Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations

Excerpt: Connecticut is per capita the wealthiest state in the nation. But it currently faces a debt of more than 53 billion dollars, largely due to its own growing pension crisis. The top ten retired employees in the Constitution State all receive more than $225,000.00 per year in pension payments by the state. 1,400 retirees in Connecticut receive more than $100,000.00 in pension benefits annually. Republicans in the state have called for a decrease in cost-of-living adjustments, increased employee contributions and an end to the practice of negotiating pensions through collective bargaining but unions and Democrats continue to push back against such ideas.

No, no, no, says Harry Hartley the former president of Connecticuts branch of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Since retiring in 2005, Hartleys own pension has risen over $73,000 annually to its current $242,000 per year. The problem was not the pensions, Hartley claims. The problem was they did not fund them properly. Now they are looking for some quick band-aid probably illegal unethical and immoral and thats the wrong way to go. Continue reading at https://www.thenewamerican.com/economy/sectors/item/29657-unsustainable-the-government-pension-pickle-that-several-states-are-facing

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Connecticut State Retiree Pensions are only 41% funded. In 2017, payments totaling over $1.8 billion were made. These pension payments were made directly to retirees or to their beneficiaries. They represent the pensions of 48,395 retired employees.

Some pensions exceed $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000. To determine what each state retiree receives, Click on Pensions, next go to Search, then to the column captioned Total. Click Total twice and you will see the highest to the lowest pensions being paid. To move to the next page, go to the arrow over the column headed Total.

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Newsmakers July 26, 2018

Connecticut Pension Commission Eyes Tapping State Assets to Shore Up Ailing Fund (Chris Butera / Chief Investment Officer)

Excerpts: Lotto revenue and income from unused state land could help shore up ailing public retirement system.

Connecticuts new pension panel is looking to draw from state government coffers to keep rising pension costs at bay.

The Pension Sustainability Commission, which is exploring how to shore up Connecticuts sagging public employee retirement system, ruled out using the sale or lease of state parks or other publicly used amenities. Instead, earnings from the Connecticut lottery, or unused state land and properties, could help shore up dwindling pension funds. Continue reading at Connecticut Pension Commission Eyes Tapping State Assets to Shore Up Ailing Fund (Chris Butera / Chief Investment Officer)

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Newsmakers July 24, 2018

New Connecticut Study Group Aims to Solve Pension Mess

Commission will study states fiscal situation in an attempt to boost the state-worker retirement systems low 41% funding level.

https://www.ai-cio.com/news/new-connecticut-study-group-aims-solve-pension-mess/

Tags: Connecticut, Connecticut Pension Sustainability Commission, pension

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Another excellent article by Jon Lender

HARTFORD COURANT Government Watch

Jon Lender: Its The Scorecard For Wining And Dining Public Officials, And You Can Look It Up

One of the most common tools for influencing state government decisions is a sandwich. Paid lobbyists at the State Capitol use them like auto mechanics use trusty socket wrenches. You want a law passed, or you want the opposite, or your client wants relief from an administrative ruling, and you take a legislator or state commissioner or deputy out to lunch or dinner and talk it over. It happens all the time and it is just the way things work. Continue reading at http://www.courant.com/politics/government-watch/hc-pol-lender-wining-dining-20180727-story.html

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There is now a price tag for Medicare for all $32.6 Trillion

The Boston Globe 23 hours ago WASHINGTON US Senator Bernie Sanders Medicare for all plan would increase government health care spending by $32.6 trillion over 10 years, according to a study by a university based libertarian policy center.

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The Washington Post reports

Wildfires force 15,000 people in Northern California to evacuate

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Boston Globe reports

TSA Quiet Skies program has lawmakers demanding answers

Lawmakers demand answers on Quiet Skies surveillance program after Globe report

Amid a barrage of criticism from lawmakers, top Transportation Security Administration officials agreed Monday to brief Congress this week on a secret domestic surveillance program in which federal air marshals track ordinary US citizens at airports and on airplanes.

The response came after the Globe reported that the TSA in March began actively conducting surveillance of people who were not suspected of a crime or were on a terrorist watch list, but who had caught the agencys attention because of where they had flown, among other criteria. Read the full story.

Read the original story Air marshals track ordinary travelers like terror suspects

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HARTFORD COURANT Breaking News

Suspect In New York Slaying Was On Probation In Connecticut And Also Faces Charges In Los Angeles

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