You'll find these news stories of interest to State Worker blog users on the right side of this page under "Recommended Links":
Pension fund bombshell could worsen budget woes
The Governmental Accounting Standards Board has dropped a bombshell with preliminary new rules that, if adopted, would force governments to increase projections of pension liabilities by using tighter "discount rates" - effectively, lower assumptions of pension fund earnings. (Click here for a plain-English explanation of the proposed rules.)
In Budget Crisis, States Take Aim at Pension Costs
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.
More Pennsylvania corruption trials may follow Veon's conviction
Former State Rep. Mike Veon was sentenced to a six- to 12-year prison term for participating in an elaborate scheme to use state workers to help win political campaigns. His conviction signals that probes into Pennsylvania statehouse corruption are entering a new and dramatic chapter.
Oregon state officials seek to squeeze personnel costs
State personnel costs could become a target for policymakers looking for ways to rein in the cost of government. As Gov. Ted Kulongoski grapples with the immediate task of closing a $577 million budget shortfall, he is considering laying off hundreds of workers and calling on unionized employees to accept the same pay freeze for 2010-11 that he imposed last month on managers and nonrepresented state workers.
Ohio taxpayers pay for state workers' pensions, but state law keeps the amount private
Despite spending more than $4 billion annually on state and local government pensions, Ohio taxpayers have little access to retirement records. They cannot find out how much they paid toward workers' pensions or how much taxpayer money a retiree receives. They can't know how well the pension systems track potential abuse, or worse, if they are being taken advantage of. And state lawmakers are being asked to consider reforms -- that could cost hundreds of millions more a year -- without specific details being public.
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