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Majority Of Californians Support Brown's Pension Reform

Staff Reporters |
December 7, 2011 | 11:07 a.m. PST

A new Field Poll of California voters shows that a slight majority, 51 percent, supports Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to cut costs of public pensions

(Creative Commons)
(Creative Commons)

Brown's plan, which calls for reduced benefits for new government employees and a raise in the retirement age for some, is one of the many combatted plans he's put forward to help fix the state's fiscal problems.

The poll shows 24 percent of respondents think the plan goes too far, while 14 percent say it doesn't go far enough. Most respondents said the changes should apply to current employees as well as new ones, an idea that is not included in the plan and is "legally suspect," as the Sacramento Bee puts it.

The ratings agency Fitch has hailed Brown's proposal, which they said would spark similar reforms in California's cities, many of which face huge unfunded pension liabilities.

Indeed, San Francisco and Modesto have agreed to put pension reform measures on the ballot. San Jose city council voted 6 to 5 Tuesday to approve language of a pension reform measure.

Such local moves have been met with strong opposition from city workers unions. Union officials in Newport Beach are fighting to keep public safety employees from having to contribute more to their pension plans.

Sacramento City Hall has already agreed to make changes in the way they pay for pensions. 

"We have to take steps to close (a $26 million deficit) and one of the ways we can do that and not cut services and not lay off employees is for our employees to pay their share of retirement," Sacramento City Manager John Shirey told the Sacramento Bee.

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