Follow-up

The makeup of a special commission recommending further changes to the state’s pension system has come under scrutiny, with critics calling members biased insiders and others calling them experts.

Regardless, several members of a special commission recommending further changes to the state’s pension system have come under criticism.

“I don’t think it’s a very balanced commission,” said Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a watchdog group on public spending. “The makeup is heavily biased toward those with an investment in the current system.”

Three of the special commission’s 15 members are top officials at state retirement agencies, each of whom is legally required to be there.

Heart disease a top killer

Heart disease caused 45 percent of the deaths that occurred among U.S. firefighters while they are on duty between 1994 and 2004, according to a study from Harvard University. Heart disease caused 22 percent of the on-duty deaths among U.S. police officers during that same period.

$13,500 on Social Security

The average annual benefit to people collecting disability through Social Security was about $13,500 in 2008.

Paying into the system

Depending on when they were hired, public sector employees in Massachusetts contribute between 5 and 12 percent of their pay into the local or state retirement system. Since 1979, public employees have contributed at least 7 percent plus 2 percent on any earnings over $30,000. Since 1996, they’ve contributed at least 9 percent plus 2 percent on any earnings over $30,000.

Social Security differs in Mass.

Massachusetts is one of the 15 states in which public employees don’t pay into Social Security and don’t collect it. People who contributed to Social Security while working in the private sector then went into the public sector, lose as much as 55 percent of their Social Security benefit if they are also collecting a public pension.

10 of 39 in Quincy

In Quincy, from June 2003 through June 2008, the rate for police was 26 percent – 10 out of 39 officers retired on accidental disability.

Pensions rise $360 per year

Public employee pensions in Massachusetts increase by a maximum of 3 percent on the first $12,000 of a retirement allowance each year. That’s $360 per year.

Numbers flip-flop

In 1983, 62 percent of American workers were covered by a defined benefit retirement plan and 12 percent had defined contribution plans. By 2007, the numbers had flip- flopped, with 17 percent covered by defined benefit and 63 percent by defined contribution plans.

Disability Pensions

Follow-up

The makeup of a special commission recommending further changes to the state’s pension system has come under scrutiny, with critics calling members biased insiders and others calling them experts.

Factoids