Will ANY NY politician call out the lunacy of – Latest News
New York public-employee unions are pushing for an completely obscene giveaway, undoing the 2012 pension reform that saved taxpayers $80 billion — and Gov. Kathy Hochul appears to be like prepared to log out on it.
The unions body it as a matter of “fairness” once they do the exact same factor with their own workers.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo compelled the “Tier 6” reform via the Legislature in his early, fiscally accountable years: It cut retirement advantages for employees employed as soon as it grew to become law, requiring them to contribute more to their own still-generous pensions; different reforms have raised the age (again, for new hires) when a retiree can begin accumulating.
Now the unions need Tier 6 hires to get the similar advantages as earlier tiers — a retroactive giveaway that may value New York taxpayers up to $700 million a 12 months.
More outrageous but, the unions need the state to decrease the age — to 55 or after 20 years of service — when public sector employees can retire and instantly acquire the full pension.
Tier 6 advantages are nonetheless far more beneficiant than most personal sector plans; certainly, most of us don’t get assured (defined-benefits) pensions anymore, just a few employer contributions to 401(okay)-style retirement financial savings accounts.
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The final take a look at: Hiring hasn’t been any drawback since Tier 6 kicked in, although the unions of course faux in any other case — it’s not greed, you’re presupposed to consider; they’re being public-spirited.
Hilariously, as the Empire Center’s Ken Girardin factors out, some of the unions demanding “tier equity” don’t offer “tier equity” to their own workers: New York State United Teachers, for one, has three “unfair” tiers.
Hochul has not explicitly, publicly signed on to this larceny, solely spoken variety phrases about the “fairness” marketing campaign.
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Sadly, her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, hasn’t spoken out towards it. (And a number of GOP legislators have outright cheered the scheme.)
We requested his marketing campaign on Thursday, and bought solely a bland dodge:
“Tier 6 is a complicated issue that should be part of the collective bargaining process. I have had four years of labor peace without raising taxes. As governor, I will strike the same balance between fair wages and benefits for our workers and protecting our taxpayers.”
Sad.
We hope he takes a principled stand earlier than Hochul decides it’s protected to associate with the rip-off.
This fall is unquestionably Hochul’s final election; she’ll pay no personal price for promoting out New York’s taxpayers (again).
At least, not until Republicans — or any fiscally accountable Democrats that may nonetheless be hiding in some darkish nook of the state — call out “Tier 6 Equity” for the freeway theft it’s.
