I would prefer to save the pensions by cutting them. I don’t want them eliminated, just like I wouldn’t vote to eliminate Social Security (in the short term). Too many elderly people are dependent on it.
It’s pretty clear that many states have promised more than they can afford. Do you cut existing services so that you can continue to pay ridiculously generous pension payments to retirees? It’s either settle for less or get nothing. That’s the choice facing many government pensioners in the near future.
The best thing to do is to eliminate pensions altogether and incentivize the system so people may be able to support themselves until they die. Even if it meant moving a person down the food chain, and pay, to account for their gradual reduction in abilities over time.
Are you asking me or the gutless politicians? Reminder: the largest voting block is the retirees. As the baby boomers continue to retire or try to, this block will continue to grow. We live in interesting times.
This is a disaster of their own making; the elected moron "leaders" and the union no-limit greed types. The elected criminals know they will be long gone and (hopefully) forgotten when the day of reckoning arrives.
The greedy thugs will whine and threaten and scream that a contract is a contract!" Lost on them both is that once upon a time, any contract which is inherently impossible to satisfy is null and void. Viewing the taxpayer as a bottomless money pit is an assumption so asinine, ignorant and arrogant that it should be a felony!
Limit the "public service" employee union retirements to a few percentage points lower than the private market exact equivalent and force the incompetent and indolent to make do with what they are worth, or have real competency exams for every level of public service, including teachers.
Sorry we had to cut your pension in half, but here is a free house in Detroit.
I would; but that's because I'm a heartless bastard.
(Or, rather, that I think continuing the extortionate ponzi-scheme [after all there is the threat of death or loss of liberty if you don't pay] in any way is grave injustice. The money is gone, and why? because the older generation[s] did not mandate it should be responsibly handled.)