No, we do not get to just “make up” market values. That these investors are receiving subsidies isn’t even in question; it is an absolute fact.
You keep talking about pensions as if that’s what’s causing our budget problems, but you fail to note that the tax subsidies, developer and private contractor giveaways, bonds for projects that cannot possibly be justified, and generally bone-headed financial moves on the part of elected officials, etc. are at least as much a part of the problem as pensions are. If you want to fix the budget problems, you have to address ALL OF THESE ITEMS.
You also have to address the subsidies we give to big businesses, like Walmart, who pay their F/T employees so little that they have to rely on publicly funded “welfare” programs in order to get by.
Your view of public finances is incredibly simplistic and naive. There are a lot of moving parts, and any attempts to target just one group — without addressing the subsidies and costs of the other groups — will not work. It’s like trying to fix your personal budget by just cutting back on your grocery expenses without addressing any of the other expenses or income issues.
