Economic Justice : Retirement security |
Reduction of pension plans by employers; the “crisis” in social security and attempted remedies through privatization of retirement systems
11/1/08 Retirement decisions are getting tougher for some Seattle couples. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008337772_retirees01m.html
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Analysis & views: 1/26/07 De-privatization in Argentina: those who chose privately-operated retirement funds will, for the first time since 1994, be able to switch to government-operated fund. http://www.buenosairesherald.com/argentina/note.jsp?idContent=351218&hideIntro=true 1/11/07 Large increase in number of Greek workers who opt for early retirement reflects the instability of the social security system and a fear that it will fail before workers reach normal retirement age. http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.prnt_article?e=C&f=13216&t=01&m=A05&aa=1 4/11/06 Retirees who move to Panama find the living easy and health care good and inexpensive: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/11/business/retirement/11panama.html
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Analysis & views: 11/1/08 Retirement decisions are getting tougher for some Seattle couples. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008337772_retirees01m.html 10/17/08 Retirement security in U.S. declines as retirement funds invested in stock market have suffered heavy losses and many older workers no longer put money in 401 k's. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1017/p01s06-usec.html 10/10/08 People in Utah and elsewhere are delaying plans for retirement pending improvements in values in stock market, in which many of their retirement funds are invested. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700265392,00.html 6/23/08 This presidential campaign season, some kids are playing on the third rail of U.S. politics:. Conservatives are exploiting the tendency of young voters to be less supportive than their elders of maintaining the Social Security program in favor of "privatizing" schemes dear to the conservative heart. Some organizations of "youth activists" are promoting this tendency in conferences in which their members are subjected to the economic views of notable privatizers. http://www.thenation.com/blogs/passingthrough/329655 4/10/08 Only 18% of American workers say they are "confident" that they will have enough money to sustain their needs when they retire. 4/4/07 Endangered species: New Jersey teachers' pensions: New York Times investigative report details years of accounting irregularities by the state in which billions of dollars have been diverted from pension fund to other fiscal needs, creating a perilous situation for the state's retirement fund. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/04/nyregion/04pension.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp 2/15/07 Massachusetts Governor proposes that the state's towns and cities pay a price for the financial relief packages being offered: that those with "under-performing" retirement systems turn their retirement funds for state administration. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/02/15/patrick_targets_pension_systems/ 1/22/07 If it ain't broke, try to "fix" it: New Democratic chairman of Senate Budget Committee, Kent Conrad, will join outgoing chairman Judd Greg in seeking to "reform" Social Security which is actuarially sound for many years. Sacramento activist suggests that this "bi-partisan" move will fulfill Wall Street's goal to turn social security over to the mutual fund industry; and that a full 1/5 of all Conrad's campaign contributions come from the finance, insurance and real estate industries. http://counterpunch.org/sandronsky01202007.html 11/6/06 Across the U.S., state and local governments are reducing their pension payments to retired and disabled public employees, as a way to deal with their budget problems. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/06/business/06pension.html?th&emc=th 6/7/06 Massachusetts has a retirement pension system that is easily "gained," as by a public employee who retired on $140,000 yearly pension by having worked two jobs "full time" by frequently calling in sick on each job. http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/articles/2006/06/07/putting_a_face_on_the_need_to_reform/ 4/14/06 As Congress finalizes "pension reform" legislation, critics argue that the law will further jeopardize retirement security by encouraging employers to opt out of the system: http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/3052/continued/369#continued 4/11/06 A novel approach to retirement security: a few young workers (but not many) are actually saving for retirement: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/11/business/retirement/11savings.html 3/22/06 Automakers must erode workers' faith in the security of the retirement benefits of their jobs to entice them to accept early retirement buyouts: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/automobiles/22auto.html?th&emc=th 3/21/06 UPS uses its political clout to press Congress for reduction in employee retirement benefits: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0320-09.htm 3/19/06 Loopholes in plans for protection of private pension funds allow companies to evade responsibility for their employees' retirement funds: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/19/business/19pension.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
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Analysis and views: Gainesville: 5/15/08 Demography is destiny in Gainesville as Santa Fe Community College recognizes the booming population of "baby boomers" in the area and plans for programs designed to attract students from that demographic.
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