The War On Worker Pensions - Why it is all so absurd --
Here in Lake County, Calif., I am just reading in the newspaper about the County Supervisors meeting to decide about their request for state funds to be used in a 22 million dollar prison renovation. So it can't be that the state of California is all that broke - not if a county with 89,000 people is entitled to such a massive amount of construction monies for a prison (With under 90 cells!)
Meanwhile, the meme that worker pensions are a grand and wasteful luxury that no state can afford is going forth, with front page headlines trumpeting the righteousness of the cause.
Here is a great article on the topic:
http://www.calaborfed.org/index.php/site/page/having_it_all_the_absurdity_of_the_false_choice_frame_for_pensions
Having it All: The Absurdity of the False Choice Frame for Pensions
by Dave Low, Californians for Retirement Security
The most recent alarmist language from pension opponents is that Californians must make a choice between providing a secure retirement for our state's seniors and paying for every other social service and progressive cause. The warning bells are earsplitting, as fear mongers go to such extremes as to tell us that California won't be able to tackle climate change unless we overhaul the pension system.
This is not only a false choice, it is an absurd one, used strategically to accomplish three things:
It attempts to create a wedge between voters who support both retirement security and things like K-12 education and social services. Retirement security for seniors and good public services are both worthy goals.
It shifts blame away from those elected officials who failed to fund retirement plans or the Wall Street bankers who engaged in the malpractice that crippled funds, and attempts to place it squarely on the fire fighters, police officers and teachers who rely on pensions for a secure retirement.
It turns California's budget into a zero-sum game between social programs and pensions, and fails to address the role that corporate subsidies play in our budget. State pensions make up about 5 percent of the budget, while corporate loopholes are ten times more. The state could close corporate loopholes in order to fund important social programs.
Please READ REST OF ARTICLE AT LINK BY THE TOP
