- New rebuke to pension board
Third court ruling since March underscores SDCERS’ bad judgment
July 3, 2010 - City Attorney Jan Goldsmith’s latest court victory in his serial battles with the San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System isn’t just good news in that it will save the cash-strapped city $18 million. It is further evidence of the SDCERS board’s dubious judgment. LINK TO ARTICLE Joe Flynn's Rebuttle - MORE
- City scores another pension - related victory
JUNE 28, 2010 - The San Diego Union Tribune reports the city of San Diego continues to score court victories related to pension benefits and slowly chip away at a $2 billion-plus debt that threatens to overwhelm the city budget. LINK TO ARTICLE
- Ann Smith's Message regarding the Appellate Court's decision in the Purchase of Service Credit Case
June 23, 2010 - You have likely seen recent media coverage about the Fourth District Court of Appeal’s decision issued on June 7th affirming a trial court decision related to purchased service credits.
LINK TO MESSAGE - LINK TO ADDITIONAL MESSAGE
- San Diego May Cut Benefits With Bankruptcy: Joe Mysak (Correct)
Jun 21, 2010 Bloomberg News - (Corrects column published June 16 to delete reference to indictment recommendations in second paragraph.)
The city of San Diego should consider Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy to help it reduce fringe benefits, pension and health obligations.
That’s one of the suggestions made by the San Diego County Grand Jury, which among other things reports on local governments and special districts. LINK TO ARTICLE
- Rare pension victory -
Unions more open to reform than Legislature
June 21, 2010 - The San Diego Union Tribune reports
there is burgeoning evidence from around California and across the nation that voters have figured out the status quo on public employee retirement benefits is unsustainable and that they expect reforms.
LINK TO ARTICLE
- In budget crisis, states take aim at pensions. Some are cutting once-sacrosanct benefits to deal with deficits
June 19, 2010 - The New York Times reports many states are acknowledging this year that they have promised pensions they cannot afford and are cutting once-sacrosanct benefits, to appease taxpayers and attack budget deficits.
LINK TO ARTICLE
- Goldsmith making headway in pension cases. Strategy focuses on how city’s benefits are funded
June 18, 2010 - The San Diego Union Tribune reports former City Attorney Michael Aguirre spent much of his four years in office looking for one big legal victory that would take back roughly $900 million in pension benefits promised to San Diego City workers and restore City Hall's fiscal footing.
He failed.
Jan Goldsmith, Aguirre's successor, has taken a different approach. He has focused on vulnerable corners of the City's pension obligations in court, a strategy that could end up saving tens of millions in taxpayer money over the next 15 years.
LINK TO ARTICLE
- Editorial: The pension dilemma.
City agency’s defence of outrageous decisions is troubling.
June 18, 2010 - The San Diego
Union-Tribune reports San Diego’s enormously costly pension problem hangs over the city like a pall. Between past City Councils’ irresponsible decisions to underfund the pension while increasing benefits and the huge stock market downturn of recent years, the city’s system has a $2.1 billion shortfall and is only about two-thirds funded. This means the city budget faces a never-ending squeeze on services, compensation and more.
LINK TO ARTICLE
- Can States Fix Their Pension Problems?
May 20, 2010 - From the New York Times opinion section (Room for Debate) web-blog
Governments across the country now are facing problems long familiar to San Diegans: spiraling pension debts. LINK TO ARTICLE
- Public Employee Pensions Under Pressure
April 23 - The LA Times reports that state and local leaders see the growing cost as a threat to California's fiscal well-being. Efforts to reduce benefits are setting up a collision course with public employee unions.
Across California, state an local leaders are moving to confront the cost of public employee retirement packages - an escalating financial burden that threatens to choke off funding for other government services. LINK TO ARTICLE
- Another Pension Case Bites The Dust
April 7 - The Voice of San Diego reports that San Diego's pension scandal exploded as a political issue. It made San Diego a darling of the national press for all the wrong reasons. It forced a bureaucratic and political upheaval, forcing a once-popular mayor to resign in disgrace. It cost San Diego untold millions of dollars in investigators, lawyers and pension bills.
One thing the pension scandal hasn't done, however, is enjoy much of any success in the courtroom. LINK TO ARTICLE
- Are Pensions Fair Game in Bankruptcy
February 15 - The Voice of San Diego reports that since last fall, talk of municipal bankruptcy has wormed its way back into public debate at the city of San Diego.
Mayor Jerry Sanders and City Attorney Jan Goldsmith decided they'd had enough. Last month, both dismissed the idea -- and Sanders used particular vigor -- by saying it distracted the city from its real financial problems. LINK TO ARTICLE
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