An interesting new Web site dedicated to reforming California's pension system, created by the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility and appropriately called www.californiapensionreform.com, sheds light on which former government employees have the highest pensions (more than $100,000 a year) around the state. While no former Long Beach employees made the Top 10 list, more than 100 former city of Long Beach and Cal State Long Beach employees still made the cut. The Web site allows users to search for costly pensions by name or by employer.
At the top of Long Beach's list is former City Attorney John Calhoun, who the Web site says earns $194,319.60 annually, followed by former Police Chief Jerome Lance at $177,315.72. Two former city managers, Henry Taboada and James Hankla Jr., are close behind at $174,751.32 and $166,056.36, respectively.
The unveiling of the site this week may be timely for many government agencies, including Long Beach. The city is battling massive budget deficits, and more than a few critics have placed blame on the fat pensions given to employees.
Paul Eakins reports on Long Beach City Hall, and local and regional
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Kris Hanson reports on the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles,
covering environmental issues, economic triumphs and
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He also writes a weekly column “On The Waterfront”,
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men and women who keep Southern California’s economy humming.
Karen Robes Meeks came to work for the Press-
Anyoone getting this much in pension shouldn't be drawing social security, seriously now!
I have always been an opponent of the high pensions given to public service employees after they either leave office. Since they are no longer a contributing factor in the process to which they were formerly elected, they become a sponge of the hard earned money other tax payers earn on a daily and continuing basis. This opposition extends all the way up to the federal level where most of those who leave office are more than financially capable of supporting themselves and their families with the monies they have earned during the period of their public service. They should all be made to live on the social security they have contributed like the rest of us and forgo the huge "stipends" they receive. It is shameful that people in this country have to live their daily lives without health insurance and many other amenities while these "Fat Cats" get more money than many of these indigent people will see in a lifetime.
Unless we address the runaway pension issue, it will sink the state and cities. Since CALPERS stated that costs would not increase if we raised the rate, the employees receiving the benefits should pay for such increases.