Proposed initiatives on pensions, spending cap in the works

SacBee: Capitol Alert ^ | 3/25/11 | Torey Van Oot

[SmithL]

Gov. Jerry Brown could have some company if he decides to seek to qualify his tax proposals for a November ballot.

Proposed initiatives to limit increases in state spending and make significant changes to the public employee pension benefits were submitted to the attorney general's office today, putting proponents in a position to qualify for a potential November election.

Launching an initiative campaign is one of several options Brown is weighing as time runs out to secure Republican support to set a June special election on maintaining higher tax rates for five years. Republican-backed proposals for a spending cap and pension overhaul have been sticking points in his ongoing budget negotiations with a group of GOP senators.

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association President Jon Coupal filed a proposed ballot measure to "limit the growth in state spending to the combined growth of population and inflation." It is similar to a HJTA-sponsored constitutional amendment introduced in the Legislature last week.

Coupal, who had previously pledged to try to put the issue on the 2012 ballot, said he decided to submit his initiative now in part to ensure he would have the option of qualifying for a November election.

"If there is a special statewide, we would probably want to be on that train," Coupal said, adding that his intent was to "get a marker down" on what kind of spending cap would meet his standards for fiscal discipline.

A second initiative, proposed by former GOP Assemblyman Roger Niello, would make major changes to public employee pensions, including instituting a cap on retirement benefits and requiring that employees contribute the same amount as public agencies to their retirement plans.

[skeeter]

We'll know very quickly whether the proposed pension reforms are serious or a PR gimmick by the noise level of the unions.

IMO there's no way Brown will push forward any serious reform initiative.

[eyeamok]

Please , can anybody here explain to me why Public Employees and Public Servants should EVER RECEIVE A TAXPAYER FUNDED PENSION in Excess of What Social Security Pays??? I say ABOLISH All State Pensions and roll everybody into Social Security.

[newzjunkey]

They should be on 401K plans and Social Security.