How much do WI citizens pay toward public pensions? ZERO DOLLARS

Gov. Scott Walker says he wants state workers covered by collective bargaining agreements to “contribute more” to their pension and health insurance plans. Accepting Gov. Walker’ s assertions as fact, and failing to check, creates the impression that somehow the workers are getting something extra, a gift from taxpayers. They are not. Out of every dollar that funds Wisconsin’ s pension and health insurance plans for state workers, 100 cents comes from the state workers.

Thus, state workers are not being asked to simply "contribute more" to Wisconsin' s retirement system (or as the argument goes, "pay their fair share" of retirement costs as do employees in Wisconsin' s private sector who still have pensions and health insurance). They are being asked to accept a cut in their salaries so that the state of Wisconsin can use the money to fill the hole left by tax cuts and reduced audits of corporations in Wisconsin.

http://tax.com/taxcom/taxblog.nsf/Permalink/UBEN-8EDJYS?OpenDocument

Facts like this get drowned out by other important things that beg to be shared.

Someone visiting DU for the first time today, perhaps, will see it and hopefully a light will dawn for them, too, as it did for the rest of us.

K&R

then those decuctions are taken from paychecks funded by taxes.
Taxpayers pay the taxes.

It all depends on how you look at it.

They work for the government and get a portion of their salary set aside for their pention. It is their money not the tax-payers.

Also public workers pay taxes.

I get paid for the work I do, I get paid salary and pension contributions. It is all my compensation that I EARN!

Once you pay your taxes, it is no longer your money.

100% of public workers' compensation is paid by WI citizens.

Nope.

NT.

I'm comparing governors to state workers.

that compensation is first funneled through the employee's check & then deposited into a pension account, or deposited straight into the pension account by the employer, it's the same. The pension contribution dollars are part of agreed-upon employee compensation.

Currently the state of wisconsin puts about 5% of employee salaries into pension & the employees also put in a certain amount, I forget what.

Walker wants employees to contribute something like an additional 5%.

The effect would be to:

1. Reduce employee take-home pay.
2. If walker has it in mind to reduce the state contribution by an equivalent amount, the effect is to reduce total employee compensation.
3. If walker plans to keep the state contribution the same, while increasing the employee contribution, the effect is to expand the pension fund which is already something like 99% funded. The effect of this is to increase the pension fund pot, a tempting pool of cash which can possibly allow all kinds of chicanery & raids.

:thumbsup: