Do as I Say

[Bob]

Florida Retirement System: Gov. Rick Scott wants employees to contribute to their pensions - OrlandoSentinel.com Scott wants public employees to contribute to pensions Gov. Rick Scott released his plan Tuesday to cut costs in the state's pension fund by requiring all public employees ? including teachers, police officers, current state workers and other government employees ? to contribute 5 percent of their salary.

"We must bring Florida in line with the private sector and nearly every other state in the country by requiring government workers to contribute towards their own retirement," Scott said in an announcement.

The employee contribution would apply to the more than 650,000 government workers, ranging from firefighters and judges to clerks and cafeteria workers, who are covered by the Florida Retirement System.....Scott plans to unveil his entire state budget plan at a tea party event Monday in Eustis, a small central Florida town. the perfect venue for a criminal thug governor.

 

[cabythesea]

State Workers Contribute?

Expecting state employees to contribute to their retirement, like the vast majority of privately employeed workers, seems to make sense. Even the auto workers do it. It is 2011 after all.

 

[scooterbug44]

That proposal actually makes some sense. We have to make cuts.

Though I would like to see people be able to control those savings, not have it added to the state slush fund.

 

[GoodWitch58]

Florida Retirement System: Gov. Rick Scott wants employees to contribute to their pensions - OrlandoSentinel.com Scott wants public employees to contribute to pensions Gov. Rick Scott released his plan Tuesday to cut costs in the state's pension fund by requiring all public employees ? including teachers, police officers, current state workers and other government employees ? to contribute 5 percent of their salary.

"We must bring Florida in line with the private sector and nearly every other state in the country by requiring government workers to contribute towards their own retirement," Scott said in an announcement.

The employee contribution would apply to the more than 650,000 government workers, ranging from firefighters and judges to clerks and cafeteria workers, who are covered by the Florida Retirement System.....Scott plans to unveil his entire state budget plan at a tea party event Monday in Eustis, a small central Florida town. the perfect venue for a criminal thug governor.

does it include the members and staff of the legislature and the Governor's office? and does it also require the members of the legislature to pay for their health insurance benefit? And, are they planning to adjust the state employee salaries so that they match the private sector? Take a look at what state employed attorneys make...not saying there is not room for improvement, just that it needs to be equitable.

 

[Bob]

That proposal actually makes some sense. We have to make cuts.

Though I would like to see people be able to control those savings, not have it added to the state slush fund.

the employees have had no raises for 5 years. you propose we cut benefits for folks who took low paying jobs for the benefits?

 

[scooterbug44]

Yes.

Because I think we need to make a lot of changes and cut many benefits (some more than others - aka politicians) to make the budgets work.

From what I am reading, after this proposal, public employees in Florida still have a cushier pension plan than many other states and most of the private sector.

Florida is the ONLY state where public employees do not contribute to their pensions and it's the 4th largest system in the country.

The taxpayers have been picking up the tab for the last 30 years and contributing 9 to 22 percent of public workers salaries. This proposal asks you to pay for 5%.

I know this sounds unsympathetic, but times are tough and this system post-reform is still going to far better than most people have.

 

[Lake View Too]

Yes.

Because I think we need to make a lot of changes and cut many benefits (some more than others - aka politicians) to make the budgets work.

From what I am reading, after this proposal, public employees in Florida still have a cushier pension plan than many other states and most of the private sector.

Florida is the ONLY state where public employees do not contribute to their pensions and it's the 4th largest system in the country.

The taxpayers have been picking up the tab for the last 30 years and contributing 9 to 22 percent of public workers salaries. This proposal asks you to pay for 5%.

I know this sounds unsympathetic, but times are tough and this system post-reform is still going to far better than most people have.

I can't agree with you more. The basic problem with all state governments and the federal government, more than ever, isn't that their pay scale is anywhere superior to the private sector (except those pesky cost of living increases they always get) it's their benefits packages. None of us, "out here on the perimeter", have anything to compare with this thing that they get from our taxes. Yeah, I said it.

 

[30ashopper]

This is a tricky situation because there are different types of state run pension plans, some of which are more equal to the private sector than others.

Bob's grandiose proclamations obscure the important details.

I'd like to see a comparison of state employee pay (including base pay, benefit costs, and future pension payments and benefits based on expected payout time periods) broken down by our state's different pension plans compared with payment and benefit plans available in similar positions in the private sector.

 

[30ashopper]

Lots of data out there:

florida pension reform - Bing

 

[30ashopper]

Workers are currently afforded the option of joining a defined benefit plan with benefits accruing after five years. Florida is one of the only states in the nation that does not require some form of employee contribution to state pension plans.

Rick Scott Proposes $2.8 Billion in State Pension Savings | Sunshine State News