: How much is too much?
      Capping big pensions: How much is too much? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 4/5/12 Regents last week reaffirmed the use of a federal IRS cap [...]
• Brown, Munger, Union Tax Increases: Tax hike could just go to pensions
        Tax hike could just go to pensions By Wayne Lusvardi, CalWatchdog, 4/3/12 Looks like California won’t need a tax hike after all—except [...]
• Fitch Says Lower Calpers Investment Forecast Will Squeeze Cities
      Fitch Says Lower Calpers Investment Forecast Will Squeeze Cities By James Nash, Bloomberg, 4/3/12 California’s (STOCA1) most fiscally stressed cities and counties [...]
• The State Teachers Retirement Fund is Insolvent
      Century-old CalSTRS faces lengthy funding gap Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 3/29/12 After a decade of similar below-target investment earnings, punctuated by huge losses during [...]
• Union Loses court Battle to Force San Diego Into Bankruptcy Due to Sweetheart Pension System
      Judge Rules Pension Reform Will Be On Ballot CITY NEWS SERVICE, 3/28/12 The state Public Employment Relations Board will not be able to [...]
• CalPERS Down to 40% Funded and Dropping
      CalPERS funding level: How low can it go? Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 3/22/12 As CalPERS puts a new focus on risk, a funding level [...]
• Another City where Unions Holding Citizens Hostage—Go to Court to Stop Pension Reform
      Legal Clash over Pension Initiative Continues in Menlo Park as Union Votes on New Contract California City News, 3/22/12 Back in 2010, [...]
• Why the Stock Market Recovery Won’t Solve the Pension Crisis
      Why the Stock Market Recovery Won’t Solve the Pension Crisis David Crane, policymic.com, 3/21/12 The stock market has recovered – at 13,200, [...]
• CalPERS Lies About Equity Returns-Private Firms Would be Shut Down
      CalPERS Ignores Own Advice, Will Bill State $3.7 Billion by Bob Morris, Independent Voters Network, 3/20/12 The California Public Employees’ Retirement System [...]
• Unions Legal Begins Legal Battle Over San Jose’s Pension Reform Measure
      Early Start: Legal Battle Begins Over San Jose’s Pension Reform Measure California City News, 3/20/12 When the San Jose City Council officially [...]
• Banks Loan $$ to Government to Pay Pensions—Makes Them SUPER Expensive
      Banking on pension debts, breaking new ground Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal by Eli Segall, 3/9/11 When government agencies borrow [...]
• Orange County Budget=$5.5 Billion—OC Pension Unfunded Liability=$10.4 Billion
      MOORLACH UPDATE — CalWatchdog — March 7 OC Supervisor John Moorlach Blog,3/7/12 Tagging on yesterday’s theme on reviews of the Orange [...]
• Coming to Grips with Pension Costs
      Coming to Grips with Pension Costs By Keith Curry, California County News, 3/8/12 Recently the Concordia Center for Public Policy [...]
• Santa Barbara Has $267 Million in Unfunded Pension Liabilities—Unions do not care
      Santa Barbara Council, City Staff Discuss Pension Reforms to Address $267 Million Shortfall Finance Director Bob Samario says even [...]
• CalPERS may lower assumed rate of return—costing local and State government hundreds of millions of $$ in new contributions
  CalPERS may lower assumed rate of return Sacramento Business Journal by Mark Anderson, 3/7/12 The California Public Employees’ Retirement System is considering [...]
• Democrats: State-backed retirement plan for private sector urged
      State-backed retirement plan for private sector urged Central Valley Business Times, 2/24/12   • Bill could help millions of Californians, say supporters [...]
• Coming up Short: Stanford Study Says Local Pension Systems over $130 Billion in Debt
  Coming up Short: Stanford Study Says Local Pension Systems over $130 Billion in Debt California County News, 2/22/12 A new report [...]
• Proposed budget shows lower CalPERS pay-higher unfunded liabilities
  Jerry Brown has decided to tank the government pension system quicker and NOT save it. “Under the new budget proposed by [...]
• CA Pension Reform Fact Sheet
  California Pension Reform Fact Sheet Republican Senate Caucus, 2/22/12 utm_medium=page_feed&utm_campaign=page_feed “We don’t have too much choice here. We’ve got to fix the [...]
• CalPERS Head DEMANDS Business Support Obama DOUBLING Taxes on Interest
  The Real Robber Barons Future of Capitalism, 2/16/12 So the chief of the California Public Employees Retirement System, Joe Dear, in [...]
• Failed/Mismanaged CalSTRS & CalPERS Want to Run All WORLD Businesses
  CalPERS, CalSTRS join group calling for market reforms Sacramento Business Journal [...]
• CalSTRS funding gap widens-Board makes Massive Mistakes
  CalSTRS funding gap widens, so does solution Ed Mendel, Calpensions, 2/7/12 The CalSTRS board last week adopted a lower earnings forecast, making [...]
• Failed/Insolvent CalSTRS Demands Founder of Facebook NOT Control His Successful Business
  Calif. fund eyes Zuckerberg’s Facebook control Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, 2/7/12 The California State Teachers’ Retirement System reportedly [...]
• CalSTRS investing $500M in global infrastructure —NOT CA or United States
  CalSTRS investing $500M in global infrastructure Sacramento Business Journal [...]
• More CalSTRS pressure on lawmakers: Lower rate of return, higher burden for taxpayers
  Thanks to the incompetents running CalSTRS, we the taxpayers will now have to pay an extra $475 million [...]
• Mismanaged CalPERS wants Successful Apple to change selection of board
  [stextbox id="grey"] CalPERS has over $500 BILLION in unfunded liabilities-just took a $250 million real estate write-off. They are [...]
• American Airlines Pensions Cut 55%-Soon—-Future CalPERS Policy Also?
  American Airlines Went Bankrupt in November; Are Taxpayers on the Hook for Pension Benefits? What is the Equitable Solution? Mish’s [...]
• A New Idea on Attacking Pensions-Have Pension Plans go Bankrupt
  A New Idea on Attacking Pensions by [...]
• Pension earnings dip amid gloomy forecasts-VERY LOW
  Pension earnings dip amid gloomy forecasts Ed Mendel, Calpensions, 1/30/12 The nation’s two largest public pension funds last week reported slim [...]
• UC, employees to pay more into pension fund
  UC, employees to pay more into pension fund San Francisco Business Times [...]
• CalPERS earns 1.1% on investments in 2011-Not Promised 7.75%
  CalPERS earns 1.1% on investments in 2011 It falls short of the 7.75% average that actuaries say CalPERS needs to [...]
• New pension forecasts: what if earnings falter or purposely inaccurate?
  New pension forecasts: what if earnings falter? Ed Mendel, Cal Pensions, 1/23/12 A new advisory panel, following a move by CalPERS last [...]
• Calpers Is Selling One-Fifth of Its Residential Land Portfolio
  Calpers Is Selling One-Fifth of Its Residential Land Portfolio By [...]
• Pension funds’ big earner becomes political issue-bribery trial to start soon
  Pension funds’ big earner becomes political issue By Ed Mendel, Capitol Weekly, 01/16/12 Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign is putting the spotlight [...]
• San Diego Refuses to Pay for Pensions-Saving to Pare Massive Deficit-Both Lose
    City’s pension contribution less than expected San Diego News Room, 1/16/12 SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The city of San Diego’s contribution to [...]
• More CA Pension Truths and Why You Should be Very Angry
  More Pension Truths and Why You Should be Very Angry By Larry Sand, Union Watch, 1/10/12 How much is that sweet [...]
• Some CA Cities Picking Up Employees’ Share of Pension Contributions
  Some California Cites Picking Up Employees’ Share of Pension Contributions By Troy Senik, 1/5/12 Some days it seems that [...]
• Pension initiatives: could costs go up not down?
  Here is a conundrum-if the Democrat pension “reform” passes will the costs for pensions go up or down? “An official analysis [...]
• City Manager Gets Pension-Reform Religion-After Killing Pasadena
  Rick Cole is the city manager for the city of Ventura. Previously he was a city council member [...]
• University of California starts voluntary early retirement plan
  University of California starts voluntary early retirement plan Steven E.F. Brown, San Francisco Business Times, 1/4/12 The [...]
• CalSTRS admits to nightmare that media long ignored
  CalSTRS admits to nightmare that media long ignored CalWhine, 12/28/11 For years, I’ve gotten emails from retired teachers who accuse me [...]
• Math Murderers: In Costa Mesa pension war, union leaders fail basic finance quiz
  Math Murderers: In Costa Mesa pension war, union leaders fail basic finance quiz by willswaim, Republic of Costa Mesa, 12/30/11 Responding to [...]
• SIEPR report finds CA pensions underfunded by $500 BILLION
      SIEPR report finds Calif. pensions underfunded By Kurt Chirbas, Daily Stanford, 12/28/11 A recent study published by the Stanford Institute [...]
• State needs to increase CalSTRS annual funding by $3.8 billion for the next 30 years
  Are reports that suggest the state needs to increase CalSTRS annual funding by $3.8 billion for the next 30 years [...]
• The Central Falls Pension Test-Cutting Pensions for CURRENT Retirees
    The Central Falls Pension Test By Daniel DiSalvo, Public Sector, 12/20/11 Does declaring bankruptcy allow municipalities to get around statues and state [...]
• Cities Bet on Risky Pension Bonds
  Cities Bet on Risky Pension Bonds By WAYNE LUSVARDI, Cal Watchdog, 12/19/11 Sports betting plays the point spread between football teams. Municipal [...]
• How Gov’t Unions And Their Allies On Wall Street Are Destroying CA
  How Government Unions And Their Allies On Wall Street Are Destroying California By Editor, Union Watch, 12/19/11 With government employees, a union [...]
• Outgoing CalPERS board member rips earnings-Management either Incompetent or Corrupt
  Outgoing CalPERS board member rips earnings Ed Mendel, CalPension, 12/19/11 Over the last 10 years CalPERS investment earnings are below the median [...]
• Even dim light of phony numbers reveals certain catastrophe of public pension crisis
  COMMENTARY: Even dim light of phony numbers reveals certain catastrophe of public pension crisis By Frank Keegan, Franklin centerhq, 12/15/11 Why would [...]
• CalPERS surprise: smaller rate hike for local plans
  CalPERS surprise: smaller rate hike for local plans Ed Mendel, Calpensions, 12/14/11 The rate hike next July for most of the 2,043 [...]
• Exposing the Pension Elephant … and Other Shenanigans
  Exposing the Pension Elephant … and Other Shenanigans Jack Humphreville, LA Watchdog, 12/08/11 LA WATCHDOG -The Mayor and his buddies at City [...]
• Calle: Public pensions aren’t the only costs breaking the bank in CA
  Public pensions aren’t the only costs breaking the bank in California. Brian Calle, City Journal, 12/07/11 Much of the debate surrounding public-employee [...]
• Showdowns loom in CA over public pensions as State and local gov’t goes bankrupt
  Showdowns loom in California over public pensions By Jim Christie, Reuters, 11/23/11 There’s no avoiding a ballot showdown over paring public employee [...]
• Bankrupt Corrupt CalPRS and CalSTRS Want Corporations to Report Political Funds
  CALPERS & STRS: report corporate political funds Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 11/21/11 The nation’s two largest public pension funds will urge corporate boards [...]
• San Diego County Pension Costs Nearly Triple Over Last Decade
  County Pension Costs Nearly Triple Over Last Decade Costs have grown from $98 million in 2000 to $287 million in 2010, [...]
• Brown pension plan: no early employer savings? Brown Allowing System To Collapse
  Brown pension plan: no early employer savings? By Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 11/14/11 A key part of Gov. Brown’s 12-point pension plan, the [...]
• LAO: CA Govt. Pensions ‘Generous’-we willgo bankrupt
  LAO: CA Govt. Pensions ‘Generous’ By JOHN SEILER, Cal Watchdog, 11/11/11 The California Legislative Analyst’s new report on state pensions is a [...]
• CalPERS Boosting Predatory Hedge Funds
  CalPERS Boosting Predatory Hedge Funds By WAYNE LUSVARDI, Cal Watchdog, 11/10/11 Following the recent news that the price of municipal bonds is [...]
• LAO: Deal with CalSTRS’ unfunded burden
  LAO: Deal with CalSTRS’ unfunded burden Start now to pay off $56 billion in pension shortfall By John Fensterwald - Educated Guess, [...]
• Controller to Audit CalSTRS Efforts to Curb Pension Spiking
  Controller to Audit CalSTRS Efforts to Curb Pension Spiking State Controller John Chiang,11/7/11 State Controller John Chiang is launching an audit to [...]
• Brown would raise new teachers’ retirement age to 67
  Pension reform’s impact on teachers Brown would raise new teachers’ retirement age to 67 By John Fensterwald - Educated Guess,10/28/11 Under Gov. Jerry [...]
• New Pension Initiatives Target Current Workers-Will It be Enough?
  New Pension Initiatives Target Current Workers Posted by John Myers, KQED, 11/2/11 There’s a temptation to dust off the quote attributed to [...]
• Even CalPRS Hesitant to Invest in CA
  CalPERS Dedicates Nearly $500MM to Buy Apartments, Decrease Debt Jon Peterson, The Registry SF, 10/25/11 The California Public Employees’ Retirement System has [...]
• Brown Risks Wrath of Unions With California Pension Overhaul Plan-Just a Game between Brown and Union, Not Real.
  Brown Risks Wrath of Unions With California Pension Overhaul Plan By Stephen Clark, Fox News, 10/29/11 Gov. Jerry Brown’s newly unveiled plan [...]
• Brown Presents Impossible Pension Reform Plan: Act One For Pension Reform
  Act One For Pension Reform Katy Grimes, Cal Watchdog,10/27/11 Earlier today, Gov. Jerry Brown released his 12-point public pension-reform plan, primarily affecting [...]
• The Pension Follies of the Mayor Who Broke LA
  The Pension Follies of the Mayor Who Broke LA Jack Humphreville, City Watch LA, 10/27/11 LA WATCHDOG - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, by [...]
• CA Cuts Spending and Taxes-Still Need to Reform Pensions Or Else
  Cities: repeal landmark pension legislation By Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 10/27/11 CARSON — A League of California Cities representative yesterday urged a legislative [...]
• Brown’s Pension Guessing Game
  Brown’s Pension Guessing Game nbclosangeles, 10/15/11 There’s a tremendous guessing game surrounding Jerry Brown’s plans to scale back the state’s pension system. Brown [...]
• SacBee: Editorial: Don’t give a blank check to CalSTRS
  Editorial: Don’t give a blank check to CalSTRS Sacramento Bee, 10/16/11 CLICK THE BLUE HEADLINE FOR THE COMPLETE STORY Things may be even [...]
• CalPERS & CalSTRS: delay new accounting rules-need to Hide Insolvency From Taxpayers
  CalPERS & CalSTRS: delay new accounting rules By Ed Mendel, Calpensions, 10/17/11 SAN FRANCISCO — The nation’s two largest public pension systems [...]
• San Jose Retirees: Low Cost Pensions or NO Pensions
  Pension reform: giving workers low-cost option By Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 10/10/11 Unions and management in San Jose have bargaining proposals aimed at [...]
• Researchers Call for Private-Sector Defined Benefit Pensions; Foresee Troubles for CA Retirees
  Researchers Call for Private-Sector Defined Benefit Pensions; Foresee Troubles for CA Retirees California County News, 10/10/11 In another study that touches on [...]
• Pension Pots Calling Kettles Black
  Pension Pots Calling Kettles Black Steve Greenhut, CalWatchdog, 10/10/11 The nation’s two largest pension funds, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and [...]
• San Diego Spearheads Pension Reform
  San Diego Spearheads Pension Reform Editor’s Note: This story is the first in a three part series on San Diego’s battle [...]
• State Supreme Court to Hear OC Retiree Benefits Dispute-Billion $$ at Stake
  State Supreme Court to Hear OC Retiree Benefits Dispute voiceofoc.org, 10/03/11 County officials today will square off against public sector retirees in [...]
• School pensions: an argument for not bargaining?
  School pensions: an argument for not bargaining? By Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 10/03/11 As state and local governments in California face soaring public [...]
• CalPERS: 7.75% Gain Unrealistic? No, Downright Lie
  CalPERS: 7.75% Gain Unrealistic? John Seiler, Cal Watchdog, 9/29/11 One thing we’ve written a lot about here on CalWatchDog.com is that CalPERS’ [...]
• CalPERS OFFICALLY Opposes Transparency in Pension Plan
  Proposed Government Accounting Standards Set to Burden Public Employers CalPERS, 9/20/11 The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) has proposed changes to its [...]
• Unions STOP Needed Increases in Contributions to CalPERS
  CSU rate splits CalPERS board along labor lines By Ed Mendel, CalPensions, 9/14/11 Labor members on the CalPERS board yesterday blocked a [...]
• CalPERS plans infrastructure investments of $800M-Regardless of the returns on investment
  CalPERS plans infrastructure investments of $800M Sacramento Business Journal, 9/13/11 California’s largest public pension fund plans to spend up to $800 million [...]
• Who pays CalSTRS debt: state, schools, teachers?
  Who pays CalSTRS debt: state, schools, teachers? By Ed Mendel, Cal Pensions, 9/12/11 A day of reckoning may be coming for a [...]