Borenstein is right, county
pensions are out of control
Dan Borenstein is absolutely correct; California’s public pension systems carry huge unfunded debts and cry out for fair and sensible reform. (“Gov. Brown’s pension reform effort is coming up very short,” Feb. 5)
The Contra Costa civil grand jury, on which I served for two years, issued two important reports on needed pension reform in our county. Each report recommended that the Board of Supervisors seek legal review of a peculiar California court doctrine that blocks meaningful pension reform. The doctrine has prevented the county from negotiating with its employees to reduce the level of pension benefits they would earn in future years. That gives pension benefits a privileged status in collective bargaining because all other elements of employee compensation are negotiated for each contract period.
How big is the problem? The county carries more than $1 billion in unfunded pension liabilities and the 2014-2015 grand jury pension report found that a modest reduction in future pension benefit accruals could save the county nearly $100 million a year.
Two appellate courts have now opened a window for review of the peculiar California pension doctrine. The county’s Board of Supervisors should seize the opportunity to advance fair and sensible pension reform by filing briefs with the California Supreme Court in support of the appellate court rulings.
Michael Moore
Diablo
Before mounting moral high
horse, fix our vital problems
Gov. Moonbean’s team of twinkling politicians want to turn the entire state of California into a sanctuary state. Let’s fix our roads, levies, transportation modes and high taxes before we mount our high horses and start charging at windmills. I hope voters get a say on this issue before the state snubs its nose at the laws of the land.
I have no problems with a church offering sanctuary to lawful immigrants as long as they are using their parishioners’ own money, not my tax dollars.
Joe Wilder
Livermore
Double standard when
government breaks law
Did you ever wonder why it is always a misspending issue for districts or government agencies, but a crime if a citizen makes a mistake on a tax return?
Panache Water District is described as possibly breaking the law. Who in their right mind can’t figure out that the general manager and those involved along with the board should be in jail.
If the Panache Water District had that much money on hand to give away to its employees, why didn’t it give it back to the people who pay for its fat pensions, benefits and salaries? Where are the people marching against this blatant thievery? Ahh, maybe George Soros won’t pay for this march.
We should all make a bet on which government agency will be misspending next.
Alice Sullivan
Hayward
Embarrassed by lack
of response to thugs
The East Bay Times had an excellent editorial on free speech and the UC riot. My only question: Where were the UC campus police and the Berkeley city police when 100-150 bloc anarchists in masks came marching down Telegraph Avenue “throwing rocks and gas grenades?”
I’m embarrassed for both of these police chiefs for the lack of response to these thugs.
Rand Colombo
Lafayette