If I can't have a pension and decent benefits why should they?

[spooky3]

33. Do you expect to get public services such as roads, high quality education, police, etc. for free?

THAT is what "the question is."

Look at the TOTAL compensation packages for these workers. They generally are lower than those for comparable jobs in the private sector. There are a few abuses that have gotten TONS of media attention, completely out of line relative to their incidence.

Obviously you are going to have to take something out of your paycheck that can then not go into your 401k, because this is what it means to pay for these services.

Pensions are simply part of the package and, where they were especially good, helped municipalities etc. keep salaries and other benefits lower than what they otherwise would have been.

Many people, and perhaps you are one of them, turned down their noses at entering a career in public service because the pay and benefits were TOO LOW.

The other appropriate question is one of extent--are you in an area where public sector workers are being paid far above what they are worth relative to the product and labor market competitors? Are you willing to settle for a lower level of quality that may be associated with hiring less qualified workers at lower rates of pay? If you have evidence of that, then how much do future increases need to be cut to bring them in line?