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Welcome

The oncoming wave of public pension debt is even bigger than it seems. The purpose of this website is to provide an overview of the multiple pension crises that are about to drown America's taxpayers. Our primary focus is on California, but we also track other state pension funds, corporate pensions, milti-employer pension funds, social security and international trends. Now in its 15th year, PensionTsunami was founded by and is edited by Jack Dean. (Contact: JackDean-at-PensionTsunami-dot-com or 916-644-0688 or @PensionTsunami)

Latest Newsclips     last updated March 20 2:49pm PST

Each day's headline summary is e-mailed to subscribers.

March 20, 2019

• Sonoma County Lawsuit Probes Legality of Boom-Times Pension Benefit Increase (column - Wes Venteicher / Sacramento Bee)
• READ THE BRIEF on Appeal in the Sonoma County Pension Case (pdf - California Policy Center)
• Warwick, Rhode Island Faces Big Bill After Losing Case on Firefighter Pensions (Mark Reynolds / Providence Journal)

March 19, 2019

• Today's Headlines as of 9:00 am (PT) . . .
• Instead of Fighting for Doomed San Diego Pension Measure, Why Not Seek New One? (editorial - San Diego Union-Tribune)
• What Happens Now That the US Supreme Court Told the City to Deal With Its Own Pension Mess (Scott Lewis / Voice of San Diego)
• New CalPERS Leader Wants Pension Fund to Put Its Money Back Into Tobacco (column - Wes Venteicher / Sacramento Bee)
• Public Pensions and Social Trust (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• PENSION PULSE: Wisconsin's Big Public Pension Cheese? (blog - Leo Kolivakis)
• Pusillanimous in Sacramento (David Crane / Medium.com)
• CalPERS Moving Forward With $20 Billion Expansion of Its Private Equity Investments (column - Wes Venteicher / Sacramento Bee)
• PENSION CONFERENCE THURSDAY IN LOS ANGELES: Overcoming the Current Pensions Crisis: Building a Better Future (Public Policy Exchange)
• US Supreme Court Deals San Diego a Blow on Public Pension Reform (Chris Jennewein / Times of San Diego)
• Sacramento Unified School District on Verge of Insolvency While Superintendent Takes $35,000 Junket to Harvard (Katy Grimes / California Globe)

March 18, 2019

• BREAKING @ NOON: US Supreme Court Won't Intervene in San Diego Pension Case (David Garrick / San Diego Union-Tribune)
• A Tale of Two Cities and Blocked Pension Reforms (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• California Public Pension Benefit Lawsuits Being Watched Nationwide (Arleen Jacobius / Pensions & Investments)
• Monterey County’s Financial Forecast Is Less Dire This Year, But CalPERS and Other Costs Are Looming (Pam Marino / Monterey County Weekly)
• South Pasadena City Budget Facing $1 Million Deficit; Cuts, Taxes on Horizon ( Steve Whitmore / South Pasadena Review)
• Cliffwater: US State Pension Fund Returns 'Badly Trail’ Aggregate Assumed Rate of Return (Christine Williamson / Pensions & Investments)
• DOWNLOAD THE REPORT: An Examination of State Pension Performance 2000-2018 (Cliffwater)
• Who's Behind Phoenix's Latest Pension Ballot Measure, and What Would It Do? (Jessica Boehm / Arizona Republic)
• 'Best of the Worst Options.’ Pension Relief Bill for Universities, State Agencies Progresses (Kentucky Press News Service)
• Trump Administration Proposes Eliminating Pensions for Some New Feds (Erich Wagner / Government Executive)

March 17, 2019

• Texas Supreme Court Affirms Cuts to Future Public Pension Benefits (JD Supra)
• Dallas Pension Fund Wins Court Ruling Allowing It to Pare Return to Beneficiaries (Chris Butera / Chief Investment Officer)
• GOLDEN OLDIE: Jerry Brown Predicts 'Fiscal Oblivion’ if Pensions Are Off Limits for Government Employers (column - Ashton & Chance / Sacramento Bee)

March 16, 2019

• A New Approach to Pension Reform Goes to Appellate Court (Edward Ring / California Policy Center)
• San Diego Awaits Two Big Decisions on Prop B Pension Reform (Andrew Bowen / KPBS)

March 15, 2019

• We Will Be Paying California's Unfunded Pension Liabilities for Many Years (column - Dick Spotswood / Marin Independent Journal)
• One Thing Congress Gets Right: Funding Their Own Pensions... (Simon Black / Zero Hedge)

March 14, 2019

• Carl DeMaio on San Diego’s Pension Reform Initiative (video - Jonathan Halvorson / KUSI-TV)
• Bill Would Hide Names of Government Pension Recipients (Richard Karpel / Nevada Appeal)
• Do Not Shroud Nevada's Public Pensions in Secrecy (Thomas Mitchell / Mesquite Local News)
• Pension Underfunding Policy Lands Birmingham, Alabama a Bond Rating Downgrade (Shelly Sigo / The Bond Buyer)$$
• 4th Quarter Dealt a Heavy Blow to Corporate Pension Plans (David McCann / CFO.com)

March 13, 2019

• CalPERS Says No to Legislation Forcing It to Divest From Private Prisons (Randy Diamond / Chief Investment Officer)
• Courts Tackle San Diego Pension Reform Initiative; Lawsuits Hit Supreme Court, Local Courts This Week (ABC San Diego)
• California State Workers in L.A., San Francisco Should Be Paid More, Says State Report (column - Wes Venteicher / Sacramento Bee)

March 12, 2019

• Appeals Court Debates Possible Resolutions to San Diego Pension Case (David Garrick / San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Rating Agencies Weigh in on California Pension Ruling (Keeley Webster / The Bond Buyer)$$
• Shortfalls in Funding State Government Employee Pensions (Craig Eyermann / Independent Institute)
• 'Go North, Young Man,' to the Wisconsin Public Pension System (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• Dangerous Bill Would Hide Names of Nevada's Government Pension Recipients (op-ed - Richard Karpel / Reno Gazette Journal)
• Accounting Watchdog Group Objects to GASB Proposal (Michael Cohn / Accounting Today)
• As Budget Deficit Balloons, Few in Washington Seem to Care (Andrew Taylor / Fox Business)
• New York City Is Edging Toward Financial Disaster, Experts Warn (John Aidan Byrne / New York Post)

March 11, 2019

• California's New Pension-Cut Rulings Begin With Little Change (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• Supreme Court Ruling Praised by Both Sides of California Pension Debate (Chris Reed / CalWatchdog)
• What the Pension Ruling Means for California’s Taxpayers (op-ed - Jon Coupal / Orange County Register)
• Around the Pension-O-Sphere: Jane the Actuary, ESG, California Rule, and More (blog - Mary Pat Campbell / STUMP)

March 10, 2019

• California Supreme Court Boots a Big Pension Punt (Steven Greenhut / American Spectator)

March 9, 2019

• Pension Reformers Pleased With California Supreme Court’s Pension Ruling (op-ed - Jody Morales / Marin Independent Journal)
• Pentagon Plans to Tap Military Pay, Pensions for Border Wall (Andrew Taylor & Lisa Mascaro / Associated Press)

March 8, 2019

• California Supreme Court Issues Narrow Ruling on Public Pension Benefits (video - Emily Erwin / Bakersfield Now)
• Thumbs Down: California Supreme Court Leaves Big Question Unanswered (editorial - Press-Democrat)
• California’s High Court Upholds a Pension Reform But Sidesteps a Bigger Challenge (editorial - San Francisco Chronicle)
• Coachella Valley Unified School Board Lays Off 81 Employees, Citing $6.8 Million Deficit (Joseph Hong / Palm Springs Desert Sun)
• Oakland Caltrans Worker Retires With $405K in Unused Vacation. That Wasn't Tops in California. (Melody Gutierrez / San Francisco Chronicle)
• Tax Critics Calling for Pension Reform After Retired California State Worker Gets $400,000 for Unused Vacation (Eric Thomas / KGO-TV)
• Shell Game Continues for Funding Oroville's Pensions (letter - Enterprise-Record)
• Warren Buffet Tells Pensions and Endowments to Cut Management Fees (Chris Butera / Chief Investment Officer)

March 7, 2019

• Rising Tide of Pension Costs Threatens Government Services in California: Is 'Underwater' Unavoidable? (Climate Online Redwood City)
• California Rule Does Not Protect 'Airtime' (Edward Ring / Flash Report)
• California Public Pension Reformers Win a Battle, Not the War (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• California State Workers Hoarding Vacation Days, Creating $3.5-Billion Debt for Taxpayers (Melody Gutierrez / Los Angeles Times)
• Governments Struggle to Find a Way to Pay Retirement Pension Bills (audio - Andrew Schneider / WFAE-FM)
• The Struggle for Coal Miners’ Health Care and Pension Benefits Continues (Simon F. Haeder / The Conversation)

March 6, 2019

• An Initiative Is the Way to Bring Sense to the 'California Rule' (Joel Fox / Fox & Hounds)
• California Supreme Court Ducks Key Pension Issue (Dan Walters / CALmatters)
• Wisconsin's State Employees and Taxpayers Share the Risks of Financing Retirement (Justin Fox / Bloomberg)
• Will Congress Fix Pension Crisis Before Coal Miners’ Pensions Disappear? (Jacob Wolinsky / ValueWalk)
• The Cost of Inaction: Why Congress Must Address the Multiemployer Pension Crisis (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)
• PENSION PULSE: CalPERS's New CIO on Private Equity? (blog - Leo Kolivakis)
• Those Evil Billionaires . . . Who Blue States Depend on (blog - Mary Pat Campbell / STUMP)

March 5, 2019

• California Supreme Court Punts on Pension Rule; Newsom Ducks (column - Daniel Borenstein / Mercury News)
• California Supreme Court Rejects a Benefit, Punts on Larger Pension Question (editorial - Orange County Register)
• What Does the California Supreme Court Pension Ruling Mean for You? (column - Wes Venteicher / Sacramento Bee)
• California Supreme Court Curbs a Pension Benefit but Preserves 'California Rule’ (Maura Dolan / Los Angeles Times)
• California Supreme Court Upholds Piece of Former Gov. Jerry Brown’s Pension Reform Law (Teri Sforza & Tony Saavedra / Press-Enterprise)
• Everyone Is Saying They Just Won a Big Court Case on Pensions. What Does That Mean for You? (Judy Lin / California Public Radio)
• California Supreme Court Dodges a Hard Call in Pension Ruling (Scott Shackford / Reason)
• California High Court Rules Against Public Employees on Pension Benefits (Bob Egelko / San Francisco Chronicle)
• California Court Approves Retiree Cut But Keeps Larger Worker Protections in Place (Heather Gillers / Wall Street Journal)
• Marin County Union Pension Litigants Dissatisfied With Supreme Court Ruling (Richard Halstead / Marin Independent Journal)
• State Senator John M. W. Moorlach Reacts to California Supreme Court Pension Decision (press release)
• California Pension Ruling Skips Test of Constitutional Protections (Karen Pierog / Reuters)
• California Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Pension Benefit Cuts (Randy Diamond / Chief Investment Officer)
• California Supreme Court Rules Against Union in Pension Reform Case But Further Reforms in Doubt (press release - Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association)
• California Supreme Court Stops Short of Allowing School Districts to Modify Existing Pensions (John Fensterwald / EdSource)
• WEBINAR MARCH 6: California's School Pension Crisis (EdSource)
• INTERACTIVE MAP: Changes in Pension Costs for California School Districts (EdSource)
• SEARCHABLE DATABASE: California School Districts' Rising Employee Pension Costs (Phillip Reese & Daniel J. Willis / EdSource)
• California Supreme Court Cuts Pension 'Air Time,’ But Preserves 'California Rule’ (Katy Grimes / California Globe)
• California Wins a Narrow Ruling on Pension Benefits (Keeley Webster / The Bond Buyer)$$
• California High Court Upholds End to Pension Perk (Maria Dinzeo / Courthouse News Service)
• California Justices Punt on Major Revamp of State Pension Rules (Cheryl Miller / The Recorder)
• State Supreme Court: Ability to Buy Pension Credits Not a Core Right (Tori James / My Mother Lode)
• Oxnard City Manager Accuses CalPERS of 'Screwing the Pooch' in Many Cities (Chris Frost / Tri County Sentry)
• Novato, California Selects Group to Establish Pension Trust Fund (Will Houston / Marin Independent Journal)
• The Drastic, Risky, Measures to Fix America's Brokest Pension Systems (Liz Farmer / Governing)
• Follow @PensionTsunami on Twitter

March 4, 2019

• BREAKING: California Public Employees’ Pension Perks Can Be Taken Away, Supreme Court Rules (Wes Venteicher / Sacramento Bee)
• BREAKING: California High Court Upholds Pension Rollback (Sudhin Thanawala / Associated Press)
• READ THE DECISION: Cal Fire Local 2881 v. CalPERS (pdf)
• California Supreme Court to Decide Whether Government Can Cut Pensions (Maura Dolan / Los Angeles Times)
• California Justices to Rule Today on Closely Watched Pension Suit (Sudhin Thanawala / Associated Press)
• TODAY AT 10:00 AM (PT): The California Supreme Court's Opinion on Cal Fire Local 2881 v. CalPERS Will Appear on This Page: CLICK HERE
• CalPERS Can’t Get Enough of Its Top-Earning Asset (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• Turlock, California Faces Tough Choices as Spending Exceeds Revenue (Kevin Valine / Modesto Bee)
• A Crackdown on Misusing Public Funds for Campaigns in California? (Dan Walters / CALmatters)
• Collective Bargaining for Nevada's State Government Workers Would Bust the Budget (op-ed - Andrew G. Biggs / Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• Time to Go Direct (Christopher P. Casey / Pensions & Investments)

March 3, 2019

• If All Goes Well, Ventura's Pension Debt Should Level Off in 30 Years (Arlene Martinez / Ventura County Star)
• MONDAY AT 10:00 AM: The California Supreme Court's Opinion on Cal Fire Local 2881 v. CalPERS Will Appear on This Page: CLICK HERE
• Pension Secrecy Bill Gets Hearing Before Nevada Senate Committee (Colton Lochhead / Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• On the Cusp of Catastrophe, California Has No Margin for Error (Victor Davis Hanson / Daily Signal)
• BLOG: STUMP by Mary Pat Campbell
• BLOG: Burypensions by John Bury
• BLOG: Pension Pulse by Leo Kolivakis
• UNSUSTAINABLE: Chicago Has More Retired Cops Collecting Pensions Than Active Cops on the Streets (Nancy Mathieson / Wirepoints Illinois)
• UNSUSTAINABLE: Many Cook County Pension Funds Have More Retirees Collecting Than Workers Paying In (press release - Cook County Treasurer's Office)
• UNSUSTAINABLE: New York City Has More Retired Cops Collecting Pensions Than Active Cops on the Streets (op-ed - Nicole Gelinas / New York Post)

March 2, 2019

• California Supreme Court Will File Pension Opinion Monday Morning (blog - Horvitz & Levy)
• Oxnard Begins the Conversation: How to Tackle Growing Pension Liabilities? (Wendy Leung / Ventura County Star)
• Impact on Marin County of Public Pensions, Development, California Politics Will Be the Focus of March 27 Event (North Bay Business Journal)
• Legislation Allowing Kentucky’s Regional Universities to Exit DB Pension Plan Moves Forward (Jacqueline Pitts / The Lane Report)
• After Hearing From Taxpayers, Louisville Metro Council Seeking Alternative Plan to Pension Crisis (Chad Mills / WDRB)

March 1, 2019

• Society of Actuaries’ Longevity Tables Show Public Pension Participants Living Longer Than Those in Private-Sector (Nick Thornton / BenefitsPro)
• The Looming $78 Trillion Pension Crisis (Allison Schrager / Quartz)$$
• The Phony Retirement Crisis (op-ed - Andrew Biggs / Wall Street Journal)$$
• Convicted Former Pasadena Police Lieutenant Still Eligible for a Pension (Eddie Rivera & James Macpherson / Pasadena Now)
• Pension Obligation Bonds No Panacea for State Budget Liabilities (blog - Ivan Osorio / Competitive Enterprise Institute)
• Before Oregon Diverts Tax Rebates to Its Pension Fund It Should Make Lasting Pension Reforms (Marc Joffe / Reason)
• Baby Boomer Labor Force Rebounds (blog - Kim Blanton / Squared Away)

February 28, 2019

• Warren Buffett Warns Companies to Avoid States With Unfunded Pension Liabilities (Jacqueline Pitts / The Lane Report)
• Sen. Hueso's Bill Would All but Abolish California Citizens' Rights to Public Documents (op-ed - Robert Fellner / Voice of San Diego)
• Three Steps to Fixing Illinois' Pension Crisis (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• Pension Fix: Change the Illinois Constitution (letter - Chicago Tribune
• Gov. Sisolak Latest to Be Enveloped by Nevada’s Pension Fog (Robert Fellner / Nevada Policy Research Institute)

February 27, 2019

• Tough Times Greet New CalPERS CIO (Sarah Rundell / Top 1000 Funds)
• Why Is There Always Enough Money for Huge Pensions and Raises Yet Never Enough to Maintain the Streets? (letter - Chico Enterprise-Record)
• Southern California's Charter Oak Unified School District Sued for Public Records Law Violation (press release - Transparent California)
• GOLDEN OLDIE: Why Fresno Avoided Bankruptcy, Unlike Stockton (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• Three New Governors Face Three Old Pension Disasters (Brian Chappatta / Bloomberg)
• Chicago's Next Mayor Can't Dodge Tax Pain Needed for Pension Fix (Danielle Moran / Bloomberg)
• MBTA Pension Fund Faces Hard Times After 2018 Losses (Chris Lisinski / Salem News)
• MBTA Pension System Operates Like a Ponzi Scheme (editorial - Boston Globe)
• Pension Fund for Fort Worth Employees Saved by Overwhelming Vote in Support (CBS 11)

February 26, 2019

• CalPERS CIO Says Pension Plan Must Create New Private Equity Organization (Randy Diamond / Chief Investment Officer)
• Fresno Has a Message San Francisco Needs to Hear (John Kabateck / Fox & Hounds)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: Illinois' Public Pension Crisis (Eric Allie / Illinois Policy)

February 25, 2019

• L.A. Hides Health Care Costs for Individual Employees in Apparent Violation of State Law (Jason Henry / Los Angeles Daily News)
• State Pensions Still Unsustainable (editorial - Post and Courier)
• New Policymakers May Revisit Michigan's Pension Tax (op-ed - James M. Hohman / Detroit News)
• S&P to Illinois Gov. Pritzker: Pension Reform Only Way to Avoid 'Junk' Credit Rating (Vincent Caruso / Illinois Policy)

February 24, 2019

• Raiding Your 401(k) to Pay for Public Employees' Pensions (editorial - Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• Why Have Federal Agencies Been Stockpiling $1.5 Billion in Guns and Ammunition? (Adam Andrzejewski / Forbes)
• READ THE REPORT: Purchases and Inventory Controls of Firearms, Ammunition, and Tactical Equipment (United States Government Accountability Office)

February 23, 2019

• CalPERS Sank Millions Into National Enquirer? That's a Financial Crime, Not a Political One (column - Jon Healey / Los Angeles Times)
• Are Illinois Public Retirement Systems Pension Funds or Pyramid Schemes? (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)

February 22, 2019

• The Pension Crisis Is Starting to Explode (Armstrong Economics)
• Contra Costa County Public Pension Plans' Investment Performance Continues to Lag the Financial Markets (Nick Marnell / Lamorinda Weekly)
• US Public Pension Assets Tumble in Q4; Investment Losses Lead to $306 Billion Funding Loss (Michael Katz / Chief Investment Officer)
• National Enquirer’s Biggest Investors Include California Taxpayers and State Workers (Matt Pearce / Los Angeles Times)
• Surprise! California Pension Fund Reportedly Had Major Stake in National Enquirer Parent (Mike Murphy / Market Watch)

February 21, 2019

• Bakersfield Plans to Use Sales Tax Revenue for Pensions (Reyna Harvey / Bakersfield Now)
• An Education Expert Resurfaces 2015’s Independent Report to Explain LAUSD’s Fiscal Turmoil (Taylor Swaak / LA School Report)
• GOLDEN OLDIE: Ain't Seen Nothing Yet; California Pension Cost Rise Just Starting (column - Daniel Borenstein / Mercury News)
• Governor Creates Task Force to Study New Mexico's Pension Issues (Dan Boyd / Albuquerque Journal)
• Hawaii's State Pension Fund Assets Drop $1 Billion in Quarter (Dave Segal / Star-Advertiser)

February 20, 2019

• Study Says Massachusetts' Unfunded Pension Liability Rising Despite Recent Reforms, Overall Strong Economy (press release - Pioneer Institute)
• Illinois May Tax Private Retirement Funds to Pay Public Worker Pensions (Fox Business)
• Pension Benefit Cuts Are Regular Events (Seeking Alpha)

February 19, 2019

• $12 Million in Measure N Funds to Go Towards Bakersfield's General Fund Reserves and Pension Costs (Eytan Wallace / KGET-TV)
• Rising CalPERS Costs Are a Centerpiece of Budget Discussions in Whittier (Madison White / Fullerton Observer)
• Public Pension Funds' Sole Responsibility Is to Secure the Retirement of Public Sector Workers (Wayne Winegarden / Forbes)

February 18, 2019

• Public Pension Plans Surf Wave of Reforms in Aftermath of Crisis (Hazel Bradford / Pensions & Investments)
• PBGC Sues Former Orange County Register Owners Over Handling of Pension Program (Dakota Smith / Los Angeles Times)
• Look Out, Taxpayers: When Governments Have More Pensioners Than Employees (editorial - Chicago Tribune)

February 17, 2019

• Sunshine Needed on California’s Disability-Enhanced Pensions (editorial - Orange County Register)
• Long California Political Alliance of Democrats and Police Union Erodes (column - Dan Walters / Desert Sun)
• Gov. Pritzker's Plan for Illinois Pensions: 'Clever' Tricks - Pobs, Pay More Later, and Asset Transfer (blog - Mary Pat Campbell / STUMP)

February 16, 2019

• Milliman: US Public Pension Plans See Funded Status Drop in Fourth Quarter (James Comtois / Pensions & Investments)

February 15, 2019

• CalPERS Posts Net Return of -3.5% for 2018 (James Comtois / Pensions & Investments)
• Pacific Legal Foundation Backs San Diego Mayor’s Pension Push in SCOTUS (Jacklyn Wille / Bloomberg)
• Illinois Considering Selling State Buildings and Land to Pay for Pensions (Dan Petrella & Rick Pearson / MSN)

February 14, 2019

• Carpenters Pension Fund Gets Treasury Approval to Reduce Benefits (Hazel Bradford / Pensions & Investments)
• GOP Senators Introduce Bill to End Pensions for Retiring Members of Congress (Tal Axelrod / The Hill)
• 2 Millionaire Senators Introduce Plan to Make Sure Congress Is Only for the Rich (Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress)
• CalPERS Continues to Make New Private Equity Commitments (Randy Diamond / Chief Investment Officer)
• Former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann and Ex-TV Reporter Sue State Pension System for Investment Details (Andrew J. Tobias / Cleveland.com)
• Asset Transfers, Consolidation Eyed for Illinois Pension Quagmire (Yvette Shields / The Bond Buyer)

February 13, 2019

• CalPERS Piling More Pension Debt on Californians (column - Daniel Borenstein / San Jose Mercury News)
• Glendora's Growing Unfunded Pension Liability Is the Primary Reason for the City's Deficit (Christopher Yee / San Gabriel Valley Tribune)
• US Public Pension Plan Contribution Analysis (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)
• Public Pension Contributions Grow, But So Do Liabilities — SOA Analysis (Hazel Bradford / Pensions & Investments)
• READ THE STUDY: US Public Pension Plan Contribution Analysis (Society of Actuaries)

February 12, 2019

• The Real State of the State: California 2019 (State Senator John Moorlach / California Globe)
• A Large Equity Drawdown Would Cause Major Problems for CalPERS (Randy Diamond / Chief Investment Officer)
• America’s Public Pension Plans Make Over-Optimistic Return Assumptions (The Economist)$$

February 11, 2019

• CalPERS Sued by Transparent California to Identify Retirees With Disability Pensions (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• California's State Budget Analyst Said School Funding Is 'Outpacing Growth in Pension Costs' (column - Dan Walters / Mercury News)
• Retired Cop Receiving a $126,000 Annual Pension Avoids Jail for 17-Hour Standoff With Police (Emily Mibach / Palo Alto Daily Post)

February 10, 2019

• Public Pension Losses Last Quarter Compound Funding Challenges (Martin Z Braun / Bloomberg)

February 9, 2019

• CalSTRS 2018 Calendar Year Results Are in Negative Territory (Randy Diamond / Chief Investment Officer)

February 8, 2019

• Public Pension Losses Last Quarter Compound Funding Challenges (Martin Z Braun / Bloomberg)
• Public Pensions Are the Trojan Horses of US Entitlements (Sean Holland & James Laurie / the Hill)
• $30 Million More Allotted to Survivors of French Train Deportations and Families (Ron Kampeas / Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

February 7, 2019

• Could California Pension System Be Underwater? (column - Dan Walters / CALmatters)
• Why the Public-Pension Timebomb Is Growing Even More Deadly (op-ed - Steven Malanga / New York Post)
• Andrew Biggs Assesses Retirement Income Programs and Suggests How to Improve Retirement Security (American Enterprise Institute)
• Will Chicago's New Mayor Solve Its Pension Funding Crisis? (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• Chicago's Most Elite Biz Group Backs a Big Tax Hike for State Pensions (column - Greg Hinz / Crain's Chicago Business)
• Union Schemes, Scams and Some Pushback (Larry Sand / California Policy Center)

February 6, 2019

• Supervisor Says Riverside County's Pension Costs Will Crowd Out Service Funding (Lake Elsinore-Wildomar Patch)
• BREAKING NEWS: Local 807 Withdraws (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)
• CalPERS and Other Big Pension Funds Are Getting More Conservative, Report Says (column - Wes Venteicher / Sacramento Bee)
• Public Employees Are Living Longer Than Expected, Deepening the State Pension Crisis (Steven Malanga / City Journal)
• Connecticut Confronts an Underfunded Pension Liability of as Much as $100 Billion (Ken Dixon / New Haven Register)

February 5, 2019

• Will the Los Angeles Teachers Strike Settlement Lead to an $11 Billion Tax Hike? (Tim Anaya / Pacific Research Institute)
• Will California Businesses Pay State's Unfunded Pension Debt? (Charles Crumpley / Fox & Hounds)
• Ex-Centinela Valley Superintendent Pushed Through Private Retirement Plan Worth $294,000 to Him (Mean Barnes / Orange County Register)
• Oakland Public Schools Have Great Needs But Inadequate Funds (Aimee Eng & Jody London / San Francisco Chronicle)
• No, Pension Obligation Bonds Aren't a Form of 'Refinancing' (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• Chicago Mayoral Race: What Do the Candidates Say About Pensions? (blog - Mary Pat Campbell / STUMP)
• More on Chicago Pension Underfunding -- It's the Demographics, Stupid (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• Ishpeming, Michigan Considers Putting New Employees in Defined Contribution Plan (Lisa Bowers / Mining Journal)
• Public Plans Get a Table (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)
• Public Pension Plans Receive Their Own Mortality Tables (Hazel Bradford / Pensions & Investments)
• Two More Union Plans Get MPRA Letters Approving Benefit Cuts (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)

February 4, 2019

• What Delaying a Big Rate Increase Cost CalSTRS (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• Dozens of CHP officers suspected of faking overtime ( Richard Winton / Los Angeles Times)
• No More Headlines Will Be Posted Today Due to a Family Medical Emergency

February 3, 2019

• Could California’s Pension System Be Under Water? (editorial - Orange County Register)

February 2, 2019

• Governor Newsom and the CalPERS Dilemma (editorial - Orange County Register)
• NEW REPORT: 2019 Financial State of the Cities (Truth in Accounting)
• New Jersey: Battle Over Public Finance Between Democrats (blog - Mary Pat Campbell / STUMP)

February 1, 2019

• Gavin Newsom’s Record Offers Hints About How He’ll Handle Unions and California Pensions (Wes Venteicher / Sacramento Bee)
• California Pension Funds Losing Tens of Millions of Dollars on PG&E (column - Wes Venteicher / Sacramento Bee)

January 31, 2019

• Is Your City Safe From Pension Debt? (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• PENSION PULSE: CalSTRS, CalPERS Beefing Up Private Equity? (blog - Leo Kolivakis)
• Worried About Public Pensions? Counties Often Have Lower Burdens (Richard A. Ciccarone / MuniNet Guide)

January 30, 2019

• Can Public Pensions Survive the Next Recession? (Eric Boehm / Reason)
• PENSION PULSE: Are US Public Pensions Cooked? (blog - Leo Kolivakis)
• The Average Nevada Teacher Is Losing Nearly $7,700 a Year to Pay for Other People’s Retirement (Robert Fellner / Nevada Policy Research Institute)

January 29, 2019

• Actuary-Splaining Chicago's Pension Liability: A Deeper Dive (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• The Undeniable Corruption of Chicago and Illinois: Effects on Public Finance, Part 1 (blog - Mary Pat Campbell / STUMP)

January 28, 2019

• Changes at Top as CalPERS Faces Biggest Test Yet (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• Los Angeles Unified Digs a Deeper Hole (column - Dan Walters / CALmatters)
• The L.A. Teachers’ Strike Could Be Just the Beginning for California (column - George Skelton / Los Angeles Times)
• Gov. Newsom Proposes to Chip Away at Mountain of Pension Liability and Ease School Districts' Burden (John Fensterwald / EdSource)
• CalSavers Works on Paper, But Saddles Workers With Debt (op-ed - Timothy Harris, Kenneth Troske & Aaron Yelowitz / Orange County Register)
• Is Chicago the Next Detroit? (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• Illinois Pension Bonanza (editorial - News-Gazette)

January 25, 2019

• CalPERS Returns -3.9% in 2018 (Arleen Jacobius / Pensions & Investments)
• The Culture War Over Our Fiscal Crisis (Lewis M. Andrews / American Conservative)
• How Long Do Retired Public Employees Live? (Chris Butera / Chief Investment Officer)
• Infrastructure Investments Won’t Matter Until We Lower Retiree Costs (column - Nicole Gelinas / Governing)
• Lompoc Needs to Pass a Sales Tax Increase to Pay Off Its Pension Debt (Justin Ruhge / Santa Maria Sun)
• Bailout Shutdown (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)

January 24, 2019

• The LAUSD Strike: Another Brutal Reminder of Rising Pension Costs (editorial - Oroville Mercury-Register)
• Jerry Brown Gets a $120,000 Pension in Retirement (Judy Lin / CALmatters)
• California Retirees Look for 'Independent' Voice in New CalPERS President (Wes Venteicher / Sacramento Bee)
• Santa Maria-Bonita School District Sued for 'Deliberate, Bad Faith' Violation of State's Public Records Law (press release - Transparent California)
• CalPERS Former No. 2 Investment Official Hires Employment Lawyer After Resigning (Randy Diamond / Chief Investment Officer)
• Why a Federal Taxpayer Bailout for Union Pensions Is a Bad Idea - (oped - Joshua Rauh / Washington Times)

January 23, 2019

• LAUSD's Teacher Strike Should Draw Needed Attention to Pension Costs (editorial - Orange County Register)
• Pension Payments Could Dip for Retired Wisconsin Public Employees (Judy Newman / Journal Times)
• Funding Louisville, Kentucky's Pension Deficit (video - WHAS 11)
• Feds Prepare to Bail Out 'Vast Majority' of 90,000 Sears Pensions (Tyler Durden / Zero Hedge)

January 22, 2019

• Is Gov. Newsom Serious About Taming California's Pension Costs? (column - Daniel Borenstein / San Jose Mercury News)
• Here's How the L.A. Teachers' Strike Is Part of California Unions' Pension Preservation Plot (column - Chris Reed / San Diego Union-Tribune)
• UTLA vs LAUSD: An Unlevel Playing Field (Jack Humphreville / CityWatch LA)
• The Los Angeles Teacher Strike Has a Huge Problem: Pensions (op-ed - Daniel DiSalvo / Washington Examiner)
• Latest Warning for Oregon's Pension Fund: Negative Cash Flow (Ted Sickinger / The Oregonian)
• Fourth-Quarter Decline Smacks Corporate Pension Funds in Largest Markets (Sophie Baker / Pensions & Investments)
• As Lawmakers Fail to Reach Deal, Many Pittsburghers' Pensions Brace for Painful Cuts (Daniel Moore / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• UK: Pensions in Civil Service 'Beyond Wildest Dreams of Taxpayer', Says Taxpayers’ Alliance (Greg Hurst / London Times)

January 21, 2019

• San Diego County Prevails in Lawsuit Against Its Own Pension System (Jeff McDonald / San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Vallejo, California Is No Longer Bankrupt, But Budget Gap Grows (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• Social Change Is Outside the Role of Public Pensions (Anil Niraula / Reason)
• Federal Employees Get Perks Taxpayers Can Only Dream of (Kristin Tate / The Hill)
• Hawaii's Pension Fund Shortfall Climbs to $13.4 Billion ( Dave Segal / Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
• New York City Pension Staffers Are Chilling in Key West as Arctic Chill Hits (Susan Edelman / New York Post)

January 20, 2019

• San Diego's City Pension Fund Has No Business Giving Out 13th Checks (blog - Mary Pat Campbell / Stump)
• Reforms Urged to Control Exploding California Pension Costs (press release - Hoover Institution / Stanford University)
• The Public Pension Crisis (video - John Stossel / Facebook)
• 18,000 Texas Public Employees Make More Than $100,000 (Adam Andrzejewski / Forbes)

January 19, 2019

• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to Take Over Sears Pensions (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)

January 18, 2019

• University of California Regents Had a Bad Q4 Surprise, Losing $9 Billion (Chris Butera / Chief Investment Officer)
• Manteca City Council May Chip Away at $145 Million in Liabilities (Dennis Wyatt / Manteca Bulletin)
• Fort Bragg, California's Pension Costs Expected to Reach $2 Million a Year by 2025 (Kelci Parks / Advocate News)
• New Jersey Considers Defined-Contribution Public Employee Pensions (Bonner R. Cohen / Heartland Institute)
• Massachusetts Taxpayers Foot Bill for Megabucks Pensions (column - Howie Carr / Boston Herald)
• How Should Phoenix Pay Off $4 Billion in Pension Debt? Voters May Get a Say (Jessica Boehm / Arizona Republic)
• Libertarian Group Joins Pension Reform Session, and Some Aren't Happy (Tom Loftus / Louisville Courier Journal)
• Kentucky Pension Talks Need Consultant 'Without Preconceived Notions,' McGarvey Says (Tom Loftus / Louisville Courier Journal)
• To Restore Their Pension, Plasterers Reduce Benefits (Don McIntosh / nwLaborPress.org)

January 17, 2019

• Los Angeles Teacher Strike: Pensions Are a Driver (blog - Mary Pat Campbell / STUMP)
• Billboard Encourages Picketing Los Angeles Teachers to Quit the Union (video - Fox News)
• University of California Assets Fell $9 Billion in Market Rout (Michael McDonald / Bloomberg)
• California: Record Spending as Tax Revenue Collapses by $5 Billion (Chriss Street / American Thinker)
• Financial Mismanagement of San Diego School Hurts Students the Most (Todd Maddison / Transparent California)

January 16, 2019

• Reform of Controversial DROP Pension Program Approved by L.A. City Council (Jack Dolan / Los Angeles Times)
• California: State Tax Reforms or State Tax Increases? (Dan Walters / CALmatters)
• Unions in La-La Land: The Los Angeles Teachers Strike Is a Flight From Reality (editorial - Wall Street Journal)$$
• California Pension Trustees Call for Disclosures of #MeToo Costs (Emily Chasan & John Gittelsohn / Bloomberg)
• Connecticut Needs to Defuse Its Retirement Debt Bomb (op-ed - David M. Walker / Hartford Courant)
• Nevada’s Public Pensions Are All Taxpayer Money (letter - Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• NEW BRIEF: Modernizing Social Security: Minimum Benefits (Eschtruth & Munnell / Center for Retirement Research)

January 15, 2019

• A Booming Economy Hasn't Put a Dent in Ventura, California's Pension Debt (Arlene Martinez / Ventura County Star)
• New CalPERS Board Member Has Serious Concerns About Private Equity Plan (Randy Diamond / Chief Investment Officer)
• Newsom’s California Budget Pays Pension Debt (audio - Interview with Romy Varghese / Bloomberg)
• It Didn’t Fix the L.A. Teacher Strike, But Newsom’s Pension Idea Would Help Schools, Anyway (Ricardo Cano / Calmatters)
• Salary Increases Will Increase Pension Costs (letter #2 - Bob Bunnell / Marin Independent Journal)
• Should Pensions Own Utilities? Congress Has Considered It Before. (Liz Farmer / Governing)
• New York Lawmakers Are Kings of Double-Dipping (editorial - New York Post)
• MBTA Pension Crisis Should Be a Priority (Mark T. Williams / Boston Globe)
• Furloughed Federal Employees Are Still Paid More Than You (Ryan McMaken / Mises Institute)

January 14, 2019

• The Pension Fund Problem Just Got Much Worse (Aaron Bown / Bloomberg)
• California’s Budget 'Surplus' Ignores Crushing Debt Burden (Edward Ring / California Policy Center)
• New York Lawmakers Are Kings of Double-Dipping (editorial - New York Post)
• Massachusetts Pension Tension: Some Payouts Hit $350,000 (Joe Dwinell / Boston Herald)
• These Ukrainians Have a Pension Awaiting. But They Literally Must Cross a Minefield to Get It. (David L. Stern / Washington Post)

January 13, 2019

• Strike or No Strike, Pensions Problematic for Los Angeles Schools (Christopher Weber / Associated Press)
• California Budget Realities and the Coming Backlash Against the Democratic Party (Lee Ohanian / Hoover Institution)
• California's Gavin Newsom Uses Boom to Pay Down a $256 Billion Debt (Romy Varghese / Bloomberg)
• Windfall for California K-12 Schools, More Spending From Early to Higher Ed in Newsom's First Budget (Fensterwald & Stavely / EdSource)

January 12, 2019

• New Study Fails Basic Math in Teacher 401k v. Pension Debate (John Sullivan / 401k Specialist)
• Study: Pension Plans Generally Better for Teachers Than 401k-Style Accounts (Amelia Harper / Education Dive)

January 11, 2019

• Gov. Newsom Offers Some Relief for Schools Hit Hard by Doubling Pension Costs (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• Gavin Newsom’s Budget Makes Big Down Payment on California Pensions (column - Adam Ashton / Sacramento Bee)
• As Retiree Health-Care Costs Soar, Public Employers Turn to Private Insurers (Liz Farmer / Governing)
• Pennsylvania Pension Review Commission Releases Final Report (Jones Day)
• Final Report and Recommendations: Public Pension Management and Asset Investment Review Commission (pdf - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
• The $22 Billion Question: Understanding Oregon's Public Employees Retirement System (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

January 10, 2019

• California’s Other Fiscal Time Bomb: OPEBs (Marc Joffe / CALmatters)
• California’s Massive Debt Should Caution Against Big Spending (editorial - Orange County Register)
• CalPERS Star Hire Elisabeth Bourqui Resigns Suddenly After Only Eight Months (blog - Yves Smith / Naked Capitalism)
• Recent Critiques of the Goings-On at CalPERS (blog - Naked Capitalism)

January 9, 2019

• Why Doesn't 'Transparent California' Post Elected Legislative Officials' Pensions? (Walt Gray / ABC 10)
• CalSTRS Board Approves $300 Million Campus Expansion (Randy Diamond / Chief Investment Officer)
• What's Worse Funded Than Teamsters' Central States? Chicago's Pensions (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• Fort Worth Launches Program to Educate Voters on $1.6 Billion Underfunded Pension Fund (WBAP-AM)
• Paducah Looking for Ways to Fund Employee Pensions (Thomas Capps & Chad Darnall / WPSD Channel 6)
• Even in a Good Year, Retirement System Underfunded (Steve Wilson / Mississippi Center for Public Policy)

January 8, 2019

• Cities Across Orange County Struggle With Law Enforcement and Fire Pensions (Spencer Custodio / Voice of OC)
• The Economy Is Booming. So Why Are So Many California Schools Broke? (column - Adam Ashton / Sacramento Bee)
• Gov. Newsom Must Avoid Debt to Pay for His Bold Ideas (editorial - San Jose Mercury News)
• Mayor Thinks Unfunded Pension Liabilities Are Just Like 30-Year Mortgages (blog - Encinitas Undercover)
• Volatile Wall Street Sparks Concern Over Public Pensions, Taxes (Michael Gormley & Scott Eidler / Newsday)

January 7, 2019

• As California's New Governor, Gavin Newsom Needs to Address What No One Wants to Talk About (column - George Skelton / Los Angeles Times)
• Gov. Jerry Brown Cut Retirement Debt Bigger Than Pensions (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• Sacramento’s Silliest Subsidy (David G. Crane / Medium)
• At Least 3 New Faces Will Join the CalPERS Board in 2019 (column - Adam Ashton / Los Angeles Times)
• CalPERS Beat Major Stock Indices in 2018, But Still Faces Shortfall Concerns (Mark Anderson / Sacramento Business Journal)
• Delay on Pay Hikes for Marin County's Top Brass Would Have Been Warranted (editorial - Marin Independent Journal)
• City of Industry Is About to Be Slammed Again by State of California for Lax Financial Oversight (Adam Elmahrek / Los Angeles Times)
• Rapid Pay Increases Are Driving L.A. Unified School District's Financial Woes (Todd Madison / Transparent California)
• Nevada Pension Fund Loses Bid to Keep State Employees’ Benefits Under Wraps (Margarida Correia / Pensions & Investments)
• Bipartisanship to Be Key to Change in Washington (Hazel Bradford / Pensions & Investments)
• Virginia Senators Introduce Bill to Protect Coal Miners' Pensions, Healthcare (WYMT)

January 6, 2019

• Jerry Brown’s Warning of 'Fiscal Oblivion' (editorial - Orange County Register)
• Was the World's Oldest Person (Recorded) a Fraud? (blog - Mary Pat Campbell / STUMP)

January 4, 2019

• Pension Funds, Meet the 'Super Bubble' (Edward Ring / California Policy Center)
• California’s State and Local Liabilities Total $1.5 Trillion (Edward Ring & Marc Joffe / California Policy Center)
• Time for Nevada Public Pension System to Produce the Data (editorial - Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• Pontiac, Illinois' Annual Levy to Go Up to Help Pay for Pensions (Paul Westermeyer / Pontiac Daily Leader)
• Illinois Must Pay $845 Million More to Pension Systems Next Year, Report Finds (Greg Bishop / Illinois News Network)
• Confiscated Dirty Money to Be Added to Russia's Pension Fund (The Moscow Times)

January 3, 2019

• #1 Threat Facing the Global Economy Today (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)
• Pension Time Bomb Is Among 10 Challenges That Will Define Cities in 2019 (Patrick Sisson / Curbed)

January 2, 2019

• What the Stock Drop Means for Pensions (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)
• CalSTRS Funding Report Offers Hope for the Future (Randy Diamond / Chief Investment Officer)
• Montebello School District Won’t Explain $782,000 Payout to Former Superintendent (Transparent California)

December 31, 2018

• Gov. Brown Leaves Again With California Pension Reform Pending (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• Illinois Auditor General Pension Report: Everything's Fine (but Not Really) (Ted Dabrowski & John Klingner / Wirepoints)
• Coach Nick Saban Could Get a $2.4 Million Annual Pension, Courtesy of Alabama Taxpayers (Eric Boehm / Reason)

December 30, 2018

• As a Grocery Chain Is Dismantled, Worker Pensions Are Short Millions (Peter Whoriskey / Washington Post)
• Marsh Supermarkets' Lesson for Pensioners (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)

December 29, 2018

• California Faces a Pension Showdown (Chriss Street / AmericanThinker)

December 27, 2018

• PensionTsunami Is Taking About 95% of the Week Off . . .
• California Is In Great Financial Shape -- And Headed For An Epic Crisis (John Rubino / GoldSeek)
• Newsom Must Deal With California's Pensions and DMV Fixes (editorial - Santa Cruz Sentinel)
• A Moral Case for Illinois Pension Reform to Protect Retirees and Taxpayers (op-ed - Matt Paprocki / State Journal-Register)

December 26, 2018

• Can We Prevent the LAUSD Budget Crisis From Taking Down the California State Budget? (op-ed - John Moorlach / Orange County Register)
• L.A. Forecast: Pensions and Budget Will Be Clobbered by Poor Investment Returns (Jack Humphreville / CityWatch LA)
• Sacramento School District Budget -- What a Mess. To Fix It, You Have Only One Side to Choose (column - Marcos Bretón / Sacramento Bee)
• Newsmaker 2018: Pension Crisis Threatened California's Local Governments’ Budgets (Nicholas Ibarra / Santa Cruz Sentinel)
• Pensions, Porn and a Sleepy DMV Worker -- Our top 2018 California State Worker Stories (column - Adam Ashton / Sacramento Bee)

December 24, 2018

• A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR PENSION REFORMERS: Video of Oral Arguments on Cal Fire v. CalPERS on Dec. 5 (Supreme Court of California)

December 21, 2018

• HAPPY HOLIDAYS! PensionTsunami will be taking next week off. We'll be back on January 2.
• The Financial Context of the Imminent California Supreme Court Decision on the 'California Rule' (Edward Ring / California Policy Center)
• Jerry Brown Predicts 'Fiscal Oblivion' if Pensions Are Off Limits for Government Employers (Adam Ashton & Amy Chance / Sacramento Bee)
• 80% of Mattoon, Illinois' Tax Levy Revenue Will Go to Pensions (Rob Stroud / Journal Gazette)
• Pension Tension: Vermont's Underfunded Retirement Obligations (column - John Walters / Seven Days)
• Suck It Up, Buttercup. No One Will Be Happy With Multi-Employer Pension Fixes (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)

December 20, 2018

• The States Where Pensions Are Safe — and Where They're in Trouble (Alessandra Malito / MarketWatch)
• Things Fall Apart: Pension-O-Sphere Update - Kentucky, MEPs, and More (blog - Mary Pat Campbell / STUMP)
• Kentucky Lawmakers Abandon Special Session Without Voting on Pension Bill (Desrochers, Cheves & Brammer / Lexington Herald-Leader)
• Each Chicagoan Owes $140,000 to Bail Out Chicago Pensions (Mike Mish Shedlock / Mish Talk)
• Emanuel’s Call for a Constitutional Amendment Shouldn't Be Narrowly Construed (Ted Dabrowski & John Klingner / Wirepoints)
• US Corporate Pensions Will Likely Miss Return Assumptions (Michael Katz / Chief Investment Officer)
• Do Cases Questioning Mortality Tables Used to Determine Defined Benefit Plan Benefits Indicate a New Trend? (Rebecca Moore / PlanSponsor)

December 19, 2018

• CalPERS Investment Returns Are in Negative Territory (Chris Butera / Chief Investment Officer)
• Skyrocketing Public Pensions, Long Injury Leaves and Big Bills for Taxpayers: Inside L.A.'s DROP Program (Jack Dolan / Los Angeles Times)
• Eye-Popping Los Angeles Pensions Have Taxpayers Scrambling to Cover Costs (Andrew O'Reilly / Fox News)
• Gov. Bevin Calls Special Session of Kentucky Legislature to Pass New Pension Bill (Ryland Barton / WFLP)
• Corporate Pension Buyouts Likely to Be Bolder, if Not Bigger, in 2019 (Warren Rojas / Bloomberg Law)

December 18, 2018

• In Los Angeles, Massive Payments to Retirees Don't Even Count as 'Pensions' Any More (Scott Shackford / Reason)
• Outlook 2019: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Still Searching for Fix for Crisis (Bloomberg Law)$$
• How a Serial Killer Kept Receiving $3,600 a Month From Oregon's Pension Fund While in Prison (Noelle Crombie / The Oregonian)

December 17, 2018

• Deep-In-Debt CalSTRS Also Has $9.8 Billion Surplus (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• Some L.A. Pensions Are So Huge They Exceed IRS Limits, Costing Taxpayers Millions Extra (Jack Dolan / Los Angeles Times)
• READ: Final DROP Cost Neutrality Study 2018 (Segal Consulting)
• A Supreme Chance to Control California's Pension Costs (editorial - Press Democrat)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: That Could Never Happen Here (Lisa Benson / Press Democrat)
• LAUSD Revenues = $298,000 Per Teacher; Why Is So Little Reaching Teacher Staffing and Salaries? (David Crane / Medium)
• Pension Fund Managers Poured Into Emerging Markets Right as They Tumbled (Dion Rabouin / Yahoo Finance)
• 'Alpha Wolves in the Henhouse': California’s Multibillion-Dollar Private-Equity Boondoggle (Yves Smith / New York Magazine)
• Volcker Alliance Releases Second Annual Report on States’ Financial Condition (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)
• Arizona-Style Pension 'Fix’ Won’t Work in Illinois (Rich Miller / Chicago Sun-Times)
• Emanuel Wants to Lead! Does Anyone Want to Follow? (column - Jim Dey / News-Gazette)
• Kentucky Is in a $43 Billion Pension Hole. Here Are Some Reasons Why (Tom Loftus / Louisville Courier Journal)

December 16, 2018

• LAUSD Revenues = $298,000 Per Teacher; Why Is So Little Reaching Teacher Staffing and Salaries? (David Crane / Medium)
• Volcker Alliance Releases Second Annual Report on States’ Financial Condition (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)

December 15, 2018

• Pension Fund Managers Poured Into Emerging Markets Right as They Tumbled (Dion Rabouin / Yahoo Finance)
• 'Alpha Wolves in the Henhouse': California’s Multibillion-Dollar Private-Equity Boondoggle (Yves Smith / New York Magazine)

December 14, 2018

• Unfunded Pension Liabilities, the Gift San Diego Keeps on Giving Itself (Will Huntsberry / Voice of San Diego)
• Jerry Brown Leaves California With $100 Billion Train Debt, as Texas Pursues Its Own Rail Boondoggle (Patrick Gleason / Forbes)
• Connecticut Wants You to View Your Neighbor’s Pension. Here’s Why (Lucas Laursen / Fortune)
• Illinois' Huge Public-Pension Problem Growing Larger (column - Jim Day / News-Gazette)
• Illinois Gets a 'D-Minus' for How It's Handling Pensions and Other Legacy Costs (Amanda Albright / St. Louis Post-Dipatch)
• Weed, Gambling, COLAs, and More Gambling (blog - Bill Bergman / Truth in Accounting)
• How Illinois' Suburban Fire Chiefs Collect Both Pensions and Paychecks (Jake Griffin / Daily Herald)
• Why Does Illinois Still Have Pension Double Dipping? (editorial - Daily Herald)
• History Shows Chicago Picked a Risky Time for a Pension Bond Sale (Danielle Moran / Bloomberg)
• Some Good News From Illinois on Public Pensions? (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• Kentucky Supreme Court Strikes Down Pension Reform Law (Tom Loftus / Louisville Courier Journal)

December 13, 2018

• SLOW NEWS DAY TODAY . . .
• California Pension Benefits Hinge on State Supreme Court Case (Dan Walters / CALmatters)
• Emanuel Pushes Pension Fix to City Council, Including Legalized Marijuana, Casino, Constitutional Amendment (Byrne & Ruthhart / Chicago Tribune)
• Calling All Illinois Mayors: Join Emanuel's Pension Push (editorial - Chicago Tribune)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: Rahm Emanuel's Pension Fix (Scott Stantis / Chicago Tribune)
• Defined Benefit Demise Continues (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)
• States Still Struggle With Legacy Costs, Says Volcker Report (Paul Burton / The Bond Buyer)$$

December 12, 2018

• Birmingham, Alabama's Pension Shortfall Puts Retirees at Risk (Erin Edgemon / AL.com)
• CalPERS Won’t Invest in Tobacco But Buys Marijuana Stock (Ed Lin / Barron's)$$
• Mayor Emanuel to Push for Constitutional Amendment to Solve Pension Crisis (Fran Spielman / Chicago Sun-Times)
• Chicago Mayor Wants to Legalize Marijuana, Open Casino to Deal With City's Pension Crisis (Aamer Madhani / Daily American)
• COLAs, Pot and Gambling: It's Not a Party -- It's Emanuel's Pension Rx (Greg Hinz / Crain's Chicago Business)
• New Proposal Could Save Fort Worth’s Failing Pension Fund (Jason Allen / CBS DFW)
• Fort Worth City Council Approves Pension Fund Fix (Fox 4)
• Michigan Lawmakers Expected to OK City Pension Debt Bill (Jackie Smith / Port Huron Times Herald)
• Multiemployer Solution Can’t Be Rushed (editorial - Pensions & Investments)
• Actually, Central States' Pension Plan Is Fully Funded (Elizabeth Bauer / Forbes)
• Saving Infrastructure and Pensions at Once? That's Ambitious (Brian Chappatta / Bloomberg)
• The DoD's Failed Audit Shows It Shouldn't Get a Bigger Budget (John Kristof / Real Clear Policy)

December 11, 2018

• San Francisco Chronicle: California’s 'Unsustainable’ Pension Promises Shouldn’t Be Kept (John Sexton / Hot Air)
• Yet Another Trillion-Dollar Unfunded Liability: Why California Is Burning (John Rubino / GoldSeek)
• Making a Fortune: 19 Million Public Employees Across America Cost Taxpayers Nearly $1 Trillion (Adam Andrzejewski / Forbes)
• Illinois' Pension Hole Is Now $133 Billion and Getting Deeper (editorial - Chicago Tribune)
• Kentucky's County Leaders Push for Pension Separation (Jacob Dick / Messenger-Inquirer)
• What Happens to Retirees When the Money Runs Out? (blog - John Bury / Burypensions)

December 10, 2018

• Decision on 'California Rule' Will Impact Who Rules California (op-ed - Jon Coupal / Orange County Register)
• California’s Golden Pension Rights Need Fixing (editorial - San Francisco Chronicle)
• Libertarian Wins Seat on Riverside County Board of Supervisors, Wants to Tackle California’s Public Pension Crisis Head-On (Matt Welch / Reason)
• California Supreme Court Hears Pension Reduction Case (Randy Diamond / Chief Investment Officer)
• Illinois' Unfunded Pension Liability Climbs to $133.5 Billion (Karen Pierog / Reuters)
• Carterville Passes Largest Property Tax Hike in City History to Pay for Pensions (Vincent Caruso / Illinois Policy)
• How Silent Clout Worked Its Magic to Enrich a Daley Nephew’s Company (editorial - Chicago Sun-Times)
• Oregon's Pension Cost Problems Will Get Worse in 2021, Actuary Says (Ted Sickinger / The Oregonian)
• City Workers Got Pay Raises. The Hikes Boosted Cincinnati's Retirement Bill to $140 Million (Dan Horn / Cincinnati Enquirer)
• As Pension Costs Rise, Agencies Cut Jobs - Which Hurts Pension Funding (Tom Loftus / Louisville Courier Journal)
• If Pension Overturn Sticks, Kentucky GOP Plans to Pass a Reform Anyway (Chris Butera / Chief Investment Officer)
• Report: Iowa Pension Fund Has $6.8 Billion in Unfunded Liabilities (William Petroski / Des Moines Register)

December 9, 2018

• California’s Golden Pension Rights Need Fixing (editorial - San Francisco Chronicle)

December 8, 2018

• Libertarian Wins Seat on Riverside County Board of Supervisors, Wants to Tackle California’s Public Pension Crisis Head-On (Matt Welch / Reason)

December 7, 2018

• The State Supreme Court's Chance to Reform the 'California Rule' (Joel Fox / Fox & Hounds)
• California Justices Question Attorneys in Key Pension Case (Sudhin Thanawala / Associated Press)
• State Supreme Court Justices Take First Crack at California Rule (Keeley Webster / The Bond Buyer)$$
• Sacramento School District, Unions Look to Reduce Health Costs in Face of Continued Budget Woes (Vincent Moleski / Sacramento Bee)
• Even Pension Loopholes Are Protected? Then Amend the Illinois Constitution. (editorial - Chicago Tribune)
• Happy Birthday: The Solution That Never Was to Illinois’ Pension Crisis (Austin Berg / Illinois Policy)
• EDITORIAL CARTOON: Crushing Illinois State Pensions Are Locked Into the State Constitution (Scott Stantis / Chicago Tribune)
• Daley Pension Debacle: Where Did $54 Million Go? (Tim Novak / Chicago Sun-Times)
• Postal Task Force Recommends Changing Employee Pay, Retirement (Jessie Bur / Federal Times)
• A Strong Texas Teacher Retirement System Is in Everyone's Best Interest (op-ed - Thomas H. Kreneck / Corpus Christi Caller Times)

December 6, 2018

• Promised Pension Benefits in California Can Be Cut, Jerry Brown's Attorneys Argue (column - Adam Ashton / Sacramento Bee)
• California Supreme Court May Not Go Big on First Pension Case (blog - Ed Mendel / Calpensions)
• Oral Arguments Heard in Key California Pension Rights Case Affecting Marin (Richard Halstead / Marin Independent Journal)
• California High Court Signals Possible Agreement With State on Worker Pension Rollback (Bob Egelko / San Francisco Chronicle)
• California Supreme Court Considers Major Pension Dispute (Maura Dolan / San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Jerry Brown’s Last Stand on California Pension Reform (Judy Lin / CALmatters)
• State Senator John Moorlach Monitors California Supreme Court Pension Hearing (Orange County Breeze)
• Controversial Los Angeles Police and Fire DROP Retirement Plan More Expensive Than Promised to Voters, Report Says (Jack Dolan / Los Angeles Times)
• Palo Alto City Manager Turns Down Pay Raise That Would Spike Pension (Palo Alto Daily Post)
• Broward County Pension Recount (column - James Freeman / Wall Street Journal)$$
• A State-By-State Comparison of State and Local Government Debt (blog - Larry Littlefield / Saying the Unsaid in New York)

December 5, 2018

• California Supreme Court to Hear Pension Case Today (column - Adam Ashton / Sacramento Bee)
• California Supreme Court to Hear Potentially Precedent-Setting Pension Case (Keeley Webster / The Bond Buyer)$$
• Should the State Supreme Court Reduce or Alter Pension Benefits for California Public Employees? (AirTalk - Larry Mantle, Host / KPCC Radio)
• LISTEN LIVE at 9:00 AM (Pacific) to a Webcast of the Supreme Court of California's Oral Arguments
• CASE INFORMATION: Cal Fire Local 2881 et al. v. California Public Employees' Retirement System et al.
• California Must Keep Its Promise to Our Public Servants, Says CalPERS' CEO (op-ed - Marcie Frost / CALmatters)
• Pensions Are Promises California Must Keep, Says Union Exec (op-ed - Dave Low / San Francisco Chronicle)
• Los Angeles City Council Considers Changes to Controversial DROP Retirement Program (City News Service / NBC 4)
• Public Sector Pensions Assume Record-High Investment Returns (Andrew G. Biggs / Forbes)

December 4, 2018

• Former Redlands City Manager Wants Lifetime Medical Benefits Worth $350,000 (Jennifer Iyer / Redlands Daily Facts)
• Belmont OKs Pension Strategy City to Frontload CalPERS Payments Resulting in Over $8 Million in Savings (Zachary Clark / San Mateo Daily Journal)
• Illinois’ Other Debt Disaster: $73 Billion in Unfunded State Retiree Healthcare Benefits (Ted Dabrowski & John Klingner / Wirepoints)
• Trump Keeps Ignoring the Biggest Economic Crisis of Our Generation (Kristin Tate / The Hill)
• GE Has Yet Another Problem: Pensions (Al Root / Barron's)$$

December 3, 2018

• Pension Costs Spike for Humboldt County Agencies (Shomik Mukherjee / Times-Standard)
• Pension Politics: Should States Be Investing in Controversial Companies? (Liz Farmer / Governing)
• How to Solve the Pension Crisis in Illinois (Thomas Lifson / AmericanThinker)
• Potential Impacts of Bailing Out Underfunded Pensions With Taxpayer Money (Peter Reagan / Newsmax)

December 2, 2018

• Illinois Supreme Court Tosses Law Aimed at Stopping Union Boss Pension Abuses (Ray Long / Chicago Tribune)
• Illinois Supreme Court Reaffirms Constitutional Suicide Pact; Rules Union Work Is Pensionable Salary (Mark Glennon / Wirepoints)
• What Mayor Emanuel Should Say: Amend the Illinois Constitution (editorial - Chicago Tribune)
• The Pentagon's Massive Accounting Fraud Exposed (Dave Lindorff / The Nation)

December 1, 2018

• Thanks to Public Employee Unions, California’s Finances Are Collapsing (Bob Wickers / The Daily Caller)
• Public Employees Won't Recover Union Fees After Court Ruling (column - Adam Ashton / Sacramento Bee)
• How to Make a Fortune in Public Education (James Freeman / Wall Street Journal)$$

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