Free Republic

SAN DIEGO – As part of a voter-approved mandate to restructure the 13-member board that governs San Diego's troubled city employees' retirement system, Mayor Dick Murphy today announced seven appointments to the panel. In November, voters passed Proposition H, which limits the number of city employees and retirees that can serve on the board. "This is another part of my plan to restore financial stability to the city's pension system," Murphy said. Under the new configuration, the mayor appoints seven members to the board, who are subject to confirmation by the City Council. The remaining six positions are appointed by...

The head of San Diego's pension system acknowledged yesterday the agency has inadvertently sent pension checks to retirees after they died, and he is determining exactly how much money was paid. Administrator Larry Grissom said that since 1996 roughly 200 retirees were sent pension checks after they died. Staff members are still calculating how much is outstanding in about 63 of those cases. For the rest, Grissom said the calculations have been made, but it would take him several days to provide those figures. The amount paid after the death of a retiree ranges from $100 to $6,000, Grissom said....

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Hundreds of dead San Diego city retirees continue to receive pension checks and the city scans the obituaries to determine whether its beneficiaries are still alive, according to a whistle-blower on the city's pension board. San Diego's pension system has a nearly $1.4 billion deficit and is at the heart of investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. attorney and FBI into city finances, possible public corruption and securities fraud. Those investigations were sparked by revelations from Diann Shipione, who testified Monday at the first hearing before the City Council's new Government Efficiency and Openness...