Jim Tobin, A Friend Of Liberty (1945-2021)
May 2nd, 2022
By: Christina Tobin
Sometimes a single man or woman has to stand up for principle, just so t[...]
Minneapolis – St. Paul Government Pensions Revealed!
St. Paul—Taxpayers United of America (TUA) today revealed retired government employee pensions for the Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, statewide government employees, and Hennepin and St. Louis Counties. Many Minnesota government employees are becoming pension millionaires when retired.
“Many government retirees make more in pension payments than private sector taxpayers make in salaries,” stated Christina Tobin, TUA Vice President and Founder and Chair of Free And Equal. “Both the economy and the pension system are in serious trouble. While taxpayers struggle to save for their own retirement and fund the pension system, government retirees have to be concerned that their pension payments will continue.”
I will hand delivered a letter to Gov. Dayton and will mail the Legislature, calling for additional pension reform that will be both fair and sustainable. Until pension plans eliminate the possibility of unfunded liabilities that crush taxpayers and threaten payments to the retirees counting on them, pension crises will continue to escalate. TUA is ready to work with legislators who want to do what’s in the best interest of their constituency and not the union bosses who fund their reelection.”
“Kenneth Young, retired Hennepin County government employee, collects an annual pension of $183,012. His estimated lifetime payout is $7,099,022. *”
“Edward Eberhart, retired from the St. Paul government, has an annual pension of $174,947 with an estimated lifetime payout of $6,786,191*.”
“Retired Minnesota teacher, David Landswerk, has a lifetime estimated payout of $6,865,788* based on his actual annual pension of $176,999.”
“Minnesota’s government pension systems are crushing middle class Minnesotans. Replacing defined benefit pensions for all new government hires with social security and 401(k)s would eventually eliminate unfunded government pensions. If current government employees would just increase their pension contributions, they would preserve their pension benefits. We need a stable system that is fair to both taxpayers and beneficiaries or pension checks will just stop coming.”
“This is the time for political courage, to do what’s in the best interest of taxpayers, rather than the union bosses. Lawmakers seem to think they answer to unions and corporations. Let’s knock any politician out-of-office, who cuts deals with bad union bosses and bad corporations!
View letters to the governor and legislature below:
View pension amounts below:
- Minneapolis Municipality |
- Minneapolis Parks & Recreation | download raw data
- Minneapolis Public Works | download raw data
- St. Paul Municipality | download raw data
- Hennepin County | download raw data
- Ramsey County | download raw data
- MN State Employees |
- MN Public Teachers | download raw data
- MN State Highway | download raw data
- MN State Judges | download raw data
- MN State Legislators | download raw data
*TUA submits FOIA requests for actual pensions. Since personal information is not available, lifetime pension payouts must be estimated based on retirement at 56, life expectancy of 85 (IRS Form 590), and 2% COLA.
Thank you for explaining the issue to the American public. There was a very good article in the Saint Paul Pioneer Press April 23.
I see the issue both ways in my own family. My father worked >30 years, and has a very generous PERA pension. Our daughter is a second grade teacher, working >40 hours per week, and earns 1/2 of my father’s pension. She cannot afford to purchase a house in the same neighborhood where my father lives (because either housing is too expensive or she does not earn enough). I love them both, but the future of our country depends on providing for the NEXT generation.
Arkady Synhavsky
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Kasich, the Republicans in Columbus and the pro SB 5 crowd continue to spaerd the contemptuous lie that public employees have a free ride regarding their pensions and healthcare insurance costs. I feel that the anti SB 5 organizations should do more to address this blatant distortion as many in the general public believe it to be true. Kasich’s treatment of public workers is indicative of his opinion of the working class and the damage he will attempt to inflict on them during the rest of his term.
In a never ending, ever accalereting pandering to BUY votes with the tax-payer’s dollar for the sole purpose of enriching themselves and feeding their own hunger for ego satisfying power a succession of morally bankrupt individuals have lead NJ to the fiscally unsustainable position we find ourselves in today.It is nothing short of astonishing that in the last CENTURY there has not been ONE Governor in NJ who has put the interests of the general population ahead of his/her own.Whether or not they actually get caught breaking the letter of the law they all have been as corrupt as any person who has ever lived. Watching out for the population at large IS NOT DIFFICULT. To have done it so poorly over such a long time speaks very poorly of the quality of not only the elected but those doing the electing as well.A society bereft of moral footings soon succumbs to the equivocating of those promising to scratch their lust and greed. The irresponsible political class pandering to the irresponsible yearnings of those that feel they are entitled to that which they have not earned can only lead to the position we find ourselves in today. When you have a bunch of PIGS feeding a bunch of PIGS the only thing you can expect to end up with is a PIG STY.Welcome to NJ, PIG STY of America.
What is the password for the MN State Legislators pension guarantees? I really would like to know what working for less that 5 months a year gets you.
Sickens me that this is so out of control and those who knowingly took advantage of system. Many quite well off are just ‘screwing’ the general public adn will continue to do so while the majority of us are still cutting back just to get by. Looks like it finally time to leave Minnesota for a state that cares more about it’s residents. We pay for sports stadiums (private industry), Subsidize the biggest mall in the country (again, private industry, and provide for the largest population of immigrants in the country who find every loophole in the book. Yup, time to move out of Minnesota before I get gouged again to pay for things I don’t support.
Please note. The only money the state puts in is when the investments do not fully fund the program, What was this percentage? The chart you showed you went over very quick. I think it was about 8 or 9%
We should not just blame the welfare people take advantage our money. It everybody took advantage. should not just blame one group people.
We are DOOMED!! I am sure the 99%er’s are NOT going to keep on paying these pensions.