Editorial: Local leaders get real about public pension costs

These guys will cave in to pressure from the public employees union. Who do you think funds the campaigns of elected officials? Public Employee salaries are way beyond par compared to private sector counter parts. Not to mention that they can get 90% benefits after just 20 years of employment and free health care for life. You don't need the Civil Grand Jury to examie it or any other kind of special committee to review the policy. It just takes common sense and a back bone to do the right thing.

Cut salaries and get rid of pensions for all government employees.

Does no one know care abour the facts before spouting off. The author states:
"It is common for 15 cents or more out of every tax dollar collected by a town to go to pay for pension and retiree health care obligations"

That is complete BS. Maybe 15% of the town's cut of the tax dollar, which in most towns in Marin is 35 cents. So the correct statement is 5 cents. Also most towns in Marin do not offer any retiree health coverage. That is a County employee thing.

And to They Will Cave. There are no more 20 and out systems operating in Marin. Most have age requirements of 55 years of age and older. And 20 years of service and 55 will get them 40-60% of their pay, in order to get 90%(most cap @85%) they would need to work 30-40 years.

Its time for local public agencies to reduce existing "retired" workers' pensions. They are too high, like the 1999 stock market.

Sorry, but it happens all the time in the private sector.

Try to get the facts before you pick up the anti government worker mantle. They are not the new whipping post for angry idiots that don't have the facts and just spout off about half truths.
Maybe I expect too much from the writers?

This article really lays out what I have been railing about for years. Before about 1997 we had public employee pensions that reflected the reality of the long term marketplace. What we have now is a system based on the "irrational exuberance" of the last 1990's. Any change to the current path to financial implosion needs to come from an independent body of citizens. To expect that city managers, who are benificiaries of the pension system, or politicians that need to stand for election to offer a clear sustainable pension system modification, is a fools dream.

I gotta commute into the City to afford to live in Marin. And for retirement, I get a 401k.. if I don't put money in, I don't get money back. There is no guarantee of how much i'll get when I am 65 and retiring after working for 20 years is not an option (unless I started working at 45 so that I could collect my 401k upon retirement)... but even if that was the case, I would get nowhere near 50% of my pay for the rest of my life from my 401k, unless I lived to the ripe age of 72 or 73. As for medical, there is no medical in a 401k, nor do I get discounts or benefits in San Rafael like some city jobs get. I remember when Hamilton was selling properties and local gov't workers had priority over me... why I don't know.

The pensions have been brought up many many many times on these boards, local gov't pensions are not a new whipping post.

OUR SCHOOLS-OUR COMMUNITY -OUR FUTURE- we now have the small army of parents and community supporters out in full force- Our local businesses support MEASURE B-Just walk downtown Larkspur, Old Town Corte Madera you will see the support from our towns' REAL BUSINESSES in our school district.

The IJ Editorial Board has never met a tax increase it didnt like
Consider their endorsements accordingly

Regarding your assessment of Measure B, readers unfamiliar with the details of the proposal will read your editorial and get the mistaken impression that some businesses will see their parcel tax increase by $52,000 in one year. That is not the case. The maximum that any parcel will pay is $20,000, and that will only apply to three commercial parcels. Is it "balanced" now, when the Village shopping center pays the same as an individual homeowner? I agree that businesses face serious challenges today, but they will face even more serious challenges tomorrow if Measure B does not pass, class sizes increase, the schools lose many programs, our towns fail to attract families looking for the top schools, property values go down, and those businesses lose customers. If businesses are interested in their own future viability, they should support this investment in our schools. I am disappointed in the IJ's position on Measure B and the IJ's inability to prioritize the "serious challenges" our schools and students are facing today. The Larkspur School District has had to reduce PE instruction, eliminate science teaching in the elementary school, and stop supplying technology equipment or any other instructional materials for classrooms, among other drastic reductions in programs.
Voters should also note that the parcel tax does not begin until July 2010, when most experts believe our economy should be significantly better than it has been earlier this year.
Vote YES on Measure B!

I am disgusted that the IJ sees fit to not endorse Measure B (but bend to a handful of businesses who don't have the guts to go public!!!) over educating children - SHAME ON YOU! Perhaps your editorial board should take a walk down Magnolia Ave. in Larkspur and Tamalpais Drive in Corte Madera - business after business has Yes on Measure B signs in their windows - they are not afraid to speak out! After getting the IJ for over 15 years, I am regrettably canceling my subscription and I urge others to do the same - you folks need to get your priorities right!!

If the Measure B tax is so important to the schools and the right thing to do, what logic says the burden should be borne by businesses? What homeowner would accept a new $20,000 tax? Small businesses along Magnolia are like homeowners, and will pay a small tab. Large businesses are taxed just because they can be: lots of assets per vote is what this is about. A simple across the board tax where everyone pays the same amount is hardly unfair.

Apparently the IJ is beholden to a small group of big business entities for advertising dollars? Marin Independent Journal should no longer be able to have INDEPENDENT in its name. buriburi - get REAL. the fact that The Village would get to pay the same amount I pay as a homeowner of a modest house in Corte Madera is OUTRAGEOUS. Any person or business entity who would oppose the conservative and fair structure of Measure B is embarrasingly short sighted. Drive your customers away - we are happy to shop elsewhere- we know who you are. You have been trying to be "quiet" in your opposing - but we still know which businesses are doing this. And the CM Chamer of Commerce? Melissa Gill? What a joke. You all simply dont get it. Good schools = good property values = good business revenue. It's not rocket science. YES ON B

As a homeowner I have been paying 96% of this parcel tax for over 20 YEARS!!! And the IJ editorial board thinks that it is unfair that businesses are now being asked to pay more...what about the fact that through the economic boom of the last 20 YEARS they have payed 4% of the parcel tax. You bet Larkspur Senior I am canceling my subscription too!!!

I didn't come to Marin for property values. I didn't come to Marin for the schoos. I came here to live and try to get away from all the breeders.
I'm tired of those mommies pushing their shopping carts into your legs. I'm tired of lazy mommies who just throw their shopping cars in parking spaces regardless of the weather.

human wrote:

I didn't come to Marin for property values. I didn't come to Marin for the schools. I came here to live and try to get away from all the breeders.

Yes, and Rick came to Casablanca for the waters.

He was misinformed.

Mill Valley: Well, there are more students, so $60 million seems right. What a farce endorsement. MVSD has yet to explain why it needs $60M, and almost 2/3rds of it for one school alone.$40 million to build one elementray school? You have got to be kdding me. This is not going to pass this time. This Board is acting dumb, the same as the arrogant Monib-led Board when the only failure in the 100 year history of MV happened. We deserve mosre about what this money is going to be spent. On support schools, have always done my share on Kiddo (and more), have voted for every bond and parcel fee to date-BUT not this one. We don't a palace over there at Edna Maguire. And the $60 million is just the present value, they will actually be spending 2 times that!!!!!

A Marin Voter wrote:

Its time for local public agencies to reduce existing "retired" workers' pensions. They are too high, like the 1999 stock market.
Sorry, but it happens all the time in the private sector.

BOORAH!

There should have been two separate measures. One for repairs which is fine, but not the part for expansion. But they want to shove the whole thing down our throats. Don't let them do it.

human wrote:

I didn't come to Marin for property values. I didn't come to Marin for the schoos. I came here to live and try to get away from all the breeders.
I'm tired of those mommies pushing their shopping carts into your legs. I'm tired of lazy mommies who just throw their shopping cars in parking spaces regardless of the weather.

You're not "human". You're a troll. What a terrible way to live life in such contempt. Don;t like PEOPLE? Move to Alaska. Plenty of open space up there, pal

TBone wrote:

<quoted text>
You're not "human". You're a troll. What a terrible way to live life in such contempt. Don;t like PEOPLE? Move to Alaska. Plenty of open space up there, pal

Did you ever see the Star Trek original series where there were so many people on this palnet that you can barely move?