The Epidemiology of Public Pensions

With many cities there are financial situations manifesting, dealing with legacy costs in pensions.  Many cities typically address the increase of health care costs with their retirees through investment strategies of the pension fund.  Some cities adopt administrative remedies of reviewing eligibility criteria to qualify for city benefits.  Not the City of Detroit, and neither Wayne County for that matter.

It seems the City of Detroit and Wayne County are now insisting that employees secure copy of their federal tax filings to cross reference with their benefits packages.  For some time these employees were listing anyone and everyone as qualified dependents for health care coverage, even extending to retirees as there was no administrative oversight in place.  What this means is these local governments have been providing unnecessary health care coverage for individuals who were never eligible as dependents.

There is an interesting piece of information that was delivered to me for my analysis.  It seems the City of Hamtramck is in the speculative process of changing the benefits of retired public safety members.  Of course, the unions will bring forth litigation because it is an interference of union collective bargaining contracts and the City is prepared to loose in court.  The City will appeal and loose, again.  By that time the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) will have been fully implemented and cover any of the coverage the public safety retirees have lost, leaving the City in the clear to fill wholes in its budget.

In assessing this scenarios of a city benefiting in the short and long term from attacking collective bargaining, it seems to put into perspective the activities of many states of in dismantling collective bargaining powers of union contracts because in a few years, the federal government will pick up the unexpected burdens of legacy and health care costs.

Let's look at it this way.  So far the manufacturing unions have been faced with accepting cuts in benefits and so have local and state government employees.  The next in the chain of events seems to be the pensions and benefits of federal employees.

The pay and pensions of federal employees have just recently come up for examination.  For example, the Social Security Administration Commissioner Michael Astrue has put on the table early out deals for some 9,000 employees.  In light of the increase in disability claims and baby boomer applications for Social Security Benefits, it leaves the field office staff short handed.  As one field officer and union stewart told me last month,

"The Administration wants us to do $10,000 worth of work for $100 pay.  That is just not possible and alot of claims are going to be delayed.  Children (SSI cases) who are aging out, turning 18, automatically come up for review.  This means their determinations and payments will be delayed."

In the long run the Administration will be able to invest in streamlining its operations and save on legacy costs.

Congressional staffers can easily make more than a state governor or a mayor, making them uniquely prime to be political volunteer test subjects on how the nation will be moving forward in the rethinking of benefits and pensions.

The starting pay for a Detroit Police Officer is about $12.50 an hour and with a child or two, that officer now qualifies for Supplemental Food Benefits and subsidized daycare.  An FBI agent starts at about $60,000 a year with the cre'me de la cre'me benefits package.  So what makes a federal law enforcement officer so different from a municipal law enforcement officer?  Quite simple, the pension and benefit cut epidemic has yet to fully infect federal discussions.

Simply put, federal employees benefits and pensions are next up on the chopping block.

No matter how loud the opposition soap boxes its ad hominem arguments on the evils of Obamacare,   the Act is on its way to full 2015 implementation and will be the fodder for the epidemiology of pensions, with the help of those who want to get rid of collective bargaining.


Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

The League of Gloom and Doom

Wednesday evening was the first Candidate Forum graciously sponsored by the Hamtramck Block Club Association at the People's Community Center on Joseph Campau.

I had an absolute ball, even though I forgot to properly prepare catchy opening remarks; I will admit, I am a bit rusty at public speaking. I enjoyed the event because I was allowed my first opportunity to personally engage a gathering of people by handing out my perfume scented personal campaign fliers. Along with the name TRAN, the voters have a redolent recall of a scent for election day. Just call it my own little way of applying my years of study to the campaign. We shall see if I can get a journal article out of it.

Anyway, I had more fun listening to what I have labeled as The League of Gloom and Doom. If anyone can remember the DC Comics Superheroes Justice League, this is my spin on the rhetoric of the other candidates.

Everything was about how horrible the city is. I just do not understand why, I was the only one who saw the beauty and potential of this unique municipal enclave. The scowling faces of each candidate keep a glowing smile on my face knowing what the city needs more than ever is the inspiration of happiness and success. Beauty of the spirit and the body of the city is a powerful tool, one I shall be promoting daily, even after the election.

Now, I can lead you into the heart of my campaign.

My son and I made a few campaign signs with some gathered material hiding around the house. I want to see if it is possible to run a primary campaign on no-cost or low-cost. So far so good as I am well under $100.00.

The League of Gloom and Doom has, on multiple occasions, pulled me over to side to chastise and ridicule me for not having thousands of dollars worth of fundraising to buy big signs. Big signs to post all over the city, most on homes they did not even ask for permission. This whole campaign seems to be fueled on who can get the most signs out. I somewhat take this mentality as an insult to the intelligence of the voters.

Why you may ask, well, let me tell you.

On my trusty Brother's black and white printer (I should get some campaign support from the company for mentioning this), I printed out fliers. Then, wherever I go, I hand them out, perfumed and all, to just about every person who crosses my path on the street. But what I include with the ceremonious handing of my flier is the personal invitation for each person who is in receipt of my scented campaign literature, to participate in the political process of my election to tell their friends, family, and neighbors about my run for office. So many people have opened their hearts to my request that they take a few extra fliers and pass them out for me.

The League of Gloom and Doom continuously harps on the premise that "85%" (notice how I put it in quotations) of the people of Hamtramck are computer illiterate.

My response to this is, "What are we going to do about it?" Silence abounds from the League of Gloom and Doom.

Here is my position: I want to bring the city into the 21st century with technology.

If anyone has ever noticed, the Hamtramck website, according to a certain official, is, "Woefully inadequate." Check it out: City of Hamtramck

Hamtramck is going to eventually provide internet accessibility throughout the entire city. Well, no time like the present to start utilizing the power of internet by empowering that "85%" to use computers. Simple programs to be put together to bring in free computers or discounted computers for residents, the same way one can purchase a club lock for your car at a discounted rate from the city. Simple workshops that could be put on by local organizations, with the potential to be funded through the solicitation of grants, to educate those interested in how to access the internet.

In addition, there will be a substantial reduction in cost:

(1) When it comes to the transmission of information to the citizens of the city. With a simple click, you have what I love to call The Art of TAO: Transparency, Accountability, and Oversight. (Book coming out soon, very soon.)

(2) The responsibilities of the City Manager are now streamlined in conducting cost/benefit analyses, with real-time, open participation with other city officials and citizens.

(3) With a functionally efficient and effective internet presence, Hamtramck is able to promote itself on a global level, inviting new and even more diverse economic presence.

I actually set up, yes, another social experiment, just to see the potential of internet accessibility of city documents. As a one-stop-shop for those entities interested in exploring the possibility of investing in the city, I put all the pertinent information for initial investigation all in one place. So far, the results are wonderful! You can check it out by clicking the white "scribd" button to the left on this site.

(4) My campaign is virtual and this is the reason why: I have a powerful following of my activities which is in no way strictly exclusive to Hamtramck. As an elected official, one of the roles is to represent to people. Nobody ever said that representation had to be mutually exclusive to the city limits. I represent, or rather will formally represent the city as an elected official, throughout the Wayne County, throughout the State of Michigan, throughout the United States of America, throughout North America, throughout the Western Hemisphere, and throughout the World.

(5) If you have not taken the time to notice, in the upper right hand corner of this site, there is a little "chicklet" called google translate. With a click of the "badge", you can find one of the 34 offered languages and translate the entire page. Try it, its lots of fun.

(By the way for those who did not know, the words in quotations are sample of internet terminology. Just taught you something new, ha!)

(6) With an internet presence, Hamtramck will possess the ability to "target and capture" existing federal funding and new stimulus federal funding. The abilities are not centralized in the databases that will and should be created, but with the paving of cyber-avenues (yes, I just coined that term) to engage in collaborative partnerships, consortia, and network with other public agencies, (i.e. universities, think tanks, local, state, federal, international governments).

(7) Last, but not least, the ones who are able to access the internet and find their way to this blog will be able, by word of mouth and the sharing of a computer screen, plant the seeds of interest to want to learn more about computers and the internet.

I am re-writing the order of operations for a campaign and the role of an elected official, and having a ball doing it!

The citizenry stands together, many in body, yet one in the beautiful spirit of Hamtramck, and that, my dears, is why I am running for City Council.

So, as for The League of Gloom and Doom, get over it! I am here to stay!