Monterey, CA Pension Benefits Can Not Be Cut In California

Government pension cuts, it turns out, are not that easy to do.  A flurry of cities and states across the nation have tried to slash pensions, only to be met with a flurry of lawsuits.    There have been perplexing results in the litigation.  In Arizona, California, Oregon and New York, for instance, the courts have ruled that pension plans for existing workers cannot be cut.  They can be cut, however, for new hires.  But in Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico and South Dakota, the courts have given government officials free reign to cut pension benefits.   “It’s a real hodgepodge, and in a lot of states, I don’t think it’s completely clear,” David Skeel, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, told The New York Times.  I guess we should be thankful we live in a state where pension benefits are guaranteed.