States and court opinions vary.
A really heated controversy in my state of Michigan in the end held that the specifically constitutionally protected pensions including city and county ones are NOT protected. People already retired lost sums of money. People had paid into them and given contract concessions to keep them funded for decades.
This was to help the Dem controlled and badly run cesspool of Detroit from going under financially.
The Michigan State Constitution specifically protected the government paid pensions of citizens and said they cannot later be reduced or ended. BUT not only in Detroit but anywhere, the courts ruled they can lose them or have them cut drastically anyway.
Some retirees also lost their health coverage and had to pay huge amounts to get on individual plan Obamacare if too young for any Medicare. Some lost their house due to cuts they never planned on.
from article: Thousands of retired Detroit city workers were subjected to 4.5 percent pension cuts, the end of cost-of-living increases, and reduced insurance coverage to help the city close a $1.88 billion pension plan funding gap.
article summary: Detroit emerged from its landmark bankruptcy in December 2014. ... At one point during the bankruptcy journey, the city's general retirees were threatened with the possibility of seeing their pension checks slashed by up to 34 percent and police and fire retirees were looking at cuts of up to 10 percent.Jul 18, 2018
Even 5 years later, retirees feel the effects of Detroit's bankruptcy Susan Tompor, Detroit Free PressPublished 6:00 a.m. ET July 18, 2018 | Updated 3:34 p.m. ET July 18, 2018 A really heated controversy in my state of Michigan in he end held that the specifically constitutionally protected pensions including city and county ones are NOT protected. People already retired lost sums of money. People had paid into them and given contract concessions to keep them funded for decades.
Amount of trust to extend our governments: Same as the distance you could throw Jerry Nadler while holding Stacey Abrams in his arms.
Some of last part was repeated by mistake. Sorry.