tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post1054963750958973571..comments2023-09-29T06:58:20.125-07:00Comments on Badtux the Snarky Penguin: The politics of spiteBadTuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345749557330760251noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-87249202720533078602011-01-30T11:37:55.403-08:002011-01-30T11:37:55.403-08:00In my home state of Kentucky, state employee retir...In my home state of Kentucky, state employee retirement benefits were cut significantly for new hires a few years ago. Now, however, our Republican Senate wants to switch the state employee pension plans over to 401(k) type plans, including a 5% match for non-hazardous-duty employees and 8% for hazardous-duty employees, again for new hires. Given that they've failed to adequately fund the existing pension plans for years, only a fool would expect our legislators to make the proposed matching contributions, thus creating yet another retirement crisis and hordes of bankrupt state retirees. Mission accomplished?Fine Swinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00847673130187010302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-68769497333120990942011-01-25T17:46:32.455-08:002011-01-25T17:46:32.455-08:00Look for an upswing in deaths from "natural c...Look for an upswing in deaths from "natural causes".<br /><br />Actually, it has <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-04-21-life-span-study_N.htm" rel="nofollow">already happened in parts of the country</a>...<br /><br />-- Badtux the "Starvation is natural!" PenguinBadTuxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01345749557330760251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-9844540347132939042011-01-25T17:43:31.175-08:002011-01-25T17:43:31.175-08:00The deal is that public employees, with the except...<i>The deal is that public employees, with the exception of federal employees hired in the past 25 years, do not get Social Security.</i><br /><br />I beg to differ with you on that point, at least as it pertains to Mrs. Bukko. She worked for more than 15 years as a programmer for the University of California system, so she got a public employee pension. We didn't foresee the coming laws that allow state governments to declare bankruptcy so they can screw workers out of the pensions, but when we moved to Australia, we still did an early cash-out of her UC state pension. It was a gamble, but we had an inkling that the "guaranteed monthly payoff for as long as you live" would not be there later. The gamble paid.<br /><br />We also have an inkling that Social Security will also be gypped away. That's why as soon as she was eligible, Mrs. Bukko signed up to get S.S. cheques, even though it's at a reduced rate from what she could get if she waited until age 65. Being deposited in one of our U.S. accounts, heh-heh -- no need bothering the Canajun tax man with TMI, eh?<br /><br />Anyhow, in our case, a public employee is dipping into both pots. Until the kkkapitalists kick them over. We don't gloat or feel spiteful toward the people who won't be so fortunate -- even though we warned them that something like this would come. We feel sorrowful, because several UC friends of ours in Berkeley are gonna get screwed.<br /><br />There's a lot of death from starvation, exposure or suicide that's coming to the older cohort. That'll suit the aims of the maggots at the top. Remember the saying "The only good Injun is a dead Injun"? For the top-maggots, the only good non-workserf is a dead one...Bukko Boomerangerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02424677168216647964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-66406579340457752022011-01-25T13:33:34.267-08:002011-01-25T13:33:34.267-08:00Not only did pension funds get looted, State gover...Not only did pension funds get looted, State goverments, frex - an NJ is a particularly egregious example - failed to fund them adequately over the past 15 or so years.<br /><br />Then the financial melt down happened and everything went to hell.<br /><br />The canard about public employees' rich pension payments is a vicious and destructive lie, coming from those who are intent on destroying the middle class.<br /><br />There really is no other legitimate way to look at it.<br /><br />JzBJazzbumpahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07337490817307473659noreply@blogger.com