So now we’re going to start begrudging folks who served the city/state/fed for 20-30 years of their lives the benefits that we promised to them?

I imagine many of these folks, over the course of their career, evaluated whether to stay or go into the private sector for more money, and the pension package was part of their calculations.

We pay the salaries we pay in order to lure good candidates, and to offer something enticing for others lower in the hierarchy to aspire to and work hard for (and some will). Basically it is a hamster wheel system, but I think it’s a system that works to a large extent.

Would this be a better system?:
Just pay everyone 50 grand a year – period. Heart surgeons, those despicable CEO’s, baseball players, dentists, engineers, teachers, firemen, actors, fast food window workers. Then no one will be envious of anyone else.

Now what to do when it becomes obvious that some heart surgeons (or baseball players or engineers) are better than others?…

Or, what about a person that works two jobs. Or three?

$123k “for life” might seem like a lot of money, but in the grand scheme of things it is not (especially after taxes). I know nothing of what this woman did and endured to get to her position, but my initial guess would be: she probably earned it.