Public Opinion Poll on Public Sector Retirement Benefits

I've been noting for months that generous public employee pensions have become a hot issue for many government reform groups. A number of ballot measures are being proposed to look at possible changes to our benefits. Since public pensions are now in the spotlight, Mark DiCamillo of the Field Poll decided it was time to look at how the general public feels about our pension benefits.

As a glass half full guy, I believe the public is still supportive of our pension plans, paricularly for public safety, but most people seem to feel some level of reform would be a good thing. In summary, the poll found that:

60 percent support setting an upper limit on the amount workers can receive.
56 percent back replacing the system with a 401(k) retirement savings plan.
51 percent favor making current pension-setting formulas less generous.

Here's more detail on the poll from an article in the Riverside Press-Enterprise (click here):

But given recent media coverage of some retirees receiving annual pensions of more than $100,000, the state's voters have a fairly moderate view, he said.

Indeed, while voters back a less-generous system for newly hired workers, the largest group -- 40 percent -- say current pension benefits are about right, the poll found.
The poll found 58 percent of voters oppose imposing a tax on pension benefits exceeding $50,000 a year. And voters by a 52 to 41 percent margin continue to favor providing public-safety workers, such as police officers and firefighters, more generous pensions than other public employees, the poll found.

"They are not particularly harsh for what is in place for the current retirees," DiCamillo said.
Still, there are signs that views could shift, he said. Of those who do not believe benefits are about right, twice as many think they are too generous, the poll found.

Republicans, conservatives, men and those who follow government closely are more likely to think pension benefits are too lavish, the poll found.

Forty-five percent who say they pay a "great deal" of attention to government say pensions are too generous.

"That's an ominous finding," DiCamillo said. "Their opinions are usually good indicators on how future voters will decide when they learn more."

Overall, this is good news for those of us in public employment. The key is for us to continue to make sure that we continue to point out that the vast majority of public employee retirement salaries are reasonable and that the media and anti-government groups continue to focus on the exception, not the rule.