Thursday, June 21, 2012

Do you know the way to San Jose?

Courthouse News Service: "San Jose claims in its complaint that its ability to provide vital services is "threatened by dramatic budget cuts caused in large part by the climbing and unsustainable cost of employee benefit programs, exacerbated by the economic crisis.". . . The city's payments for retirement benefits have increased by more than $100 million in the past year, and it expects the costs to increase to $319 million: roughly 24 percent of the general fund, according to the complaint. . . . That's why it put Measure B on the ballot, the city said. "Measure B is intended to adjust post-employment benefits in a manner that protects the city's viability and public safety, at the same time allowing for the continuation of fair post-employment benefits for the city's workers," the complaint states. "Without the reasonable cost containment provided in Measure B, the economic viability of the city, and hence, the city's employment benefit programs, will be placed at risk.""

In other words, face the problem now and start to "fix it" or go down the path of disaster--continue to ignore  the problem and hope it goes away. Unfortunately hope is not a strategy.


 

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