A conservative estimate of California’s pension shortfall is ~$500 billion, and that’s coming from those who want to dismantle the public pension plans.
Why are the most vicious attacks directed at public employees who had nothing to do with causing the crisis vs. those who DID cause the crisis? Think there might be some intentional manipulation of public thinking going on?
I’ll bet you a fireman’s pension that dismantling every public union in the country would not result in material savings for Joe Sixpack the taxpayer. The attacks on public unions are not directed by taxpayer advocates; they are directed by private interests who would benefit from getting govt contracts and private control of public resources and services — those who would be taking money/resources OUT of the local economy and public control (the money would be going to corporations and executive compensation — which can be spent anywhere in the world and would likely be used to buy up more assets, further reducing workers’ purchasing power) vs. money being recirculated in local states/communities via govt-employed local workers.
