More reform needed to curb outrageous state-pension payouts

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | 12/4/17 | Trib board

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Despite facing a shortfall of about $70 billion, Pennsylvania's public-pension systems lavishly enrich a few former state employees while most get far more modest payouts. Consider some pension-data findings from The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News.

The average 2016 payout to Pennsylvania's 127,000-plus former employees or their beneficiaries was $27,722. But “a separate class of Keystone State pensioners” get “checks that alone put them among the top tier of all income earners” nationwide: Twenty collect more than $215,000 annually, while 500-plus collect $100,000 or more.

Even after pleading guilty to child endangerment in the Jerry Sandusky pedophilia scandal, former Penn State Vice President Gary Schultz collects $330,699 annually. But even big-bucks public-pension recipients untainted by criminal disgrace surely leave a bad taste in the mouths of taxpayers.

That's because they fund the salaries that — combined with such factors as service time and highest average salary over a three-year span — produce outrages such as former Penn State President Rodney Erickson's $477,590 annual payout. As the Commonwealth Foundation's Rick Dreyfuss says, “If you don't manage the base pay, then the whole thing is going to continue.”

[arrogantsob]

This is the sad story in Illinois as well. Until this is under control there will be no reasonable budgets adopted.

[Zuse]

Not possible. The system is set up by socialists, so all recipients get exactly the same payout. Or am I missing something?

[AlaskaErik]

Not possible. The system is set up by socialists, so all recipients get exactly the same payout. Or am I missing something?

I guess you never got the message...some are more equal than others.

[straps]

What the bogus headline grabbing article its pathetixc in its lack of all information. Example
In my city where I had the privilege of being a pension trustee for 2 terms ( 8 years ) and heres the truth
1 city pension plan members only donate 4%
in a management they only contribute 7%
My Fire Dept donated 11-13%
My Police Dept donates 13% of all there salaries to there pension plan

Now you tell me why should group 1 get the same pension as a Policeman???? get real in life you put down to expect to pick up....Its really that simple....