Here’s the news article:

http://www.pressherald.com/news/retirees-group-sues-state-over-benefit-changes_2012-02-14.html

Here’s the retiree association that filed the lawsuit:

http://www.maineretirees.org/mar-suit.htm

. . . . and a PDF of the class action lawsuit itself:

http://www.maineretirees.org/MAR-suit.pdf

Here’s an article on the Arizona pension contribution ruling:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/2012/02/03/20120203arizona-pension-law-ruled-unconstitutional.html

“The reforms increased employee contribution rates from 50 percent to 53 percent of total funding in a move to save the state $60 million.”

“Judge Eileen Willett noted in her ruling that the state Constitution describes the public retirement system as a contractual relationship between the state and its employees and that state statutes forbid laws “impairing the obligation of a contract.”

“When the plaintiffs were hired as teachers, they entered a contractual relationship with the State regarding the public retirement system of which they became members,” Willett wrote. “Their retirement benefits were a valuable part of the consideration offered by their employers upon which the teachers relied when accepting employment.”

Donald Peters, the lead attorney for the teachers, said, “The judge found that the state has to abide by the promises it made to its employees.”

Here’s an article on the New Hampshire pension contribution ruling:

http://www.plansponsor.com/NH_Court_Says_Increasing_State_Employee_Pension_Contributions_Illegal.aspx

Here’s an article on the undecided Arizona COLA theft lawsuit:

http://www.azcentral.com/business/abg/articles/2011/10/06/20111006abg-fischer1006.html

(Note that this COLA theft lawsuit was filed in both state and federal courts, by retired state judges.)

His CEO mentality that assumes he can sweep away anything he decides upon, at our expense, is imperious, undemocratic and dangerous.

What is happening with last year’s appeal?

“He said options the state could consider include reducing inflation adjustments for retirees, raising the retirement age for new hires and averaging employees’ last five years of earnings to determine pension payments rather than the last three years.”

See this article in The Pueblo Chieftan:

http://www.chieftain.com/hickenlooper-talks-energy-water-pensions/article_25f92ef8-4ef1-11e1-a99f-001871e3ce6c.html

http://burypensions.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/lawyers-defining-the-public-good/#more-1602

Here’s the full story:

http://blogs.wpri.com/2011/10/22/raimondo-fires-back-at-fung-says-courts-will-back-pension-bill/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wpri-nesis-notes+%28WPRI.com+Blogs+%C2%BB+Nesi%E2%80%99s+Notes%29

HERE IT IS QUANTIFIED . . . ONE-TENTH OF ONE PERCENT OF FUTURE STATE INCOME.

I just came across this study at the Pension Rights Center, The Origins and Severity of the Public Pension Crisis, produced by the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Here’s a link:

http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/pensions-2011-02.pdf

The report states that the shortfalls facing state and local pension plans have been misrepresented. Further, the study notes that, “when expressed relative to the size of their economies, most states are facing shortfalls that appear easily manageable.” For example, unfunded liability as a percent of future state income for the Colorado PERA State Plan is approximately one-tenth of one percent of future state income, 0.09 % (See page 11 of the report.)

Retirement Heist, by Ellen Schultz outlines the machinations used to steal private sector retirement benefits in recent decades.

The private sector pension thieves have a kindred spirit in Colorado PERA which, apparently, is seeking to introduce such techniques to public sector pensions. The book is a good read for Colorado PERA members and retirees. See discussion at the burypensions blog, or this review (the book is too technical, but edifying) at the NYT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/business/when-retirees-are-shortchanged-for-corporate-profits.html

Here is an article and the ruling:

http://newsblog.projo.com/2011/09/update-judge-rules-for-ri-unio.html

http://www.projo.com/news/2011/pdf/council94_v%20_carcieri_0913.pdf

“The case law does not preclude but rather supports this Court’s holding that Plaintiffs, as ten-year veterans of the State, possess a contractual relationship with the State pertaining to retirement allowances and COLA benefits which are not subject to collective bargaining.”