Massive unfunded pension liabilities: political malfeasance?

The absolute fraud of pension accounting of unimaginable scale. Citizens and businesses need to understand this is a massive generational transfer of liabilities. Current benefits have neither been adequately funded nor accounted for. They have been essentially hidden... and abused. Willful political malfeasance?

“Despite the introduction of new accounting standards, the vast majority of state and local governments continue to understate their pension costs and liabilities by relying on investment return assumptions of 7-8 percent per year. This report applies market valuation to pension liabilities for 649 state and local pension funds. Considering only already-earned benefits and treating those liabilities as the guaranteed government debt that they are, I find that as of FY 2015 accrued unfunded liabilities of U.S. state and local pension systems are at least $3.846 trillion, or 2.8 times more than the value reflected in government disclosures. Furthermore, while total government employer contributions to pension systems were $111 billion in 2015, or 4.9 percent of state and local government own revenue, the true annual cost of keeping pension liabilities from rising would be approximately $289 billion or 12.7 percent of revenue. Applying the principles of financial economics reveals that states have large hidden unfunded liabilities and continue to run substantial hidden deficits by means of their pension systems.” 

Here's just one of the many analyses in the article: we suggest you check out your state, county, and city. The status may very well determine the future solvency of your state or municipality... or your future tax bill.

http://www.hoover.org/research/hidden-debt-hidden-deficits-2017-edition