Becca writes: > Thanks, Rep. Kahn, for partly explaining that. But can someone explain > to me why the Mayor has opposed it?
Here's some readable source material written on the pension question by reporter Scott Russell - who has covered the matter for years: http://www.swjournal.com/articles/2004/07/22/news/news07.txt >From the story, which references a tense conversation at City Hall: The mayoral meltdown came during talks on one potential pension fix. Rice, a private attorney who has lobbied for years on police pension issues, helped get a bill through the Legislature that extended the city's deadline to fully fund the police pension. The city's annual payments would shrink -- from $31 million for the police fund next year to $16 million, Rice said. The city would also get more time for the stock market to follow historic trends and rebound -- potentially cutting into the massive long-term borrowing. However, as part of the deal, MPRA members would get a pension hike and other benefits -- raises some city officials found hard to swallow while the fund is drowning in red ink. Rice said if the pension fund only agreed to extend the deadline and did nothing else, pension members would get fewer potential bonus checks when good times return. Rybak said he wants a plan to simultaneously address the three city pension funds -- for police, firefighters and other city employees. He didn't want to fix the problem by "playing back-room politics at the Capitol." Rice said MPRA tried to talk to city officials; they wouldn't listen. ...there's more background on the fix in the story. There's another piece on the Council's rejection of the plan late last year: http://www.swjournal.com/articles/2005/01/05/news/news06.txt David Brauer Kingfield Editor, SW Journal & Skyway News REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
