White House Chief Advisor Exhibits Government Pension Abuses

[From article]
The City of Chicago is being fiscally devoured by pension obligations run up by politicians buying votes.
[. . .]
Pension costs overwhelm the city’s ability to deliver any actual services, and the tax increases necessary to pay for both services and pensions predictably could drive away businesses and residents, leaving behind another Detroit.
[. . .]
Valerie Jarrett, President Obama’s supreme consigliere, and, many believe, the de facto president of the United States, while the nominal POTUS plays golf, watches televised sports, and stays current with the latest TV shows and rap music?
[. . .]
Now 59, Jarrett had collected a total of $306,080 in pension payouts as of last summer, records show. That’s more than 27 times the $11,132 that she paid toward her board pension through payroll deductions from her CTA paychecks.
Besides her CTA pension, she makes $173,922 a year in her role as Obama’s senior adviser — a job she has held since his first term in the White House in 2009.
If she lives another 20 years – not an unreasonable lifespan by any means for someone receiving top-notch medical attention – Jarrett will end up taking a million bucks in pension payments for eight years of part-time work.
Why should anyone get decades’ worth of pension payments for a few years of part-time work?

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2016/02/valerie_jarrett_is_the_poster_girl_for_chicagos_pension_crisis.html

February 20, 2016
Valerie Jarrett is the poster girl for Chicago’s pension crisis
By Thomas Lifson

Windy City Finances Are In The Wind

[From article]

After years of warnings, financial reality is hitting home in Chicago, 

[. . .]

In March, Moody’sdowngraded the city’s credit rating to junk, 

[. . .]

So for several years now, the media have been telling Chicagoans that there’s a financial crisis. But it hasn’t really felt like one,

[. . .]

Chicago is actually borrowing the money to pay the first two years of interest payments on these bonds. In true Chicago style, the proposal passed the city council on a 45-3 vote.

[. . .]

Chicago Teachers Union, hostile to any reform that would affect teacher salaries and benefits, says that the district is “broke on purpose.” And CPS has no permanent CEO in place after Barbara Byrd-Bennett resigned last month amid a federal investigation into no-bid contracts.

http://city-journal.org/2015/eon0712ar.html

AARON M. RENN
Chicago’s Financial Fire
The city faces trouble from every direction.
July 12, 2015

Updated: Retired New York Policeman Shoots Dead Two Teen Daughters, Himself; Removed Wife, Daughter From Pension Death Benefits

Posted February 23, 2015 8:54 PM ET; Last updated February 28, 2015 4:59 PM ET


Glen and Anamarie Hochman

Photo: Facebook

[From article]
Glen Hochman, who spent 22 years as a While Plains officer, filed retirement papers on Jan. 30 — about three weeks before the bloodbath — that intentionally left the beneficiary section blank, sources said.
“It’s the most selfish final insult,” said a family friend from Harrison. “It’s reckless and insulting for any man to leave their family high and dry like that, by choosing the zero option on their pension.
“But for him to do that and then kill his children, that’s pure evil. He effectively stole the future away from the family he left behind.”
Hochman, 52, executed daughters Alissa, 17, and Deanna, 13, in their sleep on Saturday before killing the three family dogs and then turning the gun on himself.
He typed a hateful suicide note that included taunts to his wife, Anamarie, 50, warning her to be financially responsible — even though he knew she would be broke.
He left a second note at the Windward School in White Plains where he worked security and Deanna was a student.
Sources said Anamarie — who wanted a separation

http://nypost.com/2015/02/27/suicide-slay-cop-omitted-wife-and-surviving-daughter-from-pension/

Suicide-slay cop omitted wife and surviving daughter from pension
By Shawn Cohen, Lorena Mongelli and Leonard Greene
February 27, 2015 | 2:11am
New York Post

* * *

[From article]
The day before a decorated retired cop gunned down his two teenage daughters and killed himself, his wife went to the local police station to report a “domestic incident” at the home, sources told The Post on Sunday.


Hochman’s daughters

Anamarie Hochman, 50, wanted an official report to document the argument she’d had the night before with husband Glen, 52, at their Adelphi Avenue house in leafy Harrison, the sources said.
The wife did not want her husband arrested, and told Harrison cops that he’d apologized for the dispute, a disagreement over a cell phone bill. But the dispute had so disturbed her that she wanted it documented.
Just one day later, on Saturday, the worried wife, who was at the Mohegan Sun casino with the eldest daughter, Samantha, 22, called the cops and asked for a wellness check at the home.

http://nypost.com/2015/02/23/wife-sought-help-for-domestic-incident-before-husband-killed-daughters/

Wife sought help before husband killed daughters
By Shawn Cohen, Reuven Fenton and C.J. Sullivan
New York Post
February 23, 2015 | 12:17am

* * *


Glen Hochman with his daughters Deanna, 13, and Alissa, 17.

[From article]
Police were called to the Harrison, N.Y. home around 3:30 p.m. and found Hochman dead in the garage from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Anamarie, 50, and the couple’s third and oldest daughter, Samantha, had spent the day at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.
The dead daughters were Alissa, 17, a 12th grader, and Deanna, 13, who was in the seventh grade.


Hochman and one of his daughters
http://nypost.com/2015/02/21/retired-cop-kills-his-two-daughters-then-himself/

Retired cop kills his two daughters, then himself
By Shawn Cohen and Larry Celona
February 21, 2015 | 9:17pm

New York Post

Chicago Mayor Lost His Way, Voters Too

[From article]
Emanuel’s Chicago has regularly been cited for innovation in the use of technology and data in government.
[. . .]
During the “lost decade” of the 2000s, Chicago saw more than 200,000 residents head for the exits. The Loop shed 18.6 percent of its private-sector jobs; the Chicagoland region lost more than 300,000 jobs. Debt soared.
[. . .]
Chicago can be seen, Saunders suggests, as “one-third San Francisco, two-thirds Detroit.”
[. . .]
Chicago is also uniquely burdened among major American cities by its twin deficits. Both the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago are in dire financial condition. Illinois’s unfunded pension liability stands at $111 billion. It owes another $56 billion in unfunded retiree health-care obligations. Chicago itself faces $35 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. The total liability for all local government obligations adds up to as much as $83,000 per household.
[. . .]
It’s a one-party town, and anyone who challenges the party line risks excommunication. Chicagoans don’t understand the city’s position because no one has explained it to them. Bathed in a nonstop stream of civic pronouncements about their amazingly awesome global city, many residents think Chicago is just like London, New York, and San Francisco.
[. . .]
He manages the local media with Washington-style spin control. He’s also shown a lack of regard for the optics of leadership.

http://www.city-journal.org/2015/eon0226ar.html

AARON M. RENN
Rahm’s Runoff
Chicago’s problems run deeper than many in the city want to acknowledge.
26 February 2015

States Deceive Voters and Taxpayers Regarding Unfunded Liabilities

Hiding facts from voters and taxpayers, is the dominant paradigm in Washington DC.

[From article]
Aside from the nearly $18 trillion national debt, many state governments are looking at future budgets that are trillions of dollars in the red. And they've hidden the numbers by dramatically under-reporting that debt, according to a new report by the think tank State Budget Solutions.
The group looked at what are known as "unfunded liabilities" -- or debt states will owe down the road. It found a number of states are fudging their numbers -- big-time -- using tricks like assuming their stock investments will soar.
The book-cooking could mean bad news for public pensions and other programs that rely on these budgets. The report finds that, nationwide, states have unfunded liabilities of nearly $5 trillion, or $15,000 per American (even though the states allegedly low-ball that number at $2.7 trillion).

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/11/13/report-state-budgets-fudge-numbers-projected-debt-worse-than-reported/

Report: State budgets fudge numbers to hide massive debt
By Maxim LottPublished
November 13, 2014
FoxNews.com

New York City Extravagant Pensions

[From article]
He’s New York’s pension king.
Retired Queens College history professor Edgar J. McManus, 90, gets a city pension of $561,286 a year, newly released figures show.
His payout is the highest by far in both the city and state teachers retirement systems, according to data obtained by the Empire Center for Public Policy, an Albany-based think tank.
[. . .]
The city’s second-biggest pension, $308,358, goes to Alvin Marty, a Baruch College economics professor who retired after 55 years in 2008.
Fifteen other retirees collect more than $200,000 a year — including city Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña, who gets $208,506.
And 1,796 retired educators get more than $100,000 a year.

http://nypost.com/2014/10/05/retired-cuny-professor-gets-500k-pension/

Retired CUNY professor gets $560K a year pension
By Susan Edelman
New York Post
October 5, 2014 | 4:38am

Paterson NJ Increases Debt To Pay Pensions

[From article]

Last year, Paterson borrowed about $2.3 million to cover retirement checks for 28 police officers and firefighters. In 2012, the city bonded $3 million for 34 retirees, and in 2011 it borrowed $4 million for 50 severance checks. The city is paying a total of more than $560,000 in interest on the bonds for those three years and the proposal for 2014 will add another $141,900 in interest costs. 

http://www.northjersey.com/paterson/Severance_plan_for_Paterson_cops_and_firefighters_puts_four-year_tab_at_11_million.html?page=all

Retirement plan for Paterson cops, firefighters puts four-year tab at $11 million
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2014, 2:26 PM
BY JOE MALINCONICO
PATERSON PRESS

War On The Working Class

[From article]
The size of these unions is impressive: the American Federation of Teachers has 1.5 million members in over 3,000 local affiliates nationwide.  The Center for Responsive Politics records that they give campaign money primarily, and almost exclusively, to Democrats.   They give zero percent to Republicans.  The National Education Association is twice as large and is the number-four all-time contributor to national campaigns.   It gives only four percent of its campaign money to support Republicans.  It has nearly three million members in more than 14,000 school districts nationwide.
So it's fair to say that American educators overwhelmingly support the Democratic Party.  In return, Democrats in all major states pass extremely lucrative salary and pension plans for educators.
[. . .]
Of the top 100 public pensions received by public employees in Illinois, all 100 go to educators.  The top pension is now $512,964 per year, paid to Dr. Winnie, a retired anesthesiology professor.  The average working anesthesiologist is paid $348,000 per year.  There are three other retired educators who are paid $400,000 per year in their pensions.
It is interesting to note that the cutoff for "one-percenters" nationally is an income of $250,000 per year.  There are an additional 25 education pensioners in Illinois who earn $250,000 or more a year, yet no "one-percenter" protesters demonstrate outside the main Administration Building of the U. of Illinois.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/08/the_educators_war_on_the_working_class.html

August 29, 2013
The Educators' War on the Working Class
By Michael Bargo Jr.

List of MBTA Pension Patriots Released

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/howie_carr/2013/08/carr_t_pension_list_a_map_of_bulger_fam_s_free_rides

Carr: T pension list a map of Bulger fam’s free rides
Friday, August 9, 2013 PrintEmail Comments (54)
By: Howie Carr
Boston Herald

Disability Pension Fraud at LIRR

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/doctor_consultants_found_guilty_um3REJvbqMF4oVtUa4SKTL

Doctor, 2 consultants found guilty of 21 count of fraud in LIRR disability scam
From AP
New York Post
Last Updated: 4:11 PM, August 6, 2013
Posted: 3:00 PM, August 6, 2013

Cambridge Resident Knows the Future

[An edited version of this letter was published online at the Cambridge Chronicle April 9, 2013

http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x1148860548/LETTER-Cambridge-letter-writer-provides-no-evidence#axzz2PuOEx6sR


James Recht, MD, Harvard Medical School

Cambridge letter writer supports the City Council effort for the City pension fund to get "rid of stocks, bonds or investment funds that are unethical or that pose a threat to the health of ones community." He adds, "Fossil fuel investments are both." (James Recht, Letter, "Cambridge should end its fossil fuel investments, " Cambridge Chronicle, Apr 04, 2013) He provides no evidence of his claims beyond one article in Nature Magazine regarding global warming. The letter exhibits certainty of a zealot, not saying that the writer is one. The notion of ethics can be argued with less certainty against divestment. Most remarkable is his claim about the future worth of stocks and bonds of energy companies, citing one article. How does he know this? I thought only psychiatrists could predict the future.This citizen lacks understanding of how the City government works. The only power the City Council has is to hire and to fire the City Manager. Everything else is his only to decide allegedly based on law and the Constitution. With seven councilors supporting the City Manager at present it is unlikely that the Manager will do more than pretend to listen to the Council each week for their weekly TV performances.  

http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x1433807290/LETTER-Cambridge-should-end-its-fossil-fuel-investments?zc_p=0#axzz2Paa3PSHZ

LETTER: Cambridge should end its fossil fuel investments
Cambridge Chronicle
Posted Apr 04, 2013 @ 03:02 PM
James Recht, Walden Street

Teachers Union Pension Abuses

[From article]
"His paycheck fluctuates as a union lobbyist, but pension records show his earnings in the last school year were at least $245,000. Based on his salary history so far, he could earn a pension of about $108,000 a year, more than double what the average teacher receives.
His pay for one day as a substitute was $93, according to records of the Illinois Teachers Retirement System."

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-22/news/ct-met-pensions-teacher-perk-20111023_1_state-teachers-pension-fund-teachers-union-public-pension

2 teachers union lobbyists teach for a day to qualify for hefty pensions
State legislature opened a small window that they climbed through in 2007
October 22, 2011
By Ray Long and Jason Grotto,
Chicago Tribune Reporters

Union Leaders Get Major Taxpayer Pensions

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-pensions-legislation-watchdog-20110921,0,4724416.story

Law gives huge pension perks to union leaders
In all, 23 expected to collect combined $56 million in their lifetimes
By Jason Grotto,
Chicago Tribune reporter
September 21, 2011

NY Public Retirement at Six Figures

[From article]
"Of last year’s system retirees, 13 percent qualified for a six-figure pension, up from under 2 percent in 2000, a conservative think tank has found in a new study."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/cops_grand_retirement_Im38ltwoRTkwtaosv6AeaM

Cops’ ‘100 grand’ retirement
By ERIK KRISS Albany Bureau Chief
New York Post
Last Updated: 8:13 AM, September 9, 2011
Posted: 1:22 AM, September 9, 2011

Pension Abuses

[From article]
"Douglas Zeigler got $193,601 after stepping down as an NYPD chief and its highest-ranking African-American officer. He is still collecting a paycheck, though. He earns $127,000 as director of security at the MTA."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/ailing_apple_ick_payouts_w61WdhlT3ujMthFdyaHuVO

Ailing Apple's $ick payouts
By ISABEL VINCENT and MELISSA KLEIN
New York Post
Last Updated: 7:21 AM, July 24, 2011
Posted: 12:10 AM, July 24, 2011

Weiner's Lucrative Pension

[From article]
"The tax union said congressional pensions are typically two or three times more generous than for workers earning comparable salaries in the private sector. Also, all members of Congress are enrolled in Social Security."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/anthony_pension_wad_njNdmjapQqr2vZvOF0GHsL

Anthony's $1.3M pension wad
By ANDY SOLTIS
New York Post
Last Updated: 3:26 AM, June 18, 2011
Posted: 12:36 AM, June 18, 2011

Millionaire Teachers Pretend To Be Struggling

[From article]
"Politicians have every incentive to give the store away -- since unions then recycle their loot right back in the form of campaign contributions, TV ads, phone banks, canvassing labor and public rallies. This is completely legal, institutionalized corruption, and it's the kind of thing that in the private sector lands you in front of a prosecutor.
[. . .]
Yes, many of those nice teachers we've been trained for all these years to think of as chronically underpaid are millionaires.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/millionaire_teachers_0TAnsJddHXPrQi80FnIrXK

Millionaire teachers
Unions looting NY's towns
By SCOTT JOHNSTON
New York Post
Last Updated: 3:46 AM, May 19, 2011
Posted: 11:23 PM, May 18, 2011

How Politicians Think

[From article]
"The root driver of exploding costs is legislators’ willingness to make unsustainable promises to be paid by future taxpayers — a proclivity as fundamental to a legislator’s brain as the will to breathe is to yours or mine.
The only way to protect New York taxpayers is to make it impossible for the legislature to give away the farm."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/public_vs_private_retirements_jKrCbtWRp67H3GDJ00CqKK

Public vs. private retirements
Government workers get better deals -- paid for by taxpayers
By JOSH BARRO and E.J. McMAHON
New York Post
Last Updated: 5:14 AM, December 19, 2010
Posted: 11:49 PM, December 18, 2010

Firefighters Pensions

Argument of Firefighter's Captain's Union is flawed. 110 years ago there was no economic threat to the city or to the nation. The unwillingness of Firefighters to recogize this and to contribute to the resolution of the problem shows their selfishness. In addition the argument surely does not apply to all city workers which get similar pensions, e.g. teachers.

[From letter]
Over 110 years ago, we made a contract with tax-paying citizens that, if we risked our lives for them, we would be rewarded with a decent, livable salary and a fair pension."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/letters/pensions_are_fair_BHNLVfbpO4wDIeorvtcikL

Pensions are fair

John Dunne, Captains’ Rep., Uniformed Fire Officers

Association, Manhattan

New York Post

Last Updated: 5:10 AM, August 15, 2010

Posted: 1:32 AM, August 15, 2010

Taxpayers Fund 90 Percent of Pensions

[From article]
"Taxpayers kick in an average $8.60 for every dollar that city employees contribute to their pensions, a sweet deal costing the Big Apple a bundle."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/you_pay_the_price_hNooJsBk9MtO67HvinglHP

City taxpayers foot 90% of municipal pensions

By SUSAN EDELMAN

New York Post

Last Updated: 6:16 PM, July 11, 2010

Posted: 2:10 AM, July 11, 2010