CITIZENS   FOR  LIMITED  TAXATION
and the
Citizens Economic Research Foundation

 

Post Office Box 1147  ●  Marblehead, Massachusetts   01945  ●   (508) 384-0100


-- A Class of Their Own --

As economic cycles rise and fall, only public employee benefits always increase.
As the private sector cuts costs and benefits, public employee benefits only increase.
Whether property values rise or fall, public employee benefits always climb.

These overly-generous entitlements have for too long been termed "fixed costs."
They are "fixed" by politicians negotiating with public employee unions, and "fixed" is the right word.
The only way to continue supporting steadily escalating public employee benefits --
is with higher taxes or drastically reduced government services year after year.

Like it or not, the end of this continuum has arrived, or it had better.
Taxpayers have run out of money . . . and patience.  The bill is coming due.
We're tired of this taxpayer-funded double standard.
We're fed up with working harder and being taxed more just to support
the grand lifestyle to which public employees have become accustomed.

This system of abuse and unconscionable entitlement is about to crash and burn.


When unions fail children
by Charles D. Chieppo
The Boston Herald
Jan. 24, 2005
HEALTH-CARE CRISIS
The Great State Health-Care Giveaway
Taxpayers get the bill, and it’s easily hundreds of billions of dollars
By Janice Revell
Fortune Magazine
Apr. 19, 2005
Governors target employee benefits
Cite fairness, cost in seeking change

The Boston Globe
May 16, 2005
The Pioneer Institute
White Papers

Public Pensions [PDF file]
Unfair to State Employees, Unfair to Taxpayers (Part 1)
May, 2006

Leaving Money on the Table [PDF file]
The 106 Pension Funds of Massachusetts (Part 2)
May, 2006

The Elephant in the Room [PDF file]
Unfunded Public Employee Health Care Benefits & GASB 45 (Part 3)
July, 2006

"Pension Tidal Wave" (a 3-part exposé)
The Eagle-Tribune Publishing Company
Aug 1-3, 2007

Other Reports, Commentary, and Warnings over the years

Teachers union greed again rejected
CLT UPDATE
Apr. 22, 2008
A Senate cop-out on police details?
CLT UPDATE
Apr. 7, 2008
"More Is Never Enough" but revolution is in the air
CLT UPDATE
Feb. 7, 2008
Fate of the Unions
By Joe Keohane
Boston Magazine, December 2007
"Municipal Meltdown" getting closer
CLT UPDATE
Dec. 10, 2007
Municipalities not biting on state's health insurance savings offer
State House News Service
Nov. 14, 2007
Taxpayers shoveling against the tide
CLT UPDATE
Oct. 4, 2007
Public employee unions' greed killing local services
CLT UPDATE
Sep. 24, 2007
"Pension Tidal Wave" - The "ticking time bomb" again acknowledged
CLT UPDATE
Aug. 3, 2007
The haves and the have-nots:  Public employees vs. taxpayers
CLT UPDATE
Jun. 29, 2007
Finally bringing public employee unions to heel?
CLT UPDATE
Jun. 5, 2007
Real tax relief requires show of legislative courage
A Salem News editorial
May 29, 2007
Employee costs are breaking municipal budgets
An Eagle-Tribune editorial
May 13, 2007
Override mania: You pay more so city, town employees can get more
By Barbara Anderson
The Salem News
May 10, 2007
Firing could boost a state pension
The Boston Globe
Apr. 26, 2007
A raging elephant in the living room
CLT UPDATE
Apr. 4, 2007
"A government position is not a license to steal"
CLT UPDATE
Oct. 7, 2006
Taxpayers are sick from public servants' abuses
CLT UPDATE
Sep. 29, 2006
Pension abuse costing us taxpayers plenty
by Barbara Anderson
The Salem News
Jun. 16, 2006
The ticking time bomb -- Part II
CLT UPDATE
Jun, 12, 2006
Busting local budgets
A Boston Herald editorial
Oct. 5, 2005
Report blasts city union pay raises
The Boston Globe
Oct. 5, 2005
The problem has again been defined. Now what's the solution?
CLT UPDATE
Sep. 8, 2005
Governors target employee benefits
Cite fairness, cost in seeking change

The Boston Globe
May 16, 2005
Taxpayers' employees, a class of their own
CLT UPDATE
Mar. 8, 2005
"Hit a pothole, thank a teacher"
CLT UPDATE
May 1, 2005
The secret ticking time bomb:
"public service" pensions, health insurance giveaways

CLT UPDATE
Apr. 24, 2005
Taxpayers' employees, a class of their own
CLT UPDATE
Mar. 8, 2005
Property taxes skyrocket
while Public Employees swim in salaries

CLT UPDATE
Jan. 25, 2005
7th highest state pension debt;
with MTF's help aiming for #1?

CLT UPDATE
Sep. 19, 2003
Budgets sag under sick-time buybacks
A Boston Globe investigative series
The Boston Globe
Apr. 23 - May 8, 2004
When teacher's out
By David Joyner and Shawn Boburg
A major exposé by The Eagle-Tribune Publishing Company
Jun. 16 - 19, 2003
"The platinum parachute"
CLT UPDATE
May 30, 2002
Beacon Hill exceeds our cynicism, yet again, with more pension abuses
CLT UPDATE
Oct. 21, 2002
Crooked ex-cops get city pensions
The Boston Herald
Oct. 22, 2002
All Aboard the "Pension Express"!
CLT UPDATE
Jun. 14, 2000
Towns rolling in cash
The Eagle-Tribune
Feb. 16, 1999

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