Public Pensions

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Why We Need to Take Pension Costs Seriously

Our friends at the Illinois Policy Institute have a new report out on education spending in the Land of Lincoln. The numbers are gobsmacking. In the 2021–22 school year, 39 […]

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Why Are Public Pensions Often Underfunded?

Defined-benefit pension systems are essentially promises. The government promises a specific benefit to beneficiaries when they retire. You would think that these plan participants would want their pension system to […]

Missouri State Capitol>

Testimony: The Need for Real Pension Reform

On Wednesday, September 11, Show-Me Institute Director of Government Accountability Patrick Ishmael will testify on public pension reform before the Missouri Senate MODOT and Patrol Employees’Retirement System Study Committee. Click […]

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We Could Give Teachers a Ten Percent Raise Next Year

In a recent op-ed, I asked, “Why do our best superintendents always leave?” The answer was obvious—the pension system. After working for 30 or 31 years, superintendents can draw almost […]

Support for Teachers? Or Just Some Teachers?

Want to lose the interest of a room quickly? Bring up pensions. In the 1980s, most private-sector employees were in defined-benefit plans that guaranteed them a steady income after retirement. […]

Ask An Economist: Can a Strong Market Fix Missouri’s Pension Crisis?

Can above-average investment returns solve Missouri’s pension crisis? Dr. Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute reveals the answer in our “Ask an Economist” series. Learn more about pension reform […]

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Advancing liberty with responsibility by promoting market solutions for Missouri public policy.