Gubernatorial race against government pensions heats up

[ShocknAwe 0]

Whitman endorsed raising the eligibility age for retirement benefits, but she also proposed a new retirement model for future state workers.

New state hires are “going to have to come in under a 401(k)-style program like everyone in the private sector does today," she said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39526458/ns/politics-decision_2010/

[TrophyHunter 15]

You're right Don. Edited.

[Zenosan 2]

Motorcycle relevance?

Isn't there a political forum for these topics?

But since you brought it up....

As a Professor in a Public College I have been required to pay 8% of my gross income every month into the State Teachers Retirement System for the past 36 years. I worked for that 8% every month. The Fund has been professionally managed and regularly produced a healthy annual profit. Every Governor has helped to balance the Taxpayer's Budget by "borrowing" from the State Teacher's Retirement Fund. None of these "Loans" has ever been paid back. I figure the taxpayers owe teachers for the extra taxation they paid to help balance their budgets.

[Spaugh 1]

this gov agency took money from my gov agency.

[Zenosan 2]

this gov agency took money from my gov agency.

Teachers are "required" to support their own state run retirement system. It is their money.

[Zenosan 2]

Moderator....

Sorry I responded to a nonmotorcycle post. I will be better next time.

Motorcycle politics?

[bikeslut 1]

as far as I can tell this IS the right forum for this discussion

Paul- we got your post, quotes and link... what do you think?

[Zenosan 2]

as far as I can tell this IS the right forum for this discussion

Paul- we got your post, quotes and link... what do you think?

OK Bob. STRS is a 401k style retirement system. Funded by the employees, managed by professional investment managers, but run and regulated by the employer, the state.

[ShocknAwe 0]

as far as I can tell this IS the right forum for this discussion

Paul- we got your post, quotes and link... what do you think?

I think before criticizing a post for being unrelated to motorcycles one should read the title "Open Discussion" and the description of the forum, which states: "Talk about ALMOST anything not listed in other Forums, please keep it clean !!"

As for government pensions, both Democrats and Republicans in California agree that the current system is not sustainable. With modern medicine, folks are living longer. The baby boomers are going to be expensive because of their pensions and many won't retire to allow younger generations to take their jobs. As for public school teachers, we may also have to question the viability of having guaranteed jobs (tenure).

[zee 0]

Every Governor has helped to balance the Taxpayer's Budget by "borrowing" from the State Teacher's Retirement Fund. None of these "Loans" has ever been paid back. I figure the taxpayers owe teachers for the extra taxation they paid to help balance their budgets.

At least you know who is taking your money, and have some recourse. Unlike many of us whose 401K turned into 101K. I know people who went back to work (whatever they could find) because their retirement evaporated.

[paulmbowers 236]

Hey! Look at me! I'm not getting involved in this...

[Zenosan 2]

This is a motorcycle site Shock. I come here for motorcycle info. I am an academic. For information on other topics I go to sources based upon reliable research. Slogans, misinformation, distortions are rampant in political media. Straw man attacks are the norm in political discourse (with all political parties). Not a reliable source of information. Check out your definition of tenure "guaranteed jobs". This is simply false. Find a source other than political speeches for your information.

[racerbill 0]

This is a motorcycle site Shock. I come here for motorcycle info. I am an academic. For information on other topics I go to sources based upon reliable research. Slogans, misinformation, distortions are rampant in political media. Straw man attacks are the norm in political discourse (with all political parties). Not a reliable source of information. Check out your definition of tenure "guaranteed jobs". This is simply false. Find a source other than political speeches for your information.

Right On Brother. As a former political and social science student, in the 70's, I studied ways to manipulate popular opinion. The first step is to discredit conventional news sources, called lame stream media now. Wait a minute, was that a gay Mexican with a marriage license? Turn on KPBS, tune out Fox, and go riding.

[RogerTOWM 0]

Turn on KPBS, tune out Fox, and go riding.

Yeah KPBS doesn’t have a political slant, no, not at all!

[Spaugh 1]

Turn on KPBS, tune out Fox, and go riding.

Yeah KPBS doesn’t have a political slant, no, not at all!

everyone on KPBS loves dirt bikers.

[dirt dame 559]

Turn on KPBS, tune out Fox, and go riding.

Yeah KPBS doesn’t have a political slant, no, not at all!

KPBS=liberal

FOX=conservative

Why is it that ALL liberal broadcasters claim to not take a liberal view?

[bikeslut 1]

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1067

I defy ANYBODY to find a news outlet that is NOT biased... well; except Jane Curtain and Dan Akroyd... point/counterpoint did an exceptional job of really presenting both sides, and letting the viewers decide

as somebody else alluded to... don't believe the media or the candidates at face value...

[Zenosan 2]

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1067

I defy ANYBODY to find a news outlet that is NOT biased... well; except Jane Curtain and Dan Akroyd... point/counterpoint did an exceptional job of really presenting both sides, and letting the viewers decide

as somebody else alluded to... don't believe the media or the candidates at face value...

Interesting link Bob.

[bikeslut 1]

[Zenosan 2]

Cool. One of my favorite movies on this topic is Wag The Dog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnSauj2855M&feature=related

[Jim 0]

KPBS=liberal

FOX=conservative

Why is it that ALL liberal broadcasters claim to not take a liberal view?

For the exact same reason that Fox claims to not take a conservative view and be "Fair and Balanced"

All news outlets have to pretend to be impartial, or they are no longer journalists. EVERYBODY and every organization/news outlet/blogger/etc has a biased view one way or the other. Nobody is impartial, because if they are, they just don't care.

[ShocknAwe 0]

Cool. One of my favorite movies on this topic is Wag The Dog.

Ditto. Wag the Dog became famous because it featured the shot of a girl (Monica Lewinsky) wearing the hat while leaning over and hugging the president (Clinton). But the movie was made BEFORE the Clinton sex scandal broke, which suggests the producers knew about the scandal long before it broke.

The more important prophecy in Wag the Dog is the analogy between producing a war with Albania like we did in Iraq and Afghanistan. Saddam Hussein was not involved with 9/11, but we invaded Iraq anyway. What?? Then we continued the war after catching Saddam, costing the taxpayer trillions. Then we paid to rebuild Iraq after we bombed it. Say what man?

We don't need a war or an enemy. The cost of the U.S. military will continue to destroy this country, just as excessive military spending and policing the world destroyed the Soviet Union and other great nations throughout history. Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. has spent almost half of the world's military expenditures annually, compared to 5-7% by other countries. There's your enemy. So when Republicans call liberals tax and spend and criticize welfare recipients, they need to look at the expensive welfare state (the MIC). That we didn't cut the nearly useless $140 million F-22 until 2009 is just one example of the looting on the federal budget that has and will continue to destroy this economy and country. If you are going to have socialism, at least fix some poor kid's arm in the U.S. when he falls off his dirt bike. Get out of other countries and protect our borders. Guns or gurneys - we can only afford one and look at where expensive guns have landed us.

If you think politics and dirt bikes don't mix, you might not like "SoCal Offroad," my weekly tv show on Friday nights at 10pm on channel 19 for Time Warner viewers. Cox subscribers will have to wait a bit. First show airs 10/15/2010

[racerbill 0]

Ditto

[bikeslut 1]

Ditto

Dido

[RogerTOWM 0]

We don't need a war or an enemy. The cost of the U.S. military will continue to destroy this country, just as excessive military spending and policing the world destroyed the Soviet Union and other great nations throughout history. Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. has spent almost half of the world's military expenditures annually, compared to 5-7% by other countries. There's your enemy. So when Republicans call liberals tax and spend and criticize welfare recipients, they need to look at the expensive welfare state (the MIC). That we didn't cut the nearly useless $140 million F-22 until 2009 is just one example of the looting on the federal budget that has and will continue to destroy this economy and country. If you are going to have socialism, at least fix some poor kid's arm in the U.S. when he falls off his dirt bike. Get out of other countries and protect our borders. Guns or gurneys - we can only afford one and look at where expensive guns have landed us.

So Shock what percentage of our national budget is taken up by military and what percentage is non-military? I sort of thought that national defense was a federal government responsibility written into the constitution? Maybe I was wrong about that and it was health care and welfare that was in the constitution.

Hey yeah we don’t need the F22, I mean the P51 mustang worked well for us in WWII so that’s all we need just P51s right? Personally I’m happy that we are giving our young fighters advanced equipment. Yes it is expensive but it saves lives and I’d much rather pay out money then the lives of our young men. Men like Trophy’s two boys or C Didys son or Digdoug or Jim or a bunch of other guys I ride with.

I remember that during my time in uniform I was using a lot of the same equipment that my father used in WWII and Korea. The tents I used would be familiar to civil war veterans. I thank God that our warriors don’t have to use that equipment anymore. That is one reason casualties are much lower then prior wars.