Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Thursday, February 18, 2010
PEW: Hawaii “has failed to sock away any assets” to cover pension liabilities
By News Release @ 2:41 PM :: 9939 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics

PEW Center on the States: The Trillion Dollar Gap: Underfunded State Retirement Systems and the Road to Reform

The Trillion Dollar Gap - State Fact Sheet Hawaii

HAWAII’s management of its long-term pension liability is cause for serious concern and it needs to improve how it handles the bill coming due for retiree health care and other benefits.

The Aloha State has funded only 69 percent of its total pension bill, well below the 80 percent benchmark that the U.S. Government Accountability Office says is preferred by experts. This drop in funding level emerged after the state reduced its annual contributions in 2000 and 2001 and after the dismal investment returns of 2001 and 2002.

In 2005, Hawaii created a defined benefit plan for new employees. The new plan’s benefits are higher than the previous defined benefit plan, but employees now contribute to their retirement. The state also set up an irrevocable trust for its non-pension benefits.

As of fiscal year 2007, Hawaii—like 19 other states—had failed to sock away any assets to cover this long-term bill coming due. Relative to the size of its payroll and population, it has one of the greatest burdens—$10.8 billion—of any state in the country.

image image

image

ADV: Hawaii pension funding lags--Report ranks state as 10th worst in nation, at 68.8%

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii