At a Berkeley City Council meeting on Feb. 9, 2010, Councilmember Laurie Capitelli said that the consequences of not dealing with a pensions system that costs the city millions of dollars each year “could be really bad” and that “we don’t want to just kick the can further down the road.” More than two years later, Berkeley is still operating under the same draining system.
The city of Berkeley must move more quickly to solve its pension problem by capping retirement returns and implementing a new, fiscally responsible program for new employees. The matter has already taken more time to resolve than Berkeley can afford.
City staff and council members have long been aware that current city contributions to employee pensions are unsustainable, and yet have moved slowly to fix the issue. Yes, progress has been made: Negotiations have occurred, and the discourse about city pensions has continued. Councilmember Gordon Wozniak asserts that the council has actively pushed for a two-tiered solution — which would put new employees on a different pension plan than current ones — but it clearly needs to push harder.
And although negotiations with one of five unions representing city employees have ended, no changes will go into effect until all of the unions are satisfied. While every union deserves its fair chance to have its voice heard on every matter that affects its members, drawing out the process hurts all Berkeley residents and city workers.
Admittedly, championing reform for the city’s pension system does not make for good election year politics. Council members and city employees must remember, though, that a functional municipality must be solvent before it can fulfill any of the obligations or services it must carry out. In particular, those council members whose seats are not on the ballot this year must be far more vocal and lead the effort to speed up changes. Because ultimately, a quick adjustment, not a hemorrhaging budget, is what this city needs right now and in the long term.
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The can has been kicked so far down the road that it’s almost out of town. Council member Laurie Capitelli has had eight years in office to take a leadership role in pension reform but he is known more for making statements than taking action. And Capitelli is not alone at City Hall in failing to move pension reform forward. I understand that there are stakeholders with a lot clout. Nevertheless, inaction may just bankrupt our city or just as bad, encourage the Mayor and Council to further increase taxes or eliminate vital services. Perhaps the best way out of this mess is to vote new people into key positions who are committed to reform.
[City staff and council members have long been aware that current city
contributions to employee pensions are unsustainable, and yet have moved
slowly to fix the issue.]
As to be expected. The whole key to “progressive” politics is to buy votes by taking from group A to give to group B, and hope that you’re long gone before anyone holds you responsible to clean up the mess. That’s why you hear entrenched politicians announce after 2 or 3 decades in public office that they want to “retire” to “spend more time with their family”. That happens when they figure out that the consequences of their actions are about to catch up with them, and don’t want to be the ones left holding the bag…
Another Lib infested government entity heads for the shitter along with Moonbeam and Obama.
Lesson here for Cal kiddies.
Those who live by the union, will die by the union.