"A healthy pension fund should be about 80 percent funded at any given time; however, the New Hampshire funding stands at about 58.5 percent. About one-third of the gap can be traced to national upheaval affecting us all."
Vermont’s pension fund is 82% funded!
Good Piece On The Demonizing Of Maine State Employees
"Public workers in Colorado, South Dakota and Minnesota are already suing their states, which are among 18 that want to pare pension costs by increasing employee contributions, raising the retirement age or curbing cost-of-living increases."
"Politicians will keep silent on the key alternative to deep cuts – precisely because it would otherwise be on most citizens’ agendas. That alternative would be to raise the tax share paid by leading firms and the wealthiest 5-10 percent of citizens. In most cases, this means returning to the levels of taxation in the 1980s."
Scenes From VSEA’s 2011 Legislative Open House!
"The legislation has certainly fallen short of its goal. Of the $38 million in Challenges savings originally budgeted for fiscal year 2011, according to Finance Commissioner Jim Reardon , he has to date secured only $14 million."
Uh Oh….
“It was a big disappointment and a failure,” said Sen. Vince Illuzzi.