NCPERS News Clips

October 23, 2012

News Clips for October 23rd, 2012

• NCPERS Video Blog!
  Hank Kim discusses the importance of public sector employees becoming politically active.
• 2012 Health and OPEB Funding Strategies
  For many local governments, 2012 is an inflection point. New data show a brightening revenue outlook. But the cost of health insurance for employees and retirees is rising after a brief 2011 reprieve.
• GASB Tries to Clear up Pension Standard Confusion
  The staff of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board has created a fact sheet to clear up some of the misconceptions about the recent changes in public pension accounting standards.
• GASB's Pension Accounting Standards: Déjà vu all over again
  The path to where we are today regarding generally accepted accounting principles for public pension plans, with the advent of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board in between, is probably worth tracing if for no other reason than to be sure the history is not lost.
• California's Retirement Savings Revolution
  But the California state government is seeking to change that. Less than a month ago, Gov. Jerry Brown signed the law that created the California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Trust, and assuming that the program survives a market analysis study, gets a sign-off from federal officials, and once again gets approval from the California legislature, the law will go into effect.
• City Challenges Norm on Paying Into Calpers
  San Bernardino, Calif., is challenging the norm that cities will always make their payments to Calpers, the state's pension fund, even in bankruptcy. (Subscription required)
• In the Spotlight: Public pension woes not fault of workers
  Illinois's state employees did not cause the state's fiscal crisis.
•  The Washington Post Tries to Scare You on Public Sector Pensions
  The Washington Post rarely tries to conceal its contempt for unions or middle class workers. In keeping with this spirit it ran a column today that was intended to scare readers about the extent to which public sector pensions will impose a burden on taxpayers in the years ahead.