Findings from TUA’s pension project are featured in the following article by NBC 13 Indianapolis.
Updated: Nov 16, 2011 12:05 PM CST 
A national taxpayer organization says large amounts of tax money are being spent on what it calls “lavish” pensions in Indiana.
By law, Indiana is not required to release the amount of money distributed in pensions. Taxpayers United of America says it has estimated those amounts.
The organization says the three highest annual pension amounts belong to Indiana University basketball coach Tom Crean and the presidents of IU and Purdue.
Taxpayers United of America estimates Crean’s pension on retirement will add up to $198,000 each year. It also estimates the pension for Purdue President France Cordova to be $148,500 a year and IU President Michael McRobbie more than $144,000 a year.
“We are going through a recession and right now the pension payments are so high, if we don’t reform the pension we are going to have serious issues not just in Indiana but nationwide,” said Christina Tobin, Taxpayers United of America.
The group, which has also gone after Illinois’ pension system, believes public employees are paid too much money and that their pensions are too high. It wants to end pensions for all new government hires and eliminate unfunded government pensions, as well as require all current government employees to contribute an additional ten percent towards their pensions.
The group says the pensions could add up to millions of dollars for each individual over their lifetime.
A national taxpayer organization says large amounts of tax money are being spent on what it calls “lavish” pensions in Indiana.
By law, Indiana is not required to release the amount of money distributed in pensions. Taxpayers United of America says it has estimated those amounts.
The organization says the three highest annual pension amounts belong to Indiana University basketball coach Tom Crean and the presidents of IU and Purdue.
Taxpayers United of America estimates Crean’s pension on retirement will add up to $198,000 each year. It also estimates the pension for Purdue President France Cordova to be $148,500 a year and IU President Michael McRobbie more than $144,000 a year.
“We are going through a recession and right now the pension payments are so high, if we don’t reform the pension we are going to have serious issues not just in Indiana but nationwide,” said Christina Tobin, Taxpayers United of America.
The group, which has also gone after Illinois’ pension system, believes public employees are paid too much money and that their pensions are too high. It wants to end pensions for all new government hires and eliminate unfunded government pensions, as well as require all current government employees to contribute an additional ten percent towards their pensions.
The group says the pensions could add up to millions of dollars for each individual over their lifetime.
