Marin Firefighter News

A San Jose firefighter who suffered an on-scene heart attack is awake and alert after a week of unconsciousness. Frank Ryan collapsed Aug. 30 while on the scene of a fire at St. Patrick's Cathedral in downtown San Jose.

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On the last day of the legislative session, the California Senate and Assembly approved legislation that imposes sweeping changes in California's public pension system. 

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 As lawmakers prepared to vote Friday on an historic rollback of retirement security, critics say the proposed pension deal usurps collective bargaining and is unbecoming of politicians who claim to support the Middle Class.

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 The San Jose Mercury News joined a growing list of those who are saying NO to Prop. 32 -- the Special Exemptions Act. "A sham," says the Merc, "that would magnify the influence of wealthy interests while shutting out many middle class voters."

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Agreement with Legislature Imposes Lower Tier for New Hires, Pension Salary Cap, Phased-in Mandatory Cost Sharing

At a news conference in Los Angeles, Gov. Jerry Brown announced an agreement that will take public employee retirement security back to the Reagan years.

The plan – hashed out with legislative leaders behind closed doors – imposes a range of rollbacks, all without the benefit of collective bargaining.

• New lower tier for almost all employees – local, state, teachers, the works. Public safety retirement would top out at 2.7% at 57;
• A cap on pensionable income -- $110,000 for those who pay Social Security; $130,000 for those who don’t.
• Mandatory cost sharing immediately, for all new employees, and by 2018, for current employees;
• Three-year final compensation averaging;
• Limits on pensionable compensation, airtime purchases, pension holidays and retroactivity.

You can read the governor’s media release HERE.

CPF President Lou Paulson had the following statement on the governor's announcement: