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Friday, January 20, 2012

MD Teachers Pensions Legislation Is Now Sponsored That Will Pass Cost Onto Local Counties

Maryland House Bill HB-87 and Senate Bill SB-152 have been sponsored in the House and Senate that will require local counties to pay a portion of the schoolteachers pensions.

Also, Individual income deductions shall be decreased that will require higher taxes to be paid by individual taxpayers.

Total employer 21 contribution for teacher and librarian retirement shall be as follows: 22

Allegany 2,890,831 23
Anne Arundel 20,349,335 24
Baltimore City 21,893,869 25
Baltimore County 28,184,531 26
Calvert 4,874,186 27
Caroline 1,402,418 28
Carroll 7,019,651 29
Cecil 4,284,094 30
Charles 6,884,597 31
Dorchester 1,154,127 32
Frederick 10,281,577 1
Garrett 1,210,268 2
Harford 9,824,156 3
Howard 17,225,564 4
Kent 641,149 5
Montgomery 47,406,507 6
Prince George’s 34,062,796 7
Queen Anne’s 1,923,341 8
St. Mary’s 4,287,204 9
Somerset 836,461 10
Talbot 1,121,726 11
Washington 5,530,496 12
Wicomico 3,806,299 13
Worcester 2,222,012 14



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27 comments:

  1. This is extremely bad news for Wicomico's taxpayers - and taxpayers from all over MD. We are getting hit from all ends and the State is one of the primary culprits.

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  2. This is just one more reason why the council did the right thing. When they have a budget from the executive, then we can find out what we can afford.

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  3. This is scary stuff. What is happening to our country. It is almost as if we are self destructing.

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  4. obamie , you da man , pass da buck!

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  5. Wicomico lucked out. Now they don't need to raise taxes for teacher pensions AND a school. I wonder if the Counties will now have a seat at the Union bargaining table now that they will fund part of what is negotiated.

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  6. Does anyone know the link to the website that shows how our politicians voted on these bills?

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  7. one more reason to rid wicomico county of rick. he doesn't have a clue as to what may be ahead regarding economic issues. he doesn't understand how to prepare for "lean times". this is a very dangerous position to be in, when our leaders don't get it.

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  8. Good post Barney. Our County leaders should have a seat at the Union Bargaining table if this is going to happen.

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  9. I'm a retired teacher who has posted several comments over the last week or two on the new BMS issue, taking the four Council members to task for voting against the school.

    In light of this news about the state's passing some pension costs to the county, something the state has threatened for years, I must re-think my stand. While we most certainly need a new BMS, we now have to absorb almost $4 million in paying for teachers' pensions. With the millions that have already been cut from the BOE over the past several years, I cannot imagine what effect this additional cost will have.

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  10. anonymous 11:40, don't you think Rick Pollitt already knew what was coming from the Governors Office?

    That's what nakes all this information so scary. I'm 100% confident Fredericksen also knew about this.

    Now, what ELSE is coming down the Pike for the BOE? Only O'Malley O'Pollitt and O'Fredericksen know.

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  11. To Commenter 11:40

    Now keep in mind that that cost is going to rise each and every year as the contributions are indexed to salary increases.

    It really is an economic quagmire - and I'm afraid that the average Joe Blow doesn't realize the economic impact it is going to have on our community.

    Looking back at the council's recent decision - it was a very good thing they did vote the school down.

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  12. Folks this has been on and off again issue for several years. It wont pass. To many implications to all counties

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  13. Our governor raising taxes on everything but the air we breathe and passing expenses back to us in return.Can't blame me I didn't vote for him.

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  14. 12:17 PM:

    Keep in mind that the only 2 votes representing you are Conway and Mathias. They claim to have not even known that 10% of the local cut of Slot Revenues was, by law, going to go to Baltimore City Schools. You see, O'Malley planned all along to use Teacher Pension money to fund schools grants he was going to give to the Counties. The Counties can argue that the schools were being paid for by the State and that the Pension funding requirement was a "new" requirement for increasing taxes. What's worse is that any additional Teacher Union concessions by the State can be pushed off to the Counties to fund once this Bill is approved. Cute!

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  15. $3.8M? Isn't $3.8M equal to Wicomico County's entire annual road's pavement and repair budget. HUMMMM

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  16. 11:02 - Legally the BOE board must appoint and approve the members of "management's" side of the bargaining table before negotations even start. Nothing in COMAR says it has to be BOE management employees, though it always has been. Stacy Messick,one of the two just fired, has led management's team of administrators representing the school board. Across the State, negotiations need to be tightened. The future costs of those contracts just continue to skyrocket and with this legislation, it is clear the state is no longer willing or able to mop up the costs. The local negotiators are no match for the powerful statewide teachers union, and those management employees negotiating for the board get the same benefits that the teachers union negotiates anyway.

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  17. Of course Dr. Fredericksen knew this was coming. Anyone who thinks he ever tells the complete truth is probably a Board member. It is so much easier for them to believe every word he says and to question nothing. At least voters could get rid of elected school board members who won't hold a superintendent accountable.

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  18. This is just a small part of HB-87. I just went over the complete bill. It raises taxes on many commodities, adds dales tax to all electronic materials, media, downloads, ebooks, ringtones; the list goes on,then it takes away tax deductions normally found on our tax returns. Then is slips in a little tiny line that raises the tax on ALL tobacco from 15% to 70%! Coming down near the end, it spells out how many millions the Governor can transfer out of some 5o funds to the general find. You know, funds like different cancers, child diseases, education, mental health, funds that we pay into for their specific purpose!

    I recommend everyone take some time to read and then write your Reps. on this one.

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  19. The teachers union is getting ready to suck our wallets empty.

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  20. Joe - you want to know what really irks me. I am self-employed and the only pension that I have is what I earn.

    Now - the schoolteachers are going to not only get a big chunk of my real property tax revenues - but also I'm going to pay for their retirements.

    And yes - I firmly believe that Pollitt knew this was coming - and that is why he pushed so hard for the County Council to pass the BMS project. He knew it from the get-go. That Bast. . . I'll never vote for him ever again.

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  21. Omg, if the counties really do get a 'seat' at the union neg table, lets hope Wicomico County outsources' this position. We simply cannot afford to have someone representing us who thinks they can handle it.

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  22. Funny thing, the State has allowed the salaries and teachers unions to go crazy, backing the counties in a corner with no power, now they want the counties to pay for the votes that they bought themselves.

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  23. 1:03, are you stupid? Who do you think was going to pay it before? You were, but through your state taxes. Just a side note. Teachers pay for their pensions, they are not free to them.

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  24. 4:03 Posting -

    Basically, and purely from a taxpayers perspective - the school officials have acted as if they are entitled to money that they do not control. It really is an intimidation and coercion tactic against the taxpayers. I believe that if HB-87 does pass - it will ultimately be challenged in a federal court as it will enjoin taxpayers money to the BOE. In which case I believe it will be ruled as unconstitutional. Then school officials could be found liable for racketeering as I believe this constitutes unlawful commandeering of taxpayers money.
    This really is an illegal manuever.

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  25. Reference 5:01 Post where you said
    'Teachers pay for their pensions'

    Good - then maybe Wicomico residents can have their 3.8 million dollars back.

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  26. I saw where the MSTA now wants to have the newly proposed county paid pensions excluded from the maintenance of effort requirement.

    How much more of a ponzi scheme can that be. Talk about being unfair to the average Joe Blow - yiks - please give me a break.

    The MSTA truly is a lawless union.

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  27. Teachers pensions were recently raised 3% this year. The 3% does not go to their pension. It goes into the general fund.
    This is just another example of a teacher tax that the general public does not see.
    Something needs to be done with education as a whole. If anyone saw the paycheck of the average teacher they would be amazed.

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