Public Sector Pension Pigout

Published June 2, 2010 4:00am ET



Government employees across America get outrageously generous pensions paid for by taxpayers. Here’s one of them.

Who’s pigging out: Donald Mette.

Ingredients for the pigout: Mette is a former Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District chief.

How big is this pigout? $240,999 every year.

Average annual private sector retirement income: $31,757.

Who pays for this pension pigout?: The taxpayers of California.

How can this happen?: Public employee pensions in California are so generous the state now has a $535 billion unfunded future liability, equal to $36,000 for every household in the state. That’s more than the gross national product of either Sweden, Switzerland or Saudi Arabia. California is not unique; have you checked your state’s public employee pensions lately?

Compiled by Examiner intern Joel S. Gehrke Jr.