Rick Scott said 6% now he wants 9.6%, thanks 4 voting Scott

You folks need to wise up. We have long had the BEST plan in the nation. When you are vested in just 6 years, it is no wonder they are having problems. It seems to me that would be the easy fix. Put it back at 10 years. It will keep some of these folks that are just here for the pay check working longer before they run off with all their training for a higher paying, less dangerous profession. This office has gone so far down hill it is shocking. I'm just glad I can retire any time I want.

Be sure you send Gov. Scott your ideas and suggestions on how to close the $17 billion FRS fund deficit without raising taxes and employer contributions. The truth is that there is no money available so suck it up and deal with the inevitable pension benefit cuts by compensating with your own personal savings.

[Average Joe]

Fact is that Scott requested figures so he could do his own study on the FRS fund. Problem is he asked for numbers that only showed the fund was in trouble. If you look at the numbers that are given by the State and fund managers the fund is in fine shape, and probably even better over these last few weeks with the market up.

Before he even tries touch the fund, he needs to have a full review of the fund with ALL of the funds numbers. If there needs to be changes then the changes should be across the board in every category.....including judges, state senators, state representatives and even the governor.

Fact is that Scott requested figures so he could do his own study on the FRS fund. Problem is he asked for numbers that only showed the fund was in trouble. If you look at the numbers that are given by the State and fund managers the fund is in fine shape, and probably even better over these last few weeks with the market up.

Before he even tries touch the fund, he needs to have a full review of the fund with ALL of the funds numbers. If there needs to be changes then the changes should be across the board in every category.....including judges, state senators, state representatives and even the governor.

Very true "Joe". It's like he has this personal vendetta against the State pension system. With all the other problems in our State and the Nation that easily trump the pension issues, he can't stop ranting about how he wants to overhaul the pension system? It seems like he also has a complex about State, County & City workers, as well as government regulations as a whole. My guess is he probably got his toes stepped while running his private businesses, such as Code Violations or failing inspections etc. Now he has put a target on government workers, who for the most part have always been some of the lowest paid workers. The benefits are what keeps workers around in the State & County system, not the pay. So what does he target.......the benefits of course! He has also frequently mentioned across the board pay cuts for State workers in the 3 to 5% range? How would you like to be FHP and have to absorb a 5% pay cut on top of their current poverty pay scale? Better yet, how would you like to be us and have to absorb pay & benefit cuts on top of the fact that we have not received any pay raises in years, yet inflation continues to rise? Currently at HCSO; Working very shorthanded, management wants much more with less, no pay raises, no more step plan!!, higher medical insurance costs etc. Not a good time to start screwing with our retirement & pensions Governor Scott... :evil:

Never let facts get in the way of a juicy conspiracy story...

Gov. Scott has to deal with a $3.5 billion state budget deficit thanks to the Crist administration. Unlike Obama, he cannot print money and keep borrowing kicking the can down the road for the next administration. He and the legislature have to balance the budget by cutting here and there. Gov. Scott also has to find ways to attract business to Florida to create more jobs which helps everyone.

On the pension issue, Gov. Scott and the legislature use independent actuaries to audit the pension fund and determine its long term viability. The audits show a $17 billion shortfall and unrealistic projected future returns which, if they don't materialize, could increase the shortfall. Better off to take action now before we end up like California, Ilinois, New-Jersey, etc.

Never let facts get in the way of a juicy conspiracy story...

Gov. Scott has to deal with a $3.5 billion state budget deficit thanks to the Crist administration. Unlike Obama, he cannot print money and keep borrowing kicking the can down the road for the next administration. He and the legislature have to balance the budget by cutting here and there. Gov. Scott also has to find ways to attract business to Florida to create more jobs which helps everyone.

On the pension issue, Gov. Scott and the legislature use independent actuaries to audit the pension fund and determine its long term viability. The audits show a $17 billion shortfall and unrealistic projected future returns which, if they don't materialize, could increase the shortfall. Better off to take action now before we end up like California, Ilinois, New-Jersey, etc.

Thats all fine & dandy if you believe all the hogwash coming out of his mouth. Every independent survey has always labeled Florida as one of the best & most profitable pension programs in the nation. The fact that there is alot of money for him to get his hands on, is just too much for him to resist. Add the fact that the media, especially in the Tampa Bay area, consistently likes to harp on and bash the benefits given to Government employees, has only added fuel to his fire. Every time you look recently, either the St Pete Times or Tampa Tribune (biased Democratic media) have run articles criticizing Government employee benefits. So you are going to tell me that all of a sudden there is a mounting crisis with the state pension program, although that was never mentioned previously by the media. They were only zeroing in on Government benefits because the economy was bad and it made good reading for pissed off unemployed workers. This frenzy resulted in Scott playing right along to win over voters at election time and now he has to try & keep his promises, unlike some that we know.... ops:

[Average Joe]

Never let facts get in the way of a juicy conspiracy story...

Gov. Scott has to deal with a $3.5 billion state budget deficit thanks to the Crist administration. Unlike Obama, he cannot print money and keep borrowing kicking the can down the road for the next administration. He and the legislature have to balance the budget by cutting here and there. Gov. Scott also has to find ways to attract business to Florida to create more jobs which helps everyone.

On the pension issue, Gov. Scott and the legislature use independent actuaries to audit the pension fund and determine its long term viability. The audits show a $17 billion shortfall and unrealistic projected future returns which, if they don't materialize, could increase the shortfall. Better off to take action now before we end up like California, Ilinois, New-Jersey, etc.

And these same people that do these studies will tell you that a healthy pension fund is one that is 80% funded. Scott claims ours is 85% funds, but he isn't satisfied.

The problem with the states you reference is that they pay 100% of the medical care. That is why those states are in trouble. In Florida we get about 10% of our medical paid. An that amount is not based on the insurance costs, but how many years you serve. Thus with the rising insurance rates we don't get more money from the state.

Feel free to write to Gov. Scott and tell him how to balance the state budget with a $3.5 billion deficit and come up with the $17 billion to bring the FRS pension fund to 100% funding so that it doesn't end up like the ilinois, California, New-Jersey, etc. pension plans.

You Democrats need to get over it, Alex Sink lost and Rick Scott is governor.

[Average Joe]

Feel free to write to Gov. Scott and tell him how to balance the state budget with a $3.5 billion deficit and come up with the $17 billion to bring the FRS pension fund to 100% funding so that it doesn't end up like the ilinois, California, New-Jersey, etc. pension plans.

You Democrats need to get over it, Alex Sink lost and Rick Scott is governor.

Your an idiot :!: Florida will never be like those other states because we do not provide health care. Those states have allowed unions to negotiate 100% health care coverage at the time you retire. Health care is so expensive it would even break private companies that guaranteed that type of benefit. It is because of the high expense of health care, that rises every year by double digits, that has put those states in the position they are in. And because they are part of a union agreement the only way those states can break the contract is to declare bankruptcy. And I wonder why this has not happened? Maybe because these states are crying wolf these past two years.

There is no need to have 100% because you will never lose 100% of your employees. That is why the experts say a pension fund at 80% funding is very healthy. Florida is at 85% and getting better.

The only mistake Florida made, in my opinion, was to vest employees at 6 years from the original 10 years.

[The Nitely Blog]

The only mistake Florida made, in my opinion, was to vest employees at 6 years from the original 10 years.

Amen to that Joe. Ten years minimum. Personnally I think it should be 12 or even 15 years before your vested.