Public Pension Talking Points

Your voice is your strongest weapon in the fight to protect and extend your earned benefits—here is a tool to help you get loud!

WHEN THEY SAY… WE SAY…
State employee pension funds are unsustainable. The average monthly retirement for a retired public employee is only about $3,000. This modest retirement allows our public servants to retire with dignity.
Unions are historically unwilling to make sacrifices for the betterment of the state and tax payers. In 2009, 2011, and 2017, State employees conceded over $20 billion in taxpayer savings alone.
The country’s pension system needs to be reformed and nothing has been done to address it. Prior to the 2008 financial crisis, 45 states enacted pension reform policies that raise the retirement age and introduce hybrid-plans to new hires.
If state employees had a 401(k)-style retirement it would save the state money. 401(k)s are not afforded the time to recover after financial instability like we saw in 2008. Pension funds also cost 46% less than 401(k)-style retirement plans to achieve the same targeted benefit.
Privatizing state employee pension funds would save the state money. Privatizing benefits always results in more costly administration.
Opposition to public pension funds is funded by finance-sense groups who want what’s best for tax payers. Yankee Institute, Reason Foundation and the Heritage Foundation are all funded by the Koch Brothers in an effort to achieve their personal wealth goals. If you aren’t in the 1%, they are not advocating on your behalf.
Public pensions do nothing but help state employees on the back of the tax payers In 2016 alone, Connecticut pension spending supported over 43,000 jobs and generated over $7 billion in economic activity.
Public pension funds rely solely on tax payers money—especially in Connecticut Nearly half of Connecticut’s public pension fund is generated from investment earnings rather than employee or employer contributions.