Golf clap for pension reforms

The Boston Herald lays out the reforms,

The bill will end some of the most egregious abuses of the system – including one that has allowed state employees to inflate their pensions by including as “regular compensation” housing expenses, parking and other perks. Let’s call that one the “Billy Bulger provision” after the former Senate president and University of Massachusetts head who went to court to fight for his right to milk the public to include those perks. The bill would end the practice that allows workers to claim an entire year of service by merely showing up for one day into the new year and the one that allows anyone injured on the job while subbing at a higher pay grade to claim a higher pension.

Also ended would be the practice of allowing elected officials to puff up their pensions by serving on, say, the local library board for a few years. In the future a job would have to pay more than $5,000 a year to count toward creditable service. And elected officials tossed out by the voters would not longer be able to claim a “termination allowance.”

And we are assured that the MBTA’s loony 23-years-and-out rule will be dealt with in the upcoming transportation reform package.

Sean Murphy has more in the Globe.

I give them a golf clap. Is this the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end for reform on Beacon Hill? Let’s be honest, all they did was get rid of some real pig at the trough behavior that they created and exploited for decades. What happens when the truly difficult issues come up or the public loses interest? Is anyone really bullish on the prospect of organic reform on Beacon Hill?

I liked Jay Fitz take at the mighty Hub Blog,

Passage of pension reforms is undeniably good news. It’s a rare reform victory in Massachusetts. But it’s that rarity — and the way foot-dragging lawmakers were forced to grudgingly pass reforms — that mutes celebrations. The pension abuses have indeed been going on “for decades.” They were not just recently revealed. The reforms were only passed after massive political pressure was brought to bear following the indictment of the third straight House speaker. There are other “egregious” pension loopholes that need closing. There’s more to do. … But, yes, I’m happy some very solid reforms have passed — and Gov. Patrick deserves to take a bow. I just want to see a lot more evidence that lawmakers collectively “get it.”

I have to disagree on Deval however. He’s the same guy that tried recently to stuff Marian Walsh into that $175K/yr job that was empty for twelve years. Deval Patrick who has added 2000 to the state payrolls? The same guy who appointed Aloisi? The same guy who only took a reform stand once the writing was on the wall, in 100 font, all caps, in bold.