San Fran City Employees‘ Pensions Higher than Average Workers’ Earnings
- Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:43am by
Billy Hallowell
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San Francisco Public Defender, Jeff Adachi
When it comes to citizen pay and annual salaries earned, San Francisco has an interesting dynamic going on. On average, public retirees who have retired and are earning pensions are receiving higher pay than non-government residents who are currently in the workforce.
According to the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System, the average retiree earns a pension of $46,272 per year; retirees who have worked in city government for at least 30 years earn an average annual pension of $76,981.
The numbers tick even higher when looking at the Fire Departments’ retirees, as the average pension is $108.552. Police walk away with $95,016.
On the flip side, regular (non-city government) San Franciscans don’t quite do as well as their publicly-funded counterparts. Families, on average, earn $86,546 and per capita (per person) income is $44,373.
To provide some perspective, this means that the average pension for a government retiree is $46,272, while the average working income of a non-government individual is $44,373. Considering that pensions are a smaller percentage of overall income, this disparity is certainly noteworthy. Now, some heavy weights are taking action to try and make things a bit more equitable. The San Francisco Chronicle has more:
Public Defender Jeff Adachi is gathering signatures to place a measure on the November ballot that would require city workers to pay far more of their salaries toward pensions. Currently, most pay 7.5 percent of their paychecks, but some highly paid employees would pay double that in bad economic years under Adachi’s plan.
“I think it’s interesting that the average pension paid to a city employee is higher than the average earnings of most San Franciscans,” he said. “When you start looking at the total cost of these pensions, it’s through the roof.”
Watch Adachi explain his plans to FOX News Business below:
Like other cities, San Francisco is under enormous pressure to brings its expenditures under control. Pensions, of course, account for a portion of the budget that must be contended with.
Do you agree with Adachi that government officials should pay a larger proportion toward their pensions?
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Comments (86)
delusionhunter
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 1:24pmPolice & Fire deserve those benefits! They go through a rigorousness training, education, behavioral, weapons and equipment training and they are are and will be the first res-ponders in life or death situations. They deserve what they get period! Now for all the rest (administrators, secretaries, office personnel…) they get a comfy never get fired lifer job, descent low salary, an ok low pension that will always be lower than private industry. What is so hard to figure out? Cops and Fireman get a better financial package than the rest — now lets move on
Report Post »elosogrande
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 1:13pmMaybe government employees ought to stand up and explain what they did for the taxpayers to earn a lifetime pension and healthcare benefits, and the reason why they believe that the taxpayers owe this money to them.
I would like to hear a teacher, a janitor, an office clerk, a meter reader or a police officer tell me why I owe it to each of them to take care of them for the rest of their lives. In plain terms, I want them to tell me what they did for twenty or thirty years, to make it mandatory that I pay for their pensions and they pay little or nothing to take care of themselves.
Most of us have to pay for all of our own pensions and benefits, including Social Security, but most public employess don’t even pay into Social Security – with the pension plans that we are forced to provide and pay for – they don’t need Social Security. The problem is we have to pay for our own retirements and then pony up for theirs as well. We are forced to pay, because of what they did for us. What crap.
Government only works for the people who work for the government
Report Post »Derek01
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 1:06pmThis shows that the local government has too much money and that liberals are always generous with other peoples money, especially for themselves.
Report Post »Zigotic
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 1:02pmI wonder what dollar amount could be attributed to nepotism in all these pensions?
Report Post »wash1776
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:58pmSeems to be no end to the generosity of government to itself and it‘s employees at the taxpayers’ expense. All of these people should be locked in a cell for grand theft.
Report Post »liberalsarealiens
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:56pmFools all! And they wonder why things are the way they are! FOOLS ALL!
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:41pmeveryone knows know matter what state,that union pensions can not be sustained, for every retiree, it takes 15 to 19 employees to pay their pensions and for those 15 to 19 ,it will take double the workers to pay their pensions, how and why the states and cities bought into this losing battle i will never know, but now it is time to pay the band, and the club just keep raising the cover charge, this can not keep going and the unions know this, but they don’t care, it is for them and them only, not the rest of the country, so let blow up and then we will see how long it will take for them { the unions } to burn down every state and city government that can no t pay,just like in greece and the rest of europe, then we will all be standing in a soup line some where, o yeah, i am prepared and i will not share with any union supporting ,communist loving,anti American idiot, so let it blow up, they can stand in that free loading zone for food and shelter.because they we’re greedy and burned every thing down.
Report Post »dirtydog1776
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:38pmThe moral of the story is that the public gets screwed twice: Once when public employees are working to control and regulate our life, the second time is when they retire and laugh at us, saying, “Thanks suckers for the huge pension.”
Report Post »last frontier
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:35pmNot for long, there is no mo monay.
Report Post »amuzed_right_guy
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:29pmPrecisely why it is an outrage for the federal government to bail out these states. Let them boil in their own juices and balance their own budgets without burdening taxpayers from states and municipalities that keep a lid on spending.
Report Post »Nigel2
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:19pmThat is San Fransicko’s business. As long as my tax dollars are not asked to subsidize it, why would I care? Now federal and Colorado state employees, that is very much my business.
Report Post »timej31
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:13pmEveryone Google any resident and call SF city and claim you are them. Then request they give raises to these retirees. Demand they ban beef. Demand they ban fossil fuel transportation to become a reality. Demand anything that will require higher taxes and more and more regulation. Let them drown under their own weight. Don’t prevent them from going over the cliff rather “nudge” them, encourage them to leap with vigor.
Report Post »gpk
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:07pmIt’s only a matter of time. Keep your powder dry.
Report Post »Bear
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:03pmI say let San Francisco lick the dust,,,it voted these Buffoons in year after year,,,Let them see what the unions are really all about,money and Socialist power! I can’t wait to see the Union thugs beating up on the ( throw glitter at you ) crowd! Or maybe,,,we’ll see union thugs with Glitter all over them! What a bunch of Stupid,Liberal,Hippie Morons! Knock your selves out wieners!
Report Post »Sharon White
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 1:43pmLet San Fransicko go broke and the Unions disappear..like you said they deserve it, the Greedy creatures that they are
Report Post »nomercy63
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:02pmI have seen veterans that served their country and have wounds that will not heal and pain that will not go away get monthly checks for $100 dollars while these crap government employees rack in the big bucks for doing nothing and pushing papers. When the people become servants to the government we are no longer free!!!!
Report Post »MidWestMom
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:01pmIs there a law stating the city government can’t offer a better pension package than private employers?
Report Post »If not, technically this is not corruption or bias. If the taxpayers don’t like it, they need to voice their opinons to their elected officials and back it up with their votes.
tinydd
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 2:38pmThese pensions will not last and will one day either stop or be severely cut when CA can’t borrow anymore money and yes, Barry’s “Stash of Cash” has run out.
Enjoy your money now becuase the Ax Man is coming!
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 4:42pmHey, look at all the jobs that would be added to the unemployed without the unions. My sons have their own construction co.( non-union) and for every man they have working for them, a union job would require 3 extra employees. Union job would require 1 working. 1 smoking, 1 in bathroom and 1 watching for the supervisor. My sons can’t keep up with all the jobs here in Oklahoma. Construction is booming and unemployment is 5.6%.
Report Post »Shiroi Raion
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:59amWe work hard so they don’t have to. They just take our tax money, work for a little while, get higher pay, retire early, get more vacation time, get better health care… aren’t we glad they are serving? the American people? Sounds like they’re cerving themselves and scr@wing us.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:07pmAre you accurately describing the United States Military? The CIA? The Border Patrol?
Or are you simply whining about your friendly neighborhood Police Fire and Rescue?
Report Post »CALABASH72
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:58amThis is the sole reason we are having problems. Why should i be paying for lazy government workers to retire? I have my own retirement to worry about yet all my tax dollars pay for them to retire high on the hog. They don’t pay enough into the retirement account to collect what they get each month. They should pay more into the account and only get back what they pay into the account plus interest. The same as what i get in the private sector.
Report Post »Marylou7
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:55amDo you agree with Adachi that government officials should pay a larger proportion toward their pensions?
________
Heck Yeah!! That is absolutely uncalled for stupid, stupid, stupid. Everyone knows government employees are lazy …. well, most.
Report Post »Moocephus
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:54amNancy Pelosi loves her San Franciscans. We’ll see a bailout for this city coming soon.
Report Post »J.C. McGlynn
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:54amThis is how democracy works. This explains why California is broke and wants the rest of us to bail them out.
Report Post »justanamerican
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:53amPathetic……….. That is why all the Big Liberal Cities are BROKE !!!!!!!!!!!
It is now a GIMMEE GIMMEE world………. ‘Building’ generation no longer exists…We now have only ‘Takers’…….Only a matter of time now…. :(
Report Post »USAMEDIC3008
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:27pmWhen the money runs out.they be OK you know.
Report Post »Been whores for years.
Look on the bright side ,could end up on the
Menu in LA
Chooch
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:52amLet em sink into the bay… They can not say they did not have fair warning. Can’t teach stupid…
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:51amAs usual a couple of factoids and a misleading headline do not a story make -except to rile folks up!
Who is John Galt?
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:45pmYou are on the internet, look it up.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:49pmHa Ha – ATI!
TEA!
Report Post »wzd1a
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 2:14pmI am Dick Horton
I am Henry Rearden
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I am Ted Nielsen
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I am Owen Kellog
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I am Quentin Daniels
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I am Dagny Taggart
I am Ragnar Danneskjold
I am McNamara, of Cleveland
I am Lrence Hammond
I am Midas Mulligan
I am Dwight Sanders
I am Andrew Stockton
……I am John Galt
Who are you? I have some suspicious:
You are Balph Eubank
Report Post »You are Chick Morrison
You are Robert Stadler
Your are Eugene Lawson
Your are Clude Slagenhop
You are Dave Mitchum
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Your Lillian Rearden
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You are Mr. Mowen
You are Kip Chalmers
You are Lester Tuck
You are Gilbert Keith-Worthing
You are Laura Bradford
You are Cuffy Meigs
You are Orren Boyle
You are Project X
You are Project F
….You are Barak Obama
MONICNE
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 2:23pmWZD1A
You De Man, Dat’s who U are! whadda Post !!
Report Post »myfamily04
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:49amSo I guess I will have to move here and get a cushy Govt job and have everyone else pay for my retirement.
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:51amNancy buying their votes???
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:53amwill be interesting to see how San Francisco’s socialist democrat citizens react to this story.
Report Post »They love to get free stuff from the govt, so they may defend the pensions. But, they hate having to pay anything themselves, so they may get mad about having to pay for it, or at least demand more for themselves.
Due to their socialist ideology, I suspect they will defend the pensions.
I’ll wait and see.
kentuckypatriot
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:55amGetting San Fransickos to vote in Nov to require city workers to pay more of their salaries towards pensions is like Obummer admitting he is really really in love with Israel. Yea right, tell me another one.
Report Post »oldasdirt
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:55amDemocrat utopia’s dont work.Unless makeing us broke is your work.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:57amThirty years ago, the Ayn Rand group made fun of us who went in the military, or took teaching jobs, or went to work for the City or State. They called us Losers because we deferred the Big Bucks for a stable retirement and pension. Then they went to work on the Middle Class, makingt sure nobody prospered in a trickle down economy.
Now they want to take our pensions from us!
First they will take it from teachers, then fireman and police, then, military veterans. Watch!
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 11:59amParasites gone unchecked always kill their host.
Report Post »pajamash
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:10pm“Do you agree with Adachi that government officials should pay a larger proportion toward their pensions?”
_____________________________________________________________________
yes, Yes, YES!!!!!!
Report Post »chazman
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:10pmEverything in California is unfunded. Man, are you people in for a RUDE awakening. Get your ropes ready. Your politicians are responsible for all pensions that are soon to disappear …
Report Post »I hate California …
MidWestMom
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:11pm@ – MONICNE
“Now they want to take our pensions from us! ”
“First they will take it from teachers, then fireman and police, then, military veterans. Watch!”
Who is THEY?? The only THEY that can affect government pension programs are the voters and their elected representatives. Not a random group of people.
And if you’re pension is based on the last 30 years of contributions – you’ve already paid in your share and are likely retired & collecting your check every month.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:18pmSolution: Raise average workers pay & benefits.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:23pm@MidWestMom –
You are saying that because “I got mine” that I should let future generations fend for themselves.
“They” are the big corporations whose executives are 400% better paid than 30 years ago, while the workers are on average 1.5% better off. (Flat screen TVs and Butter) “They” are lobbying for less taxes, more unpaid wars, and will strip the country of its middle class to gain their monetary ends.
Report Post »LIBSALWAYSLIE
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:26pmGee, I wonder why the state is broke?
Report Post »MidWestMom
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:27pm@ – MONICNE
Solution: Raise average workers pay & benefits.
That would mean government control of private companies. A socialist/communist regime.
OR -
All workers must be organized labor union members and hold private employers hostage with their demands.
Which one are you advocating?
Report Post »fastfacts
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:31pmCAN WE SAY COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
This is the reason why Wisconsin had to get rid of Collective Bargaining so the legislature could decide and cut back. So San Fransisco is overpaying their retired workers and NY is paving their streets in gold and diamonds: http://tiny.cc/0rjjp
Then since they can’t afford it they raise taxes, not just income taxes but internet taxes.
Report Post »MidWestMom
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:36pmMONICNE
“You are saying that because “I got mine” that I should let future generations fend for themselves.”
Not at all. I’m saying your personal pension ( If I remember correctly, at one time you stated you are retired military?) won’t be affected by the THEY you are blaming. And that government pension plans for current & future generations are determined by voters and their representatives – not some THEY group as you like to blame.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:42pm@TOMFERRARI
Report Post »I was gong to say the same thing, but you’ve already worded it nicely.
MidWestMom
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:47pm@ – MONICNE
“They” are the big corporations whose executives are 400% better paid than 30 years ago, while the workers are on average 1.5% better off. (Flat screen TVs and Butter) “They” are lobbying for less taxes, more unpaid wars, and will strip the country of its middle class to gain their monetary ends.
———————————————————————————————————————————————
THEY can lobby all they want. Again, the responsibility lies with the voters (who include all those government workers). The voters elect their government representatives. And if those they elect fail to meet their expectations – they need to use their votes and get rid of them instead of sitting around whining and blaming others.
THEY are the voters- not some random group.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:53pmMidWestMom,
You are saying that just because I am fantastically wealthy, “shut up and let the Powerful Go for it!” No thanks.
Report Post »You do not need to have Unions to get basic equity. Just fair, Christian-minded, justice & honor seeking management and executives. Just do the right thing distributing corporate profits to the vital stakeholders we call employees, not just shareholders and executives.
lovenfl3
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 12:58pmSan Francisco is a great example of what would happen if this country ever went all in with the progressive movement. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWDHs-GnHh8
Report Post »mikem1969
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 1:04pmOne more reason for ALL PUBLICLY FUNDED POSITIONS TO HAVE UNIONIZATION ILLEGALIZED.
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 1:16pmWhere did I see that before?
Report Post »Oh I know I said it during the Wisconsin fray!
It’s about time people start waking up and realize there should not be public service unions they have nothing to lose. Only the taxpayer has a lose – lose situation.
MastrSSG
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 1:20pmAgain, public employees shouldn‘t be able to unionize it’s a conflict of interest and a national security problem.
Report Post »MidWestMom
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 1:21pm@ – MONICNE
Go back & read my posts to you. I never once said you were “fantastically wealthy” nor did I say you should “shut up and let the Powerful Go for it!”
“Just fair, Christian-minded, justice & honor seeking management and executives. Just do the right thing distributing corporate profits to the vital stakeholders we call employees, not just shareholders and executives.” – Agreed. The changes (or lack of) are determined by the employees & shareholders & consumers. Don’t like the benefits or the profit distribution – then don’t work for the company. Don’t like the integrity or morals of a corporation – don’t purchase their products or use the services they sell or purchase stock in the company. Again, the THEY with the power are comprised of directly related individuals, not some random group or ideology.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 1:36pmThe problem I have is how in the world did it take this genius this long to figure this out? Don‘t tell me he had no idea because BS has been going on since the 1990’s.
Idiots.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 1:46pmComing soon … California bailout .. Obama WILL need the votes. No way should the rest of the states bail out these socialist idiots.
TEA!
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 1:55pmPeople are loosing there homes cause they can not pay their taxes but they want the people that caused their taxes to be where they are to save them. “The Democrats are for the people. they will save me” You are not making the money working that a retired public service union worker makes retired that don’t you understand? AND THEY DON”T CARE pay up
Report Post »Rightsofman
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 2:31pmIt works like that in Libland until you run out of private sector money or get run out of town on a rail.
Report Post »Sinista MACE
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 3:12pmCleveland Police Dept claim that they don’t have a quota to write tickets.
But the money from tickets go into the general fund, and the police get 60-70% of it.
They also get a 19.6% public contribution to their pensions…but that’s not enough.
The Police UNION was trying to lobby our representatives for an increase to 25%.
Report Post »