CALIFORNIALEGISLATURE
STATECAPITOLSACRAMENTO,CALIFORNIA
95814
April10,2012TheHonorableJerryBrownGovernor,StateofCaliforniaStateCapitol,FirstFloor
Sacramento,CA95814RE:ConferenceCommitteeonPublicEmployeePensions(S.B.827andA.B.340)
DearGovernorBrown:Asyouareaware,onOctober26,
2011,
theConferenceCommitteeonPublicEmployeePensionsconvenedforthefirsttimetodiscussthe"CurrentConditionofPublicEmployee
BenefitsandReformEfforts."Thefollowingday,youpubliclyreleasedyourTwelvePoint
PensionReformPlanthat"...willbegintoreducethetaxpayerburdenforstateretiree
healthcarecostsandwillputCaliforniaonamoresustainablepathtoprovidingfairpublicretirementbenefits."Itisnowfivemonthslaterandtheconferencecommitteehasnotheldahearingtodiscuss
yourspecificpensionreformlanguagenorhasittakenavoteonthetwelvepointpension
planyouproposed.Giventheimportanceofthisissueandthelackofdirectlegislative
actionbytheconferencecommittee,wehaverequestedavoteonyourpensionplanasitis
reflectedinSB1176(Huff)/AB2224(Smyth)andSCA18(Huff)/ACA22(Smyth)atthe
nextconferencecommitteehearingpresentlyscheduledforApril13,2012.Wealso
requestedthatyouandyourrepresentativesbeinvitedtoappearatthehearingtotestifyin
supportofyourpensionreformplan.
(PleaseseeattachedlettertoSenatorNegreteMcLeod
andAssemblyman
Furutani.)
California'sstateandlocalpensiondebtishundredsofbillionsofdollarsandgrowingevery
day.Thisunsustainabledebtiscrowdingoutmoneyforotherservicesandprogramssuchas
educationandpublicsafety.Wehopeyouwilljoinustodemandimmediatelegislative
actiononyourtwelvepointpensionplan,whichwebelieverepresentsthefirststepsthat
mustbeenactedtogetourrunawaypensionsystemundercontrol.