wonder if these companies could survive if they offered over generous pensions like the 'teachers' get?

the taxpayers have to pay for the 'teachers' pensions though...

Governor Cuomo on teachers union—“Don’t say you represent students”
January 28, 2015
In a meeting with editorial writers last week, Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo critiqued the role of powerful teachers unions in our public education system. He said teachers unions represent themselves, not students.
The New York Daily News reports, “Cuomo referred to the teacher unions and the entrenched education establishment as an ‘industry’ that is more interested in protecting the rights of its members than improving the system for the kids it is supposed to be serving.”
Cuomo said, “Somewhere along the way, I believe we flipped the purpose of this. This was never a teacher employment program and this was never an industry to hire superintendents and teachers. This was a program to educate kids.”
Responding to a union member who said he represents students, Cuomo said, “No you don’t. You represent the teachers. Teacher salaries, teacher pensions, teacher tenure, teacher vacation rights. I respect that. But don’t say you represent the students.”
Many parents are concerned about the undue influence of powerful WEA union in Washington’s public schools. Teachers must pay about $1,000 a year to the union or be fired. Low-performing teachers with seniority are retained, while high-performing younger teachers are let go during layoffs. Each fall, children are denied access to public schools because of local strikes, as happened in communities like Tacoma, Kent, Bellevue, Marysville, Bellingham, and a recently-threatened strike in Seattle. The role of unions has become so problematic it has prompted the concern of even prominent liberal leaders like Governor Cuomo of New York.
As Governor Cuomo said, we will not improve education for children until the public fully understands the role of unions in public education.

There are two main types of pension plans:
1. defined benefit plan
2. defined contribution plan

Defined Benefit Plan AKA defined benefit pension plan:

A company pension plan in which an employee's pension payments are calculated according to length of service and the salary they earned at the time of retirement. Public workers, Government and Xerox, etc.)

NYS taxpayers are responsible for nearly $300 BILLION of unfunded liablities

Do you mean in the same way that virtually every taxpayer and company "survived" such generous pensions during the indisputable peak of America's economic prosperity?

lets not forget why pensions are becoming hard to fulfill

private companies eliminated pensions because they had to fund it every year

taxpayers pay for the short fall for 'teachers' pensions

private companies eliminated pensions because they had to fund it every year

Exactly and this is where you expose your ignorance once again,

There are two main types of pension plans:
1. defined benefit plan
2. defined contribution plan

Defined Benefit Plan AKA defined benefit pension plan:

A company pension plan in which an employee's pension payments are calculated according to length of service and the salary they earned at the time of retirement. Public workers, Government and Xerox, etc.)

I will agree taxes in NYS are out of hand.

a defined benefits plan is NOT a defined contribtuion plan

so when will the 'teachers' convert to a defined CONTRIBUTION plan?

or will that COST THEM too much out of their pockets?

you can actually do yourself a huge service by detailing your stance.

I will agree taxes in NYS are out of hand.

we can continue to watch corporations take away and eliminate pensions altogether which they're currently doing.

I will agree taxes in NYS are out of hand.

whec news 10 did story on the lower enrollment in rochester schools

the enrollment dropped by nearly 7,200 students

if the per pupil spending is near $20,000 per year the spending should have gone down by nearly $150,000,000

not only did the spending not go down but it went up close to $350,000,000 more

or close to $500,000,000 when both numbers are combined

enrollment drops by nearly 7,200 students but yet the budgets go up close to a HALF A BILLION DOLLARS

guess what a school official cited for the high costs?

the 'teachers' pensions and healthcare costs

Seventy percent or more of our annual budgets go to personnel costs, including the pensions, health
care and salaries of our teachers and staff, past and present.


We face state employee pension, workers compensation and healthcare costs for the upcoming year that continue to overwhelm school budgets
Trina Newton
Geneva CSD



Trina Newton - As far as the issues, when I look at the financial piece, healthcare is just out of control. When I take a look at what’s driving the budgets, it’s not what should be driving the budgets.

we can continue to watch corporations take away and eliminate pensions altogether which they're currently doing.