nears san bernardino terrorist attack survivors …...2016/11/21 · the same time the doctor...
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Long Beach Press Telegram (http://www.presstelegram.com)
San Bernardino terrorist attack survivors without medicine, counseling as anniversarynears
Some have been denied antidepressants, antianxiety medications and counseling
By Suzanne Hurt, The PressEnterprise
Saturday, November 19, 2016
SAN BERNARDINO >> Survivors of the Dec. 2 terrorist attack inSan Bernardino say they’re being cut off from antidepressants, antianxiety medication and counseling shortly before the oneyearanniversary — making an already traumatic time even moredistressing.
On Friday, several survivors — who all work for San BernardinoCounty’s Environmental Health Services division — said they’rebeing denied the medication and counseling they desperately needapproaching the first anniversary of the mass shooting by coworkerSyed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik.
County Risk Management Director Ken Hernandez insisted survivors are getting all the medical care they need.
Fourteen people were killed and 22 were shot on Dec. 2, 2015, during a holiday party/training event at theInland Regional Center. Most of the 57 survivors are struggling with posttraumatic stress disorder.
Santa Ana workers’ compensation attorney Geraldine Ly, who represents eight survivors, said she’s angry thatfour have been cut off cold turkey from antidepressants or antianxiety medication or both. Counseling has beendenied or “stalled” for three.
“I’m just appalled at the lack of sympathy that the county has for their employees who’ve been injured,” shesaid.
Survivors say the denials are part of a yearlong struggle to get help from selfinsured San Bernardino County,which administers its own workers’ compensation program, and a California workers’ comp system notdesigned for terrorist attacks.
Hernandez said the county sends doctor’s requests for prescriptions and other proposed treatment throughutilization review, with other physicians weighing in on whether that’s medically necessary.
“We’re not denying any medication or any treatment that’s been approved,” he said. “If it’s noncertified throughutilization review, that’s not the county denying any medication.”
The county may say approvals are out of their hands, but they’re not, Ly said. County risk management canauthorize prescriptions, counseling and other needs without sending claims to utilization review, which uses“rigid” standards to find any reason to deny, she said.
Three survivors told county officials about the problems in a tense meeting Thursday. About 20 to 25 survivorsattended the meeting, while at least 16 remain on leave.
Program specialist Sally Cardinale returned to work parttime, but her doctor put her out on medical leaveFriday after she began feeling more angry during withdrawal from antidepressants and antianxiety medicationdenied in midOctober.
Last month, a workers’ comp utilization review board sent a letter saying she was authorized for moremedication but was going to be weaned off it. But when she went to refill it, her pharmacy said the medicineswere no longer authorized.
“On paper, they said they were doing it safely. But in real life, they just cut it off,” said Cardinale, 35, whocouldn’t afford to pay $300 to $400 out of pocket. “With antidepressants, you’re not supposed to just stoptaking them.”
When asked why survivors would be “weaned off” medicines right before the anniversary, Hernandez said that’sdecided by utilization review.
“If doctors determine they need to wean off, that’s their decision. Not mine,” he said. “I’m just administering theprogram based on the doctors’ reports.”
Survivors Ray Britain, the Environmental Health Services division interim chief on Dec. 2, and leadenvironmental health specialist Hal Houser get private counseling with victim compensation funding arrangedby the San Bernardino District Attorney’s office because survivors couldn’t get counseling through workers’comp quickly enough right after the attack.
On Friday, Houser nervously drove to a Rite Aide to see if prescriptions for medicines to treat PTSD from hisprivate psychiatrist would be filled.
He had only eight days’ worth left — not enough to get through Dec. 2 — after a utilization review board deniedprescriptions from a workers’ comp psychiatrist in midOctober for a “lack of history showing the need” — atthe same time the doctor diagnosed him with PTSD and put him on medical leave.
Houser’s new prescriptions were filled later Friday.
“It’s that fight, that battle, to get healed. That’s what’s causing the anxiety,” said Houser, 55.
Britain was denied highblood pressure medicine.
Ly said the denials are now making survivors worse.
“Without the medication they need, the support from the county and the sympathy from those who are involvedin the workers’ compensation claims process, they are unable to mentally heal,” Ly said.
URL: http://www.presstelegram.com/generalnews/20161119/sanbernardinoterroristattacksurvivorswithoutmedicinecounselingasanniversarynears
© 2016 Long Beach Press Telegram (http://www.presstelegram.com)
Redlands Daily Facts (http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com)
A year after San Bernardino terror attack, world searching for peace, understanding
By Jessica Keating, Redlands Daily Facts
Saturday, November 19, 2016
REDLANDS >> Nearly a year after a husband and wife brought terrorto San Bernardino, stoking an ongoing political debate over America’sresponse to Islamic radicals, the search for peace and unity amongfaith traditions and cultures continues, worldrenowned theologianMiroslav Volf told hundreds Saturday.
Volf, a Croatiaborn scholar who studies peacebuilding amid conflict,visited the University of Redlands Saturday evening to encouragethose in attendance to seek out common ground in the diverse InlandEmpire and beyond.
Before his speech, “Bridges of Peace from Shadows of Grief,” Volf met with about 75 members of various faithcommunities in the region to take their questions.
“We live in a peculiar moment, or we are caught in a peculiar kind of trajectory,” Volf told those gathered,noting that some recent political rhetoric in Europe and the U.S. embraces nationalism at the expense ofunderstanding and inclusion. Blocs of adversaries are being built, though the world is interconnected more thanever, Volf said. What seems most important in these cases, he said, is clinging to what separates rather than whatbinds.
In the weeks after the Dec. 2 mass shooting in San Bernardino, for example, some believed the correct responseto the two radicalized individuals responsible for the attack was to call for a ban on Muslim immigrants.
It’s worth nothing that powerful rhetoric that denies similarities between faith traditions is especially dangerousto building bridges between groups, said Volf, who is the Henry B. Wright Professor of Systematic Theologyand the founding director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale University.
The pursuit of “truth” — or the belief that one’s religion is right and another’s wrong — often impedesunderstanding and coalitionbuilding, Volf said, and continues to undergird political debate in the U.S. andelsewhere.
When asked how to combat this phenomena, Volf encouraged religious leaders gathered to attend to those in the“middle” to combat further polarization.
Husam Yousef, a member of the Islamic Community Center of Redlands, applauded Volf’s call for staking outcommon ground. The Quran teaches that God created people differently not so that they would fight but so thatthey would grow to know one another.
“There is a lot of common ground between Christianity and Muslims,” Yousef said. “We don’t need to agree oneverything but let’s agree on the common factors between us.”
URL: http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/generalnews/20161119/ayearaftersanbernardinoterrorattackworldsearchingforpeaceunderstanding
© 2016 Redlands Daily Facts (http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com)
San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)
Veterans, active military invited to share stories with San Bernardino County Museum
Museum officials will collect oral histories from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday
By Kristina Hernandez, Redlands Daily Facts
Saturday, November 19, 2016
REDLANDS >> Veterans and active military are being sought to share their memories of service.
On Tuesday, officials from the San Bernardino County Museum plan to tape oral histories on site from 11 a.m.to 3 p.m., with plans to include them in its current exhibit, “Over Here, Over There: In Times of War,” and itsarchives.
“History is important to record from people who actually lived it,” said Jennifer Reynolds, museumspokesperson. “First person history is the most valuable kind of history because it’s personal and it tells storiesthat other people can relate to.”
“Over Here, Over There” opened this month and explores the commonalities between men and women affectedby wartime, whether overseas or here in the states. Items from the museum’s archives help push the narrative.Several items come from current and former residents of San Bernardino County.
Those who wish to share their stories may stop by the museum — 2024 N. Orange Tree Lane — any time duringprogram hours. Reservations are encouraged but not required and may be made by calling David Myers, themuseum’s curator of visitor engagement and exhibits, at 9097988622.
“The story of America is the story of the American veteran, those exceptional men and women of everyethnicity, creed and circumstance for the freedoms that constitute the cornerstone of our democracy,” Myers saidin a news release. “You have a uniquely American story of duty, sacrifice and honor. ... Now, come share why.”
To learn more, go to www.sbcountymuseum.org or call 9093072669.
URL: http://www.sbsun.com/lifestyle/20161119/veteransactivemilitaryinvitedtosharestorieswithsanbernardinocountymuseum
© 2016 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)
San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)
More wet, icy weather expected to hit Inland Empire
By Beatriz Valenzuela, San Bernardino Sun
Monday, November 21, 2016
An overnight storm dropped rain on the Inland Empire — and morewet weather is expected Monday, according to the National WeatherService.
About half an inch of rain fell on some areas, including Beaumont,Yucaipa and Ontario, according to the National Weather Service, andthere were reports of less than a halfinch of snow falling in localmountains, including Big Bear.
The wet weather has led to some traffic incidents, including a jackknifed tractor trailer on the eastbound 10 Freeway near Ninth Street inSan Bernardino just after midnight, which resulted in all but one lane
being shut down as crews worked to clear the scene. Authorities expect to remain on scene until about 10 a.m.,according to the California Highway Patrol incident log.
CHP authorities remind motorists to drive carefully during wetweather conditions by slowing down andincreasing their following distance.
The icy weather also prompted Caltrans authorities to issue a chaincontrol advisory Monday morning foranyone driving along Highway 18 into the San Bernardino Mountains.
The NWS issued a winter weather advisory for area mountains, including the Big Bear, Wrightwood and LakeArrowhead areas. Meteorologists also cautioned those affected by recent wildfires like the Blue Cut and Pilotfires to prepare for possible flash flooding.
Despite Monday’s wet weather, forecasters are predicting dry and warmer days leading up to Thanksgiving.
Temps are expected to reach the low 70s in many San Bernardino County cities.
URL: http://www.sbsun.com/generalnews/20161121/moreweticyweatherexpectedtohitinlandempire
© 2016 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)
Chain controls in effect in Inland mountains as storm hits(UPDATE)By BRIAN ROKOS20161121 05:32:16
Updates with more road troubles
Chain controls are in effect in the mountains in Riverside and SanBernardino counties, Caltrans said Monday morning, Nov. 21.
There is a winter weather advisory in the Inland mountains above 7,000feet until 10 a.m.
More wet weather is expected Monday, according to the NationalWeather Service. There will be scattered showers, especially near themountains, ending Monday night. Temperatures will climb throughThanksgiving and then drop by the weekend.
Running Springs had 1.37 inches of rain in the past 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service.Beaumont and Poppet Flats had about threequarters of an inch. About half an inch of rain fell on some areas,including Riverside, San Bernardino, Yucaipa, Temecula, French Valley and Ontario. There were reports of lessthan a halfinch of snow falling in local mountains, including Big Bear.
The weather has also affected the freeways; the road connecting the eastbound 91 to the northbound 71 wasclosed because of flooding, Caltrans said about 3:30 a.m. It was expected to reopen about 9 a.m.
At 5:15 a.m., rocks "bigger than bowling balls" were reported on Highway 74 at Dry Creek, between Hemet andMountain Center, the CHP said.
There have been so many collisions Monday that the CHP is telling motorists to make reports of crashes atCHP offices.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
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Storm moves into Southern California, bringingscattered showers, possible flooding in burn areas
By Matt Stevens and Shelby Grad
NOVEMBER 20, 2016, 4:15 PM
A winter storm moved into Southern California on Sunday afternoon, bringingscattered showers and warnings of more significant rainfall and possibleflooding in some areas in the evening.
The rain was already causing traffic tie ups on roads and freeways throughout theregion, officials said. Forecasters warned of flooding in parts of downtown Los Angeles,Pasadena, Alhambra, the South Bay and elsewhere.
Scott Sukup, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Oxnard office, said anaverage of 0.5 to 1.0 inches of rain is expected to fall throughout the Los Angeles basin,with heavier rain possible in the mountains.
The “main part of the storm” is expected to begin around 6 p.m. Sunday, Sukup said. Itwill continue until around 4 a.m. Monday.
“The bulk of the rain should be done before rushhour,” Sukup said.
Forecasters also expect 3 to 8 inches of snow in the San Gabriel Mountains above 7,000feet.
Where the heaviest rain falls will depend largely on where thunderstorms occur, whichSukup said is hard to predict. The Weather Service has issued a flashflood watch forburn areas where heavy rain could result in debris flows.
The agency also issued a flood advisory Sunday afternoon, warning that the scatteredshowers that have already hit could cause flooding in areas throughout the region.
The storm has the potential to be the largest in the L.A. area this fall. So far, the basinhas only gotten about 0.5 inches. If Sunday’s storm does end up dumping an inch ofrain on the region, that would “put us above normal for the season,” Sukup said.
As the storm moves through the area, residents should expect overnight lowtemperatures in the 50s, Sukup said.
Northern California is also being hit by rain this week, which is producing more muchneeded snow in the parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains, a key source of water forCalifornia as the state deals with a fifth year of drought.
At 115 pm, heavier shoewrs across portions of LA County. Beprepared for traffic delays + ponding of water on roadways.#LArain #LAWeather1:16 PM 20 Nov 2016
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UPDATES:
2:30 p.m.: This story was updated with new information from a National WeatherService meteorologist.
1:10 p.m.: This article was updated with new details about the storm.
This story was originally published at 7:40 a.m.
Rain finally arrives in SoCal abc7.la/2eUDCII. Track the stormhere: abc7.com/weather/dopple…1:15 PM 20 Nov 2016
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SundayPosted Nov 20, 2016 at 2:19 PMUpdated Nov 20, 2016 at 2:35 PM
By Shea Johnson Staff Writer
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VICTORVILLE — In piles roughly 50 feet high, at least three acres of mulchcaught fire Sunday afternoon, prompting fire officials to declare a second-alarmresponse as the blaze threatened nearby brush.
On its Twitter account at about 12:30 p.m., San Bernardino County Fireannounced it was battling the fire at the site of American Organics just south ofthe Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority in northwest Victorville.The location is in the area of Shay Road and Phantom East.
An hour later, 32 personnel were counted on site, including an inmate handcrew, Battalion Chief Dave Meddles told the Daily Press at the scene. He saidthat moisture in the compost can break down and essentially create spontaneouscombustion.
While only smoke holes could be seen in the mulch, Meddles warned that theunseen fire was burning deeply in the dense piles, requiring crews to douse thecompost and then create a perimeter to ensure the blaze did not spread to nearbyvegetation.
He said that crews would remain on scene well into the afternoon with plans ofultimately shifting command to American Organics. Shortly before 2 p.m.,County Fire requested more units to assist in controlling and knocking down theblaze.
County Fire tackles dense compost fire
Shea Johnson can be reached at 760-955-5368 or [email protected] him on Twitter at @DP_Shea.
San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)
Thanksgiving safety tips from San Bernardino County fire, health officials
By Doug Saunders, The Sun
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Holiday music, pumpkin pie, the delicious smell of a turkey roastingin the oven, football on the television and family and friends gatheringaround a table filled with decadent foods are just some traditions ofThanksgiving Day.
But for some, the holiday could turn to disaster and despair.
Chino Valley Fire District officials have drawn out a guide with thehopes of reducing threats found in the kitchen.
Fire officials start the tutorial by saying clean appliances and foodpreparation areas are essential to having a holiday at home rather than
spending it in an emergency room.
The celebration on Thanksgiving day is traditionally centered in and around the kitchen, making it the peak dayfor home cooking fires, according to CVFD officials.
Although that statistic can seem daunting, there are many steps the public can take to ensure they don’t becomevictims of a fire or injuries, CVFD spokeswoman Massiel DeGuevara said.
“There are many things that the public can do to help prevent a cooking fire,” she said. “The first step toensuring a safe holiday is to start the day with a clean stove and oven that is free of any grease or food splatters.”
Grease and food splatters are known to ignite at high temperatures, potentially causing an oven fire.
DeGuevara recalled a Thanksgiving 2015 fire response to a kitchen fire. Firefighters found the oven fire wassparked from residual grease build up from previous use.
Officials also advise home holiday chefs to avoid wearing clothing with loose fitting or long sleeves that mightignite if too close to a flame as well as dangling jewelry that might get caught on kitchenware handles.
The National Fire Protection Association reports that 30 percent of all home fires start in the kitchen.
San Bernardino County Fire officials want residents to know what to do in the event of a stove top fire.
They say if a small grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by slowly sliding the lid over the pan. Theyalso suggest turning the burner off and not removing the lid until it is completely cool. They also suggest ifthere’s a fire in a microwave to keep the door closed, turn off the microwave, and disconnect the power.
Many people in the Southland like cooking their Thanksgiving bird in a deepfryer.
“We deep fry our bird every year,” 47yearold Redlands resident Robyn Ramsey said. “My husband isextremely careful when he plops the Tom in the tank.”
If there’s too much oil in the pot it may spill over when the turkey is dropped in causing a flash fire, Ramseywent on to say.
“My husband is a former firefighter and responded to several fires during the holidays,” she said. “Many ofthem started because of the amount of oil in the pots.”
Officials recommend setting up the turkey fryer more than 10feet away from the home and keep children andpets far away.
Never leave it unattended. They also say the fowl should be thawed and completely dry before gently lowering itinto the hot oil.
San Bernardino County Department of Public Health say clean areas for preparing a Thanksgiving meal also arekey to preventing food borne illnesses.
Always wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling the rawturkey, health officials said in a written guide.
“Fresh turkeys need no thawing and are ready to cook,” the guide reads. “Frozen turkeys can be purchasedweeks in advance, but can require several days to thaw before cooking.”
Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed. Use a meat thermometer by inserting it into the thickest part ofthe thigh, not touching any bone, and cook to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees.
DeGuevara also suggests having a fire extinguisher close at hand.
“I suggest having a 5pound extinguisher nearby just to be on the safe side,” she said. “And hope everyoneenjoys their holiday festivities without an unexpected visit from a firefighter for an emergency incident.”
URL: http://www.sbsun.com/lifestyle/20161119/thanksgivingsafetytipsfromsanbernardinocountyfirehealthofficials
© 2016 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)
Parvo outbreak threatens HiDesert petsBy Stacy Moore, HiDesert Star | Posted: Friday, November 18, 2016 11:12 pm
MORONGO BASIN — An outbreak of parvovirus is spreading through parts of the country, puttingMorongo Basin pets at risk.
“In my career of 17 years here, this has been the worst I’ve seen,” Jenny Wagner, registered veterinarytechnician at Companion Animal Clinic in Yucca Valley, said Friday.
“We’re aware of at least 30 cases in the Basin,” Wagner said. Some of those dogs did not survive.
Parvo is an aggressive virus that attacks a dog’s immune system, allowing it to then lay waste to thedigestive tract. Puppies are especially vulnerable, but even older dogs can be infected if they are notvaccinated, Wagner said.
According to the Veterinary Information Network, a source recommended by Wagner, a strain of the virusdiscovered in 2000 can also infect cats. Cats vaccinated against feline distemper are protected.
Parvo is a particularly hardy virus that can live outside of a host for several months, Wagner said, but it canbe prevented by vaccination.
Puppies must have their full puppy shots with boosters and adults should be vaccinated every three years,she said.
“If they are not fully vaccinated, they need to stay away from dog parks,” Wagner said.
“Socialize your dog in other ways, such as having friends and family who have fully vaccinated pups comeover.”
Dog parks aren’t the only place a pup can catch the virus, which spreads through the feces and vomit of aninfected dog. Wagner said humans might unknowingly carry it into their homes on the treads of their shoes.“You could step in sand that had a little bit of contamination,” she warned.
Even coyotes can carry the virus, she added.
Newspapers across the country are carrying stories about the spike in parvovirus. Wagner speculated therecould be a few reasons behind the outbreak, but it all comes down to vaccinations.
“I think the reason we’re seeing more parvo right now is that people are dropping their vaccinations,” shesaid.
The reasons range from economic to the antivaccination movement.
More people are also trying to vaccinate their dogs themselves, which Wagner does not recommend.
“A high percentage of dogs we’ve seen have been home vaccinated,” she said.
The problem is there are so many variables with vaccines bought at a store or online, from origin tohandling to storage temperatures. The vaccine will degrade at the wrong temperatures, she said.
For dog owners who can’t afford to get their pets vaccinated by a veterinarian in an office, there are manyways to get affordable vaccines professionally administered, including Animal Action League, Petco andTractor Supply clinics, Wagner said.
There are also rumors that this strain of parvo is not prevented by vaccines, but Wagner said that a fullyvaccinated dog is almost sure to be fine.
“I work here, so obviously I have a high risk of exposure, but I don’t worry about my dogs because they areuptodate on their vaccines,” she said.
Dog owners should call the veterinarian on any signs of vomiting or diarrhea, and move quickly, especiallyif there is blood in the feces or vomit.
Other signs are lethargy and lack of interest in food.
“The best option for care would be hospitalization on IV fluids and 24hour care,” she said. That can onlybe achieved at emergency clinics that are open 24 hours a day.
The next best alternative is hospitalization at one of the local veterinarian offices. Dog owners can also tryto treat at home using medications and fluids, especially if the dog appears to be strong.
The dog must be kept in isolation, and everything it touches must be decontaminated with a bleach solution.
Wagner encourages pet owners to make sure their animals are uptodate on their shots. “The key isvaccination,” she emphasized.
San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)
Ontario International Airport expects increased traffic this year for holidays
By Neil Nisperos, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Sunday, November 20, 2016
ONTARIO >> Air travel at Ontario International Airport is expectedto increase this holiday travel season as airlines have added more seatsand flights out of ONT this year, officials said.
Ontario International Airport Authority officials, in its first holidaytraffic forecast since taking control of the airport Nov. 1 from LosAngeles World Airports, predict traffic for the 10day Thanksgivingtravel period, beginning Friday Nov. 18 through Nov. 27, will be128,000 — an increase of 4 percent over the same time last year.
OIAA Marketing Manager Cassie MacDuff said officials attribute thegains to United Airlines flying a larger jet to Denver, and Southwest Airlines launching service to Portland whileadding more flights to Las Vegas, Sacramento and Oakland.
Meanwhile, new daily nonstop Southwest service linking ONT with Dallas’s Love Field is scheduled to beginJan. 15, officials said.
“There’s more seats being offered out of Ontario ,so that’s going to translate into more passengers,” MacDuffsaid.
With the 10day Thanksgiving period, which began on Friday, being the airport’s busiest of the year, MacDuffadvised people to arrive to the terminal at least two hours before their flight.
“We don’t want people to get there to find a long line and be late for their flight,” MacDuff said.
The busiest travel days are forecast to be Wednesday, Nov. 23, Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 24, and Sunday,Nov. 27, with most flights anticipated to be fully booked on those days, officials said.
Additional parking is available this holiday season with the reopening of Lot 3 at $13 per day, officials said. Thedaily rate for Lot 5 is $9 per day; and it’s $18 a day for lots 2 and 4.
Also new this year are Jake’s popup coffee shop and Hudson retail kiosk in Terminal 4 before the securityscreening area.
Information: www.flyOntario.com
URL: http://www.sbsun.com/lifestyle/20161120/ontariointernationalairportexpectsincreasedtrafficthisyearforholidays
© 2016 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)
San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)
San Bernardino park to be named for fallen police officer Bryce Hanes, skater Jon Cole
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Saturday, November 19, 2016
SAN BERNARDINO >> They began with tears of sadness and leftwith tears of joy.
Meeting for the first time since Commissioner John Griffin was killedNov. 9, tearful members of the San Bernardino Parks, Recreation andCommunity Services reached a unanimous compromise Thursday thatwill allow the park under construction at 9th and E Streets to honortwo beloved local figures.
The park itself will be named after fallen San Bernardino PoliceOfficer Bryce Hanes and the skate park within it will be named afterJon Cole, a skater electrocuted in 2011, the commissionrecommended.
The name becomes official if it’s approved by the City Council, whichtypically follows the commission’s recommendations.
Far more than the required 100 signatures were submitted for bothcandidates, with Mayor Carey Davis’ office and the San BernardinoPolice Department nominating Hanes and skate board company ownerJason Lola nominating Cole.
Hanes worked 12 years for the Police Department, until he was killedon duty in a traffic collision Nov. 5, 2015.
In the Sun story submitted as the reason he should be honored, fellow officers described Hanes as “an exampleof what many officers strive to become” and “one of the nicest persons I have ever met.”
That admiration remains, said Darren Espiritu.
“Beloved by his fellow officers, he always insisted on working graveyard shifts,” Espiritu said in a writtenmessage. “He enjoyed spending his days with his wife and children. He’s homegrown. (San Bernardino HighSchool) grad. 12 yrs on the force.”
Cole is still tenderly remembered, with annual gatherings honoring him, said Lola, who gathered 837 signaturesonline.
“(Cole deserves recognition for) his skateboarding ability, but also, too, his humbleness,” Lola said Friday. “Hewas so humble. Any kid that would come up to him, he would teach them.”
Cole was preparing to become a firefighter, and he would be excited that San Bernardino was opening a thirdskate park, Lola said.
The park, which broke ground in March, is funded with a $5 million state grant through Proposition 84 for“underparked” areas.
It’s expected to be complete in early spring.
It was encouraging to see the commission and community find a solution that everyone likes, said RoxanneWilliams, chairwoman of the commission.
“There were large contingencies supporting both, and it was really good to get a unanimous vote that honorsthem both,” Williams said.
Espiritu said the crowd cheered and many were in tears when the name was approved.
“It was a great moment in San Bernardino,” he said. “Having a park named after a beloved police officer with askatepark named after a young man who was working towards a career in public safety services is inspiring. ...It’s days like Thursday that remind me of why I wanted to become a city commissioner in the first place.”
URL: http://www.sbsun.com/lifestyle/20161119/sanbernardinoparktobenamedforfallenpoliceofficerbrycehanesskaterjoncole
© 2016 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)
Riverside County supervisors get another automatic raiseBy JEFF HORSEMAN20161118 16:24:49
For the second straight year, Riverside County’s elected supervisors got apay raise without having to do anything.
But this year’s pay hikes come as the county tries to convince publicemployee unions to go without salary increases to ease the strain on thecounty budget.
As of July 1, four of the five supervisors earn a base salary of $153,289,up 1.36 percent from the previous fiscal year. Before that, their salariesrose from $147,688 to $151,233, a 2.4 percent increase.
Those salaries don’t include other forms of compensation. Supervisorsalso get stipends for attending various commission meetings, a taxpayerfunded pension, a county vehicle or a $550 monthly car allowance andhealth insurance.
The raises stem from a 2014 Board of Supervisors decision topermanently tie their base pay to 80 percent of what a Superior Courtjudge makes.
The move extended a recommendation made by a salary review panel in1998. Judicial salaries are set by the state, and the idea was to linksupervisor salaries to a fixed formula beyond supervisors’ control.
The state’s human resources department raised judges’ annual pay 1.36 percent starting July 1, from $189,041to $191,612. As a result, supervisor salaries automatically went up.
News of the pay hike did not appear on any board agenda, although the raises are reflected where the boardwebsite details supervisor pay and benefits.
The exception to the pay hikes is Supervisor Kevin Jeffries, who turned his raise down. Since becoming asupervisor in 2012, Jeffries, who earns $143,031 a year, has refused pay raises, commission stipends and apension.
“It was a mistake to link the Board of Supervisors compensation to that of judges, and I feel it was an evenbigger mistake to have pay raises kick in automatically,” said Jeffries, who voted against tying board pay tojudge salaries.
“I respect the right of the majority to rule,” Jeffries added. “But our process is supposed to be open andtransparent. Automatic pay increases are the complete opposite of transparency.”
Supervisor John Benoit, the board’s chairman, said he was unaware of the raise. “A public announcementwould be appropriate,” he said. “To that end, I will work with county staff to make sure that supervisors and thepublic are notified in the future about these automatic increases.”
Supervisor Chuck Washington noted the decision to permanently link supervisors’ pay to judicial salaries wasmade before he took office.
“I have no problem with improved notification (of raises) and would encourage it,” he said.
Supervisor Marion Ashley said he will donate his raise to the United Way for charitable uses within his district,which includes the Pass, Menifee, Moreno Valley and Perris.
‘HAVE SACRIFICED’
“When I heard about the ... increase earlier this month I was concerned about accepting even a small boost inmy salary, due to budget concerns, when we are asking our employees to go without salary increases for awhile,” Ashley said.
Ashley is referring to ongoing collective bargaining talks between the county and unions representing thousandsof employees. With the county facing a budget crunch, supervisors have agreed to a fiveyear plan that calls forstrict limits on spending.
Central to that strategy is holding the line on employee compensation. But Esmie Grubbs, regional director ofService Employees International Union Local 721, said that for years, union members “have sacrificed in orderto keep providing quality public services to Riverside County residents.
“It’s disappointing that county management are giving themselves raises while continuing to propose cuts to thefrontline services our communities depend on. We’re facing unprecedented challenges retaining the skilledprofessionals the county needs, and vital services are suffering.”
Stephen Switzer, business manager of Laborers International Union of North Americal Local 777, did notrespond to a voicemail seeking comment.
But in a Nov. 7 update on negotiations posted on the union’s website, Switzer wrote that the county wanted toreduce meritbased pay increases from two steps, or 5.5 percent, to one step, or 2.71 percent.
“This is not a typical ‘takeaway,’” Switzer wrote. “This is an unprecedented assault on your livelihoods.”
Switzer left the door open for a strike or other job actions should the county impose pay cuts on unionmembers, although he wrote: “It is my most sincere wish that this does not become necessary.”
SALARY CAP
San Bernardino County also uses an automatic process to determine pay and benefits for elected supervisors.A 2012 charter amendment sets a cap for supervisors’ compensation based on the average of what supervisorsget in Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties.
The cap is reset every four years, with the mostrecent adjustment in December 2013 and the next scheduledfor late 2017. Currently, the cap for total compensation stands at $184,691 a year.
Supervisors’ base salaries depend on how much their other benefits cost. So if a supervisors’ benefits cost$50,000, his or her salary would be $134,691. Each supervisor’s salary varies depending on which benefits heor she receives.
“Although some might think this system ‘conceals’ base salary, it was designed to give the public more controlover total compensation,” said San Bernardino County spokesman David Wert.
“Rather than have a set base salary of, say, $150,000, therefore leading most to believe that’s all someone isbeing paid only to find out that there are actually tens of thousands of additional dollars being spent on benefits,our charter sets a cap representing a true and total amount each supervisor in receiving.”
The cap adjustments aren’t put on board meeting agendas “because there is no board action that can betaken,” Wert added. “The only public notification provided in the (county) charter is posting on the website.”
Contact the writer: 9513689547 or [email protected]
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Riverside County Supervisor Benoit expects chemotreatment for illnessBy JEFF HORSEMAN AND BRIAN ROKOS20161118 10:15:10
Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit likely will begin aggressivechemotherapy after blood clots in his lungs, a growth on his pancreas andspots on his liver and lungs were discovered, he announced Friday, Nov.18.
Benoit has been enduring weeks of discomfort, dry coughing and extremefatigue, he said in a news release. He had a CT scan Wednesday and isundergoing further testing and treatment at Eisenhower Medical Center inRancho Mirage.
Benoit, 64, wrote that he expects a more specific diagnosis next week.
As a result, he said he will reduce his workload. Benoit, the fivemember board’s chairman, might participate inBoard of Supervisors meetings via teleconferencing.
“I am hopeful that rest and appropriate treatment will result in my return to full work status in a few months. Inthe meantime, I appreciate all the prayers and support that I have received, and I trust in God and know that hehas a plan,” Benoit wrote.
Benoit said he will remain in touch with his staff and that his chief of staff, Michelle DeArmond, “is authorized tohandle most matters to conclusion.”
Supervisor Marion Ashley was saddened to hear the news about Benoit, whom Ashley described as “a strong,positive force on the board” as well as a valued colleague and friend.
“We’re hopeful he’ll have a good treatment and full recovery,” said Ashley, adding he’s confident the board cancarry on while Benoit focuses on his health.
Besides the board itself, the five supervisors serve on various regional boards and commissions. Benoit is oneof 13 members of the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s governing board.
DeArmond said Benoit’s staff, which holds expertise in various matters, can represent him at the boardmeetings of some outside agencies. At others, elected officials will have to stand in for him, she said.
Benoit represents the 4th Supervisorial District, which stretches from Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs,south to the Salton Sea and east to Blythe and the Colorado River. The district is the board’s largestgeographically.
Benoit is a former Corona police officer and California Highway Patrol commander who spent 31 years in lawenforcement.
In 2009, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him to serve the unexpired term of Supervisor Roy Wilsonfollowing Wilson’s death.
Before he died, Wilson named Benoit as his chosen successor. Benoit was elected to a full term in 2010 andwon a second fouryear term in 2014.
Prior to becoming a supervisor, Benoit served in the state legislature as a Republican assemblyman andsenator.
He graduated from Notre Dame High in Riverside and Riverside City College. He has an undergraduatedegree from Cal State Los Angeles and a master’s from Cal State San Bernardino.
Benoit married wife Sheryl in 1978. They have two children and one granddaughter. Benoit’s son, Ben, is aWildomar councilman.
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L
THIS SERIES IS A PARTNERSHIP OF
Paying for public retirees has never cost L.A. taxpayers more. And that'safter pension reform
Retirement benefits now eat up 20% of city’s general fund revenue.Touted cost controls won't have real impact for decades.
By PETER JAMISON (HTTP://WWW.LATIMES.COM/LA-BIO-PETER-JAMISON-STAFF.HTML)
NOV. 18, 2016
Mayor Eric Garcetti (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
os Angeles officials often boast about how they stemmed the rising
cost of employee pensions, an expense that has hobbled cash
strapped cities throughout California.
Former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said changes he oversaw in 2011 and
2012, which included lower pensions for new employees and higher
retirement contributions from city workers, were “the most farreaching
effort in the nation.” Mayor Eric Garcetti echoed that assertion this year,
saying L.A. had “done the most pension reform in the country of any big
city.”
California's Pension Crisis ï
f t
(http://www.latimes.com/)
(https://calmatters.org/) (http://www.capradio.org/)
The Pension Gap: Read the story ì (http://www.latimes.com/projects/lamepensioncrisisdavisdeal/)
Yet the numbers tell a story jarringly at odds with the political rhetoric, a
Times analysis found. Today, Los Angeles taxpayers are underwriting
retirement benefits that are among the nation’s most generous — at a cost
that has never been higher.
The city’s general fund payments for pensions and retiree healthcare
reached $1.04 billion last year, eating up more than 20% of operating
revenue — compared with less than 5% in 2002.
L.A.’s vaunted pension reforms have not cut the city’s pension costs; at
best, they have modestly slowed their rate of growth. Since the changes
took effect, general fund contributions to the retirement system havegrown an average of $66.6 million a year — roughly twice as fast as all
other spending controlled by the mayor and City Council.
City budget analysts say the increases will slow over the next five years, to
$36.1 million annually. Even so, retirement costs would continue to
consume roughly 20% of operating revenue.
The effects can be measured in services forgone and civic ambitions
deferred. With the money put into its pension funds over the last two years
alone — nearly $2 billion — the city could have fixed every one of itsbroken sidewalks, built or leased housing for more than 25,000 homeless
people or restored 11 miles of the concreteclad Los Angeles River to a
natural state.
L.A.’s pension burden, while severe by national standards, is not unusual
for California. Six of the state’s 10 largest cities — Los Angeles, San Diego,
San Jose, Sacramento, Oakland and Bakersfield — devoted more than 15%
of their general fund budgets to pensions and retiree healthcare during the
2015 fiscal year, The Times found. San Jose contributed the greatest share
— almost 28%.
Those cities face a common obstacle: In California, a stream of court
rulings over the last halfcentury have shielded public employees from cuts
to their retirement plans, restricting costsaving measures to new hires.
Those reductions take decades to be fully reflected in a municipality’s
bottom line.
L.A.’s taxpayers are also paying the price for questionable decisions made
years ago.
The city’s annual pension bill has effectively been doubled by the need to
pay down debt to the retirement funds created by years of benefit
enhancements and overly optimistic financial projections. The resulting
shortfall is estimated by independent analysts at more than $20 billion.
City officials today continue to use the same bullish accounting, raising
doubts about elected leaders’ claims to have lightened the pension burden
for future taxpayers.
Garcetti, who exercises direct influence over the city’s retirement policy
through his appointments to the pension funds’ boards of trustees,
declined to be interviewed for this story.
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His spokeswoman, Connie Llanos, said the mayor had negotiated labor
contracts that slowed the increase in workers’ salaries — a key determinant
of pension costs — and in some cases scaled back future employees’
pensions.
“We’ve held strong on our commitment to get our finances in order and
secured strong and fiscally responsible labor deals with our employees that
hold the line on raises and secure pension and salary reforms, saving the
city billions,” Llanos said in a statement.
City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana, L.A.’s top budget official, said
the city has been hamstrung by legal limits on the reach of reforms and
previous public officials’ financial decisions.
“It’s not a management problem. It’s a math problem,” Santana said.
“We’re the case study of having done all the hard things governments have
done to manage our pensions. At the same time, we’re still saddled with
this huge obligation,” he said. “This is a national, systemic issue, and there
really isn’t a simple way out.”
’20’15’10’05’01
Sources: City budget officials, LACERS and LAFPP actuarial reports.Times analysis by Peter Jamison
Lorena Elebee / @latimesgraphics
Budget squeezeCity contributions to the Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System and Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions fund have steadily increased, and now eat up one out of every five dollars of city's operating revenue.
Projected
Projected total general fund revenue: $6.1 billion
General fund contributions
Police/fireOther
In 2015, 20.17% of general fund dollars went to fund retirement.
Projected contributions are expected to remain in the 20% range.
$3.1 billion
$5.2 billion
Does not include Department of Water and Power.
City of Los Angeles general fund revenue
‘A Hole They Dug’After 33 years with the Los Angeles Police Department — much of it in the
Special Investigation Section, a controversial surveillance squad whose
exploits inspired the 1993 Hollywood thriller “Extreme Justice” — John
Tortorici looked forward to his retirement in 2002.
His neighbor was less upbeat.
“He was a selfemployed computer guy,” said Tortorici, a former detective
whose pension was $109,232 last year, according to city records. “He said:
‘I have nothing. I don’t have a pension. I’m going to have to sell this house
when I retire.” Eventually, Tortorici said, the man moved to Arizona.
A 71yearold native of the San Fernando Valley, Tortorici said he feels no
embarrassment over his pension.
“What I’m getting, I’m entitled to,” he said. “The city said, ‘We’re going to
take care of you.’ I expect it to do that.” Yet he doubts that L.A. can sustain
such largesse for future generations.
“It’s a hole they dug for themselves, years ago, not knowing,” Tortorici said
over coffee near his home in Newbury Park. “We can’t afford to do the way
we’re doing it now.”
No retirement plan better illustrates the lingering consequences of past
financial choices than the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions fund. Since
the 1960s the fund’s benefits have been amended five times, creating a
kind of fossil record of the gradual enlargement of publicsafety pensions.
The highwater mark came in 2001 with the retirement plan known as Tier
5. Modeled on a deal state legislators approved in 1999 for California
Highway Patrol officers, Tier 5 allowed public safety workers to retire at
age 50 with up to 90% of their salaries, including costofliving increases of
up to 3% a year. The fund’s previous plans had capped pensions at 70% of
final salary.
Tier 5 was opened to existing police and fire employees as well as new
hires. As a result, workers with decades of service were allowed to migrate
to the new plan en masse, retroactively taking advantage of its generous
provisions.
American public safety workers have historically enjoyed sturdy retirement
benefits in recognition of their willingness to risk life and limb. Even
against that backdrop, however, L.A. is an outlier.
For the last 15 years, the police and fire fund’s average pension payments
have been among the highest of any state or municipal plan in the country,
according to an annual survey by the Center for Retirement Research at
Boston College, the Center for State and Local Government Excellence and
the National Assn. of State Retirement Administrators.
Sharing the painPension and retiree health care payments (including pension obligation bonds) as a percentage of generalfund revenue in California’s largest cities (201415):
California’s largest cities (201415):
27.86%
20.70
19.30
17.38
19.46
13.11
20.78
12.15
11.62
8.13
San Diego figures are budgeted rather than actual.
San Jose
Oakland
Los Angeles
Bakersfield
San Diego
Sacramento
Anaheim
Fresno
Long Beach
San Francisco
Sources: City budget officials, LACERS and LAFPP actuarial reports.Graphics reporting by Peter Jamison
Lorena Elebee / @latimesgraphics
In 2014 — the survey’s most recent year of complete data — the fund’s
average pension of $62,964 exceeded those for New York City firefighters
($60,136), New York City police officers ($44,133) and Chicago police
officers ($49,535), among others.
Members of the Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System, which
covers most workers outside the police and fire departments, received an
average pension of $40,871.
(A third L.A. pension fund, for employees of the Department of Water and
Power, is funded by water and electricity sales, not tax dollars.)
Corina Lee, who sits on the board of the union representing LAPD officers,
said the 2001 benefit expansion was needed to stop the departure of
officers for agencies, such as the California Highway Patrol, with more
attractive pension plans.
“We had to do something to retain our men and women, and to recruit
men and women from across the country,” Lee said.
Public employee unions and their allies on the political left have come
under frequent criticism for their role in governments’ pension problems.
But the circumstances of Tier 5’s creation belie a simple narrative of
Democrats abetting Big Labor avarice.
The campaign for the 2001 ballot measure that established the new
pension plan was led by thenMayor Richard Riordan, a Republican and
former venture capitalist.
In a recent interview, Riordan, now 86, said he based his support on the
city pension funds’ reports of a combined $2.2billion surplus.
He said it was a mistake.
“Back then, our pension funds were tremendous. We didn’t owe anything.
Putting this in seemed like an easy thing to do,” he said. “With hindsight,
we shouldn’t have done it.”
Others also failed to question the assumptions behind Tier 5. City budget
analysts projected, incorrectly, that administrative changes to the pension
fund written into the initiative would not only offset the cost of richer
pensions, but actually save money. The ballot measure passed with 72% of
the vote.
Three years after police officers and firefighters began enrolling in Tier 5,
the city pension funds’ surplus had turned into a $4.3billion deficit.
Within a decade, that deficit had grown to $9.5 billion, as retirement costs
continued to climb while the pension funds’ investments lost money.
Marianna Black, a retired librarian, collects a $58,935 pension and lives in a rentcontrolled apartmentin MidWilshire. (Christina House / For The Times)
Limits of ReformL.A.’s deficits were part of a nationwide decline in the health of pension
plans whose investment holdings were pummeled by the dotcom and
housing busts.
Some public officials took dramatic action. Rhode Island suspended cost
ofliving increases to retirees’ pensions and shifted investment risk to
employees through 401(k)style retirement plans.
Marianna Black worried that such sweeping changes might be coming to
L.A.
Black, 74, retired in 2002 after working as a city librarian for 35 years. She
collects a $58,935 pension and lives in a rentcontrolled apartment in Mid
Wilshire.
“If they took away my pension I’d be out on the street,” Black said. “I need
it for rent, for groceries, for everything.”
In California — at least for now — she has no cause for concern.
Under the socalled California Rule, which originated in a 1955 state
Supreme Court ruling striking down efforts to raise city employees’
retirement contributions in Long Beach, governments cannot make
changes to a pension plan that diminish its value for active or retired
workers.
Judges have forbidden even changes that leave untouched the benefits
workers have already accrued, ruling that public employees are entitled for
their working lives to whatever pension terms were in place on their first
day on the job. By contrast, privatesector pension systems may modify
their plans moving forward so long as they preserve accrued benefits.
For retired government employees — who in the city of L.A. do not receive
Social Security benefits — that legal precedent is a vital safeguard in an
evermoreexpensive state. (Among other things, the California Rule
prevents Rhode Islandstyle suspensions of costofliving increases.)
Yet it presents a challenge to cities seeking to reduce their pension
burdens, limiting cuts to the pension plans of workers hired after changes
are adopted.
“It’s going to take about 30 years for that to matter,” said JeanPierre
Aubry, associate director for state and local research at the Center for
Retirement Research at Boston College. “That’s a trickle.”
In 2011, Los Angeles modified its pension plans for newly hired police and
firefighters, striking a deal with unions that reduced the minimum pension
available after 20 years of service and sought to eliminate “pension
spiking,” in which employees contrive to earn unusually large salaries
during their final year of work to secure a higher pension.
But because those already on the job could keep the plans they had, the
changes’ impact so far has been slight. Nineteen out of every 20 active and
retired employees covered by the police and fire pension system are
unaffected by the reforms, according to the system’s most recent valuation
report.
After several years of negotiation, city officials and labor leaders agreed
late last year to a new retirement plan for civilian workers that cut
maximum pensions and increased workers’ contribution rates to 7% of
their paychecks from 6%, among other changes. City budget officials say it
is too early to measure the effects of those changes.
The city has achieved greater savings through a deal struck with its
workers to contribute part of their pay toward their future healthcare costs.
Until 2011, those costs were picked up entirely by taxpayers.
Civilian workers agreed to contribute 4% of their paychecks toward retiree
healthcare, while police officers and firefighters could either pay 2% or
have their retiree health subsidies frozen at the rate offered in 2010. The
contributions have saved $380.4 million since they went into effect, citybudget officials say, or an average of $76.1 million a year.
(The changes were legal because courts have not interpreted the California
Rule as protecting active public employees’ retiree health benefits.)
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Politicians elsewhere have been less wary of bucking the California Rule,
but their example is not encouraging. San Jose city officials in 2012 gave its
workers a choice between accepting less generous pension benefits or
pitching in more of their own pay.
“We started with the math,” said former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. “If
you’re going to have an impact quickly, you have to do something about
current employees.”
San Jose’s pension reforms were approved by 69% of voters in a June 2012
ballot measure. Within 18 months, however, a Santa Clara County Superior
Court judge struck down key provisions of the measure as a violation of
workers’ vested pension rights.
The San Jose City Council ultimately renegotiated the package of changes
so that it did not affect current employees’ pension plans.
Critics of the California Rule glimpsed an opening for change in August,
when a state appellate court ruled that active public employees’ pensions
could be trimmed as long as the cuts were “reasonable.” The ruling is on
appeal to the state Supreme Court.
‘Fix the numbers’Public pension funds, like their privatesector counterparts, live and die by
the success of their investment portfolios. In many years, the return on
those investments — typically a mix of securities dominated by stocks—
provides half or more of a retirement system’s revenue.
The rest comes in the form of annual contributions from employees and
taxpayers. In many cities and states, including L.A., workers’ contributions
are a fixed percentage of their paychecks. That means taxpayers are called
on to fill the gap when investment income falls short.
That call has come more and more frequently amid the economic tumult of
the last 15 years.
Danger zoneCorporate pension fund needed to pay that have 80% or less of the money for future retirees are considered vulnerable and subject to additional federal regulations. L.A. is in that danger zone.
60
80
100
120%
’15’10’05’01
78%Danger zone
City estimate of funded ratio for pension and retiree health funds
Sources: City budget officials, LACERS and LAFPP actuarial reports.Graphics reporting by Peter Jamison
Lorena Elebee / @latimesgraphics
Pensions and retiree health care, LACERS and LAFPP combined.
Defenders of the status quo say public pension systems are enduring a
temporary setback because of America’s worst recession in 80 years. But a
growing number of finance experts and economists argue that public
pension funds (and, by extension, taxpayers) have been victims of bad
planning as well as bad luck.
Publicpension managers, they assert, have been overoptimistic in
projecting investment returns over the last 25 years. Those bright
economic forecasts gave governments license both to lower their
contributions and expand benefits — and have forestalled a realistic
reckoning with how much money is needed to meet pension promises,
some say.
“We are not meeting these actuarial assumptions about investment rates of
return,” said Leyne Milstein, finance director for the city of Sacramento,
which participates in the California Public Employees’ Retirement System,
or CalPERS, and has seen its pension costs rise because of sagging
investment returns. “We can’t just keep plugging our fingers in our ears
and saying, ‘La, la, la,’ because this isn’t going to go away and we’re not
going to earn our way out of it.”
The Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System’s average rate of
return during the last 15 years has been 6.5%, compared with predicted
returns ranging from 7.5% to 8%.
Over the same period the Fire and Police Pension funds’ average return has
been 6.34%, compared with projections of 7.5% to 8.5%. For the fiscal year
that ended in June, the pension funds’ investment returns were 0.5% and
0.61%, respectively.
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As a result, city officials estimated they were $8.9 billion behind on what
they should have saved for workers’ and retirees’ future benefits at the end
of the 2015 fiscal year.
Yet even that sobering assessment continues to rely on a bullish forecast
for the pension funds’ investment returns. Analysts for Moody’s Investors
Service, applying more conservative valuation methods similar to those
used in the private sector, calculate that L.A.’s pension funds’ combined
shortfall last year was $21.36 billion.
Garcetti’s spokeswoman said the mayor believed, based on the advice of his
appointed trustees on the retirement boards, that the funds’ returnrate
assumptions are appropriate.
Paul Krekorian, chairman of the L.A. City Council’s Budget and Finance
Committee, said it would be “absurd” for city officials to use more
conservative methods for calculating their annual contributions. Despite
recent funding shortfalls, he said, over long periods the performance of the
pension system’s investments has met or surpassed expectations.
“We need to all be committed to sustaining the stability of our pension
funds,” Krekorian said. “But I think the skyisfalling prediction that I’ve
heard from some critics is way overblown.”
Jeremy Gold, a New Yorkbased actuary, said public officials won't be able
to deal effectively with rising pension costs until they recognize their true
size.
That would mean using more realistic accounting methods, he said, that
allow for the risk that pension funds’ investments could lose money or earn
less than expected. And it would likely entail either further pension cuts or
heftier taxpayer contributions to bridge retirement systems' funding gaps,
he said.
“How much you do of one versus the other is essentially a political
argument,” Gold said. “But until you fix the numbers, if you think you’ve
fixed the problem, you’re just fooling yourself.”
Credits: Andrea Roberson and Sean Greene. Graphics by Lorena Iñiguez Elebee.
California's Pension Crisis: Coming next in the series