MICHIGAN – Taxpayers United of America has released the top pensions for Michigan government teachers and employees. “This is an effort to shed light on the problems with Michigan’s government pension system in a way that the average, working taxpayer can relate to,” said Christina Tobin, Vice President of Taxpayers United of America (TUA), and founder and President of ‘Free and Equal.’ “While some reforms have occurred in Michigan, more pressure needs to be applied by taxpayers,” she said.
“The broken government pension system desperately needs reform, and revealing individual names and pension amounts illustrates the problem very clearly,” said Tobin. “The current system, designed to keep the wrong people in power, is corrupt. It is a system that makes government, and those with whom government negotiates — union bosses, politicians, and administrators — wealthy on the backs of taxpayers.”
“There is no fair representation of taxpayers. This is a nationwide, non-partisan problem that burdens the Left and Right alike, and has fueled the financial crisis facing Michigan taxpayers and retirees. The urgency of this crisis is illustrated by the extensive press coverage that our government pension reports have received throughout Michigan.” (Read more…) →
CHICAGO – Taxpayers United of America Vice President, Christina Tobin, called on Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels to set the standard for transparency by leading his state to release its government pension data.
“I have written a letter to Gov. Daniels, urging him to change the culture of secrecy surrounding government employee pension benefit amounts. He can champion enforcement of Indiana’s existing freedom of information law: IC 5-14-3-1, regarding access to public records, viz, : “…all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government…”
Please click below to view the letter:
“Indiana has refused to release the names and pension amounts for its retired employees at every level of government. There is a culture of resistance and secrecy around the salaries of current employees as well. Indiana State and local government officials have been more resistant in providing salary data than any other state in which we have researched the government pensions”, said Tobin.
“In states like Indiana that refuse to disclose individual pensions, we estimate pensions for current employees using their current salaries and the specific pension rules for the fund in which they participate. While this provides a reasonable estimate, the people have a right to know actual pension amounts.” (Read more…) →
ANN ARBOR–A report released today by Taxpayers United of America (TUA) reveals that retired Ann Arbor government employees are not only receiving lavish, gold-plated pensions, but that their estimated pension payments in many cases are larger than some salaries in the private sector. Furthermore, over a normal lifetime, many of these government employees, when they retire, become pension millionaires.
“While Ann Arbor stagnates with 8% unemployment, a median home value of $223,000 and an average annual wage of $52,000, retired Ann Arbor government employees are enjoying lavish, gold-plated pensions that have made some of them pension millionaires,” said Christina Tobin, TUA Vice President.
Click below to view:
“Ann Arbor retired government employees are doing much better than the average Ann Arbor worker in the private sector. Thomas Schmid receives an annual pension of $126,224 — $10,519 a month. Schmid’s estimated lifetime pension payout is $3,930,617.”
“Retired from the city of Ann Arbor, William Wheeler receives an annual pension of $121,861 — $10,155 a month. Wheeler’s estimated lifetime pension payout is $4,321,177.” (Read more…) →
