Today is Halloween. Last year we took you on a tour through the Haunted House of Pension Horrors. Once again the frightening specter of threats to public pensions has returned, so on this most spooky of nights, let’s behold the pension ghouls playing tricks on hard-working Americans.
The Threat Lurking in the Shadows: John Arnold
Behind nearly every attack on public pensions lurks John Arnold and his billions. Whether he’s funding biased research at the Pew Research Center or supporting anti-pension ballot measures, Arnold’s shadow is long and dark. Fortunately, we’ve just released a video shedding some light on John Arnold and his nefarious deeds.
The Ghost: Chuck Reed
Much like John Arnold, former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed haunts public pensions, sneaking up and yelling “Boo!” to public employees from California to Nebraska. Though his anti-pension efforts in San Jose were ultimately rejected, the specter of his attacks continues to linger over the retirement security of working families.
The Werewolf and the Vampire: Chris Christie and Mike Pence
Like the full moon to a werewolf, the sight of a public pension turns New Jersey Governor Chris Christie into a snarling beast, threatening teachers and refusing to follow his own law to fund New Jersey’s public pensions. Meanwhile, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, much like a vampire, seeks to drain Indiana’s public pensions of their resources for use in his own “slush fund.”
The Goblins: the DeVos family
No haunted house would be complete without mischievous little goblins waiting to steal your gold. The DeVos family recently announced that their public policy priority would be gutting Michigan’s public pensions and robbing working families of their retirement security. Ghastly!
Once again we survived a trip through the Haunted House of Pension Horrors. And remember, constant vigilance is the key to protecting your retirement security from pension ghouls.
