Uh oh, $ 28.5 Million Deficit?

[pj]

Right. My comment was really dealing with the idea that the state should move away from defined benefits pensions. While I agree that "everyone is doing it" i also think, and there is some research backing this up, that the move away from pensions to IRAs was a bad policy, and will have negative long term consequences. Whether the state should contribute to bad policy is a legitimate subject of debate.

The pensions are going to fail also. At least when 401ks fail, the owner knows he was partly at fault; and he also knows how much he has throughout, so he can begin saving up or conserving money earlier. When pensions fail the pensioner is helpless, and surprised. The human effects of pension failures will be far worse than those of 401k failures.

 

[jdb50]

First- People that make as much as UConn professors and doctors at the Health Center don't need pensions. They should get a retirement fund contribution from the State and manage their own retirements.

Second- these same high paid employees as well as all other UConn employees get free tuition for their kids to go to UConn. This benefit should be taxed by the IRS at the least and discontinued ASAP. The rest of the schmucks that work and pay or help pay for their kids education will now be asked to donate to the University to help with their spending problem.

Third- UConn leads the Nation in spending on Adminitrative positions. Enough said! Susan your move!

 

[BlueDogs]

Public employee unions (including the education unions) have raped the system and taxpayers in concert with their political cronies. Government workers are now paid more than private workers and have lifetime pension benefits that the average private worker doesn't. First step is freeze pensions and all new retirement plans are contribution based like the rest of us. It's sickening what has been done, and there is no end to the crushing tax burdens that have left the state stagnant for over 20 years. Worst thing that ever happened was the income tax which was promised to solve inconsistent revenue and was used as a ticket to spend more and more.

 

[junglehusky]

Cesspool please!

 

[upstater]

not sure your point....all i am saying is this is just the beginning and its the right thing. push the burden back to the students.

You can't plan for it. That was my point.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Say what you want about the south (right to work states), nobody retires and moves up north.

I grew up with a lot of people from CT who have moved to FL, TX, NC, GA, and SC. They love the quality of life and aren't ever moving back to CT.

CT is aging, has one of the worst brain drains in the country, and has a shrinking middle class due to the college grads leaving the state. When the largest employer in the state, is the state, you're doing it wrong.

Of course, why would they want to pay(get taxed) for services they no longer need like educating their kids? you gravitate to a warmer, less densly populated, lower tax, lower service state. Then it becomes the thing that was left behind.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

UConn is generally regarded as the best public in New England?

A quick look at us and our neighbors' in-state tuition and fees, R&B);
UConn 24k
UMass 24k
URI 24k
UVM 26k
UNH 27k (tuition increase 23 staight years, avg 9% last 4)
UMaine 23k
We seem to be inline with other surrounding schools like PSU, Rutgers, Delaware. Maryland seems like a bargain at 20k.

 

[Jimdish255]

Democrats and unions. Maybe they can do for UConn what they did for Detroit.

I'm sure the Walton family and the Koch brothers will continue to do great things for working families.

 

[Exit 4]

I'm sure the Walton family and the Koch brothers will continue to do great things for working families.

Absolutely they will, by employing people. Thank goodness. I wish I had the courage and energy to build a business and create employment, its not easy, most fail.

And the Dems have plenty of big wig donors who operate 'evil' corporations; its nearly a wash at this point.

Lastly, if you truly despise Walmart for what it represents to the left, then I hope you are following through with all your economic decisions, by shopping with mom & pop stores, avoiding chain restaruants, buying a union made car (careful, many of the US assembled foreign cars are in non union plants or very weak union plants), shopping at union grocers or local food stores (A&P is union for instance), etc. Of all of these, the best way to support your union/american brothers/sisters is to buy an american car as it is the second greatest use of your income to your housing expense.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Yeah - but communism doesn't work, because people like to own things. -Frank Zappa

Someone better call China quickly and tell them their economic system hasn't worked all these years.

 

[BlueMAB]

Of course, why would they want to pay(get taxed) for services they no longer need like educating their kids? you gravitate to a warmer, less densly populated, lower tax, lower service state. Then it becomes the thing that was left behind.

Except I'm talking about people in their 30's who are college educated and have kids. Did you know CT has the worst achievement gap in the country? The quality of education at public schools in CT differs greatly from district to district, why pretend our schools are universally better than southern states? It's simply untrue.

 

[UConn9604]

Forbes weighs in:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimpowe...o-one-of-americas-worst-performing-economies/

 

[BlueMAB]

Someone better call China quickly and tell them their economic system hasn't worked all these years.

A) China's economic system isn't communist. The communist party runs China, but they don't have a communist economic system, it's a hybrid between socialist and market based.

B) If your government has morally bankrupt leaders who brazenly exploit workers; who ignore environmental standards, and encourage theft of technology, yes, you will have success.

Making it easier for China is the fact that unions and environmental restrictions inevitably drive costs up.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Except I'm talking about people in their 30's who are college educated and have kids. Did you know CT has the worst achievement gap in the country? The quality of education at public schools in CT differs greatly from district to district, why pretend our schools are universally better than southern states? It's simply untrue.

Sorry Wing,
I am of a certain age and was focused on the first sentence. Wasnt sure of how old you are. I know of the district differences, I live in New London County and the gaps between say East Lyme, Lyme, Waterford and Stonington vs New London are substantial.