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Orange County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
Smart Voter

Reform our city pension system

By Ha Minh Mach

Candidate for Mayor; City of Westminster

This information is provided by the candidate
We need to reform the city's pension system because we have to in order to keep the city viable
Pension costs for Westminster continue to increase, draining money from the services throughout the city. Debt that the city owes to the employees' retirement fund now grows to 63 million dollars from 25 million dollars in 2006. Westminster also owes roughly 65 million dollars in unfunded retiree health care costs. Therefore, unless aggressive reforms are implemented now, the problem will get worse, forcing Westminster to reduce services and lay-off employees to meet pension obligations. We may have to lay-off police officers and close libraries and community centers, draining money from services and pouring money into retirement costs. My active solutions will not deprive employees of retirement benefits that have been earned and accrued or cut payments to existing retirees. However, these fiscal reforms will enable the city to do two things: make sure our retirees are paid what they have earned and accrued; and make sure we can protect the public and provide basic services for the residents and taxpayers. In addition, I would tackle the unfunded pension by finding legal means to roll back benefits for current workers going forward. The benefits they earned, they would keep, but what they accrue in the future would be altered. This idea may be unpopular to union members but it must be pursued.

I will lead effort to turnaround the city's financial health, and reform the city's pension system because we have to in order to keep the city viable. This is the one way to ensure we solve the underfunding of our pension liabilities and at the same time, reduce our debt, without raising taxes.

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ca/or Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 31, 2012 09:15
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