re: #226 albusteve

CA is sinking deeper…not even a passing mention of state union bennies at the source…slash education while the govt fat cats roll on….wilfull ignorance

[Link: apnews.myway.com…]

The school district in question in that news story is Contra Costa county. I looked briefly at their proposed budgets… very complex (as these things have become), but one can see that they are being saddled by retirement expenses.

Indeed, on April 9 the county of Contra Costa had handed to a report (intended not just for the school district but for other county tax payer supported institutions), entitled:

Retiree Health Care Benefits Leaves County Tax Payers On The Hook (pdf), the executive summary of which states clearly that the county’s retiree health care benefits have become a burden that the County can no longer afford.

This is well known throughout the State. From the local City retirement programs to County and School District retirement programs to the State employee programs - the future that has been promised (by benefits) is not fitting the reality.

To change retiree benefits is very, very difficult politically.