Dear Marty,

I’ve been thinking about your reaction to the WPRI study on public pensions.  You said, “Public employees tend to be paid less than people doing similar work in the private sector.  Public employees have traditionally taken lower wages today in exchange for better retirement security tomorrow.”

You further maintained that this is a good deal for taxpayers.  “This helps taxpayers because public employees save money by contributing to retirement funds instead of paying higher salaries because, unlike wages, retirement contributions aren’t subject to federal Social Security taxes.”

Fair enough.  Maybe you have a point.  We here at WPRI wondered if that message was understood by the public, so we asked them.  In our recent poll, we asked:

“I’m now going to ask you a question about public employee pensions.  Some people say that it’s understandable that public employee don’t contribute to their pensions because public sector salaries are lower than salaries paid in the private sector.  Other people say that public sector workers should contribute to their own pensions like everyone else.  Which better describes how you feel?”

Public employees don’t contribute……………13%

Public sector workers should contribute…. 79%

Don’t know/refused ………………………………….7

On the WPRI website, you can see a more detailed breakdown of responses.  Here is a partial breakdown of the people who agree with your argument that pensions make up for lower public sector salaries:

18% of the people who approve of Governor Doyle’s job performance

21% of Democrats

11% of Independents (the largest slice of the electorate)

25% of union households

You’d have to agree that those are tiny numbers; for heaven’s sake, only ¼ of union households are buying your argument.  It looks like you have your work cut out for you in making your case to the public. 

Anyway, I thought you’d want to know.

Sincerely,

George Lightbourn

WPRI

Marty Beil is the executive director of the Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24.

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