“Stubborn, Persistent” Mayor Chuck Reed Attacks Pensions Once Again

Posted: 11/19/2014

It is unfortunate news to ACSS that San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed is once again ramping up his unreasonable efforts to attack pensions in statewide initiatives planned for 2016.

CalPERS comments that changes to the pension benefit levels should be determined by the employer and the employees, not at the ballot box. It is painful for unions and workers that local governments move motions based on the special interests that paid them to get them in office.

Reed argues that the number of CalPERS retirees with six-figure pensions has tripled since 2006 and pension debt for local governments is expected to increase by as much as fifty percent over the next five years. Reed contends that something has to give. Reed says, “For me, it is unfinished business. I am stubborn, persistent, whatever you want to call it.”

Reed mentions that the retirees are the folks that should have the least impact because they are already retired. And he goes on to focus fiscal pension reform on current employees because they have the most capacity to earn. “The younger employees understand that it’s something that’s not sustainable and they are the ones who are going to get hurt.” says Reed.

What are your thoughts on this issue as supervisors, managers and excluded employees? Comment on this article.