Retirement System Sustainability

Resources and Fact Sheets

Los Angeles Times, CALmatters, and Capital Public Radio's Pension Series

• Reform Initiatives (April 7, 2017)
• Cutting Jobs, Street Repairs, Library Books (Feb. 6, 2017)
• Mayor Reacts (Jan 26, 2017)
• Retirement Pays (Dec. 30, 2016)
• The Change Ahead (Dec. 21, 2016)
• The Squeeze (Nov. 18, 2016)
• The Overhaul (Oct. 28, 2016)
• The Ruling (Oct. 20, 2016)
• Explaining CalPERS (Oct. 7, 2016)    
• The Fight (Oct. 7, 2016)
• The Facts (Sept. 18, 2016)
• The Pension Gap (Sept. 18, 2016)
   

CalPERS articles

• "How a CalPERS-sponsored bill increased pensions" Capitol Weekly, March 15, 2019

• "Changes at top as CalPERS faces biggest test yet" Cal Pensions, January 28, 2019
• "Borenstein: Is Gov. Newsom serious about taming pension costs?" The Mercury New, January 22, 2019 

• "Jerry Brown awaits his day in court on pension reform" EdSource, October 25, 2018

• "Jerry Brown to Supreme Court: Hurry up and hear my pension law case," Sacramento Bee, July 17, 2018

• "Why California Is Losing Teachers and Laying Off Secretaries" The Wall Street Journal, June 29, 2018

• "League Urges CalPERS to Find Ways to Exceed 7% Return Projections"  Chief Investment Officer, May 16, 2018
• "'Crunch time' at CalPERS: Pension confidence drops among city managers" Sacramento Bee, May  14, 2018

• "Commentary: How pension costs clobbered one small city" CalMatters, March 18, 2018

• "Editorial, Feb. 25, 2018: More bad news for cities, counties on public pensions" The Santa Cruz Sentinel, Feb 25, 2018
• "California’s public pension crisis in a nutshell" The Fresno Bee, Feb. 21, 2018
• "Newport Beach is making progress on pension and other debts but prudence is advised" The Los Angeles Times, Feb 13, 2018
• "PD Editorial: Petaluma may face a tough sell on pension tax" The Press Democrat, Feb. 13, 2018
• "Public pension nightmare is getting worse" Sacramento Bee, Feb. 13, 2018
• "When do CalPERS rates become ‘unsustainable’?" Calpensions, Feb. 12, 2018
• "California Cities' Pension Bills May Rise With Calpers Move" Bloomberg, Feb. 13, 2018
• "The pension nightmare for California’s cities is getting scarier" The Sacramento Bee, Feb 12, 2018 
• "Borenstein: Ain’t seen nothing yet; California pension cost rise just starting" The Mercury News, Feb. 8, 2018
• "California Governor Candidates Dodge Pension Cuts That Brown Foresees" Bloomberg, Feb. 7, 2018
• "Santa Cruz County: Local governments face deficits as pension costs expected to double" Santa Cruz Sentinel, Feb. 3, 2018
• "Commentary: Surging pension costs push more California cities toward bankruptcy" CALMatters, Feb. 4, 2018
• "How a growing pension burden will press California city budgets" The Bond Buyer, Feb. 2, 2018
• "Pension costs ‘unsustainable,’ California cities say" Sacramento Bee, Feb. 2, 2018
• "California cities say pension costs are high — and will get even higher in the next few years" Los Angeles Times, Feb. 1, 2018 

• "Pensions will be ‘on the chopping block’ in next recession, Jerry Brown says," The Sacramento Bee, Jan. 12, 2018
  
  Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article194434479.html#storylink=cpy

• "Will Brown pension reform lead to more reform?" CalPensions, Dec. 4, 2017

• "Gov. Brown takes a bold stand on pensions," The Sacramento Bee, Nov. 28, 2017
• Editorial: Brown comes to taxpayers' defense on pensions, San Jose Mercury News, Nov. 27, 2017
• "One city’s struggle with mounting CalPERS costs," CalPensions, Nov. 27, 2017
• "California should be able to reduce public employees’ pension benefits, Jerry Brown argues," The Sacramento Bee, Nov. 22, 2017
  
  Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article186044653.html?#emlnl=State_Worker_Capitol_Alert#storylink=cpy
• "CalPERS shelves rate increase opposed by cities," CalPensions, Nov. 20, 2017

• "Cities face seven years of growing CalPERS costs," CalPensions, Oct. 16, 2017

• "What is being squeezed out to pay increasing pension costs?" The Press Democrat, Sept. 24, 2017
• "California pensioners: Your COLAs are safe, for now," The Sacramento Bee, Sept. 20, 2017

• "Stopping the Runaway Pension Train," by Carolyn Coleman, Western City Magazine, October 2017

Video Testimony

• Agenda item 5A Investment Committee: League Staff testifying in support  for the 7.00 percent discount rate  | Dec. 18, 2017 Time Code: 45:45-46:50
• Agenda Item 7A Investment Committee: League Staff encourages CalPERS board to revisit their divestment and ESG strategies  | Dec. 18, 2017 Time Code: 1:45:30- 1:47:40
• CalPERS Board of Administration (Full Board): Employee union representatives, League staff and city officials discuss divestment, and urge the Board for more flexibility in addressing growing CalPERS pension obligations.  | Nov. 15, 2017 Time Code: 1:17:24- 1:30:00
• CalPERS Finance & Administration Committee: Potential Legislative Proposals: League staff urges for a holistic and collaborative process for addressing joint and several liability legislation.  | Nov. 14, 2017 Time Code: 15:13-20:05
• CalPERS Finance & Administration Committee: Amortization Modification Discussion/ Hardship Criteria: League staff and others discuss the proposal to modify the amortization schedule and  urge collaboration with all stakeholders. | Nov. 14, 2017 Time Code: 1:45:57-1:52:49
• CalPERS Asset Liability Management Cycle Workshop: Public Comment: League staff and City officials from California urge CalPERS for more flexibility in addressing growing CalPERS pension obligations. | Nov. 13, 2017 Time Code: 1:06:07-2:40:39
• CalPERS Board of Administration | Sept. 20, 2017 Time Code: 1:39:43- 1:55:10
• CalPERS Finance & Administration Committee Part 2 | Sept. 19, 2017   Time Code: 5:13 to 31:11
• CalPERS Finance & Administration Committee Part 2 (cont.) | Sept. 19, 2017  Time Code: 49:03-50:49

• League of Cities and Contract Cities Association Fuller Comment Letter to CalPERS 
• Post-Decision: Cal Fire Local 2881 v. California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) Fact Sheet
• Avoiding Municipal Bankruptcy Pension Costs + Financial Pressure 
• Pre-Decision: Cal Fire Local 2881 v. California Public Employees’ Retirement System Fact Sheet
• Cal Fire Local 2881, et al. v. California Public Retirement System and the State of California: League of California Cities Amicus Brief
• Cal Fire Local 2881, et al. v. California Public Retirement System and the State of California: Intervener and Respondent Brief. Date Filed: Nov. 7, 2017
• Eight Potential Areas of Cost Savings in Employee Compensation, by Edward L. Kreisberg, Meyers Nave

• CalPERS Rate Impact Webinar & Presentation (April 30, 2014) 
  • League Rates Impact Survey
    • Survey Memo
    • Rate Impact Survey (Excel) (Deadline: Jan. 21)
    • PERS Review of Actuarial Assumptions (Item 7a)

• Comparing Pension Reform Plans: Governor's 12-Point Plan vs. Senate Republican Proposal
• Public Pension Reform (AB 340 and AB 197): A Primer
• Comparing League Policy and the Conference Committee Report on Public Employee Pensions