NYS Governor trying to dismantle the DEC ECO’s

[Gator]

I spitballed the 60K figure based on the cost of pensions divided by the number of retirees. It could be more or less, but I do know that there was only a single pensioner taking home >$300K (and he'd worked forever) and only 7 folks taking home more than $200K. Nobody is getting rich, for sure. Since I'm not in the public sector, in truth I know jack about how it works. I see Brian chimed in; I wonder if maybe our resident officers might?

[HB2]

20, 40 , 60 , 200 k , really isn't the issue . With all the state and political pensions that have to be paid , where is that money coming from ? The combined amount has to be shocking. The long term ramifications of that can't be sustainable . What happens when there isn't enough money funded to pay ? 

 

Personally  , I'd like to see more emphasis put on saving and investing and self reliance at the high school level . Teach kids to save and take care of themselves long term , be forward thinking .

 

Yeah, that will work . What am I thinking ? 

[GAMBLER]

1 hour ago, HB2 said:

20, 40 , 60 , 200 k , really isn't the issue . With all the state and political pensions that have to be paid , where is that money coming from ? The combined amount has to be shocking. The long term ramifications of that can't be sustainable . What happens when there isn't enough money funded to pay ? 

 

Personally  , I'd like to see more emphasis put on saving and investing and self reliance at the high school level . Teach kids to save and take care of themselves long term , be forward thinking .

 

Yeah, that will work . What am I thinking ? 

State pension employees pay into the system.  The Tier I am in, pays 3% for the first 10 years of their career.  After that they don't pay.  Tier 6 (the newest Tier) pays minimum 3.5% for their entire career.  If their salary is over $100,000 per year, they pay 6% (minimum is 3.5% and there is a scale it goes up to $100,000 and 6%).  My retirement is based off of my three highest year average counting overtime.  The new tiers, its solely off of base salary.  There is plenty of money being paid into the system to support it.  The state pension system is getting stronger with the older tiers being phased out and the people in those tiers no longer living.  Once someone dies in the pension system, the money stops.  If you die 2 weeks after retirement, that money does not go to your family.  It stays in the fund unless you have extra money taken out of your retirement check and your spouse gets payments until she dies.  

[jckjr8]

5 hours ago, HB2 said:

Is that 60 k before the benefit package ? 

 

If a lot are making less than a lot are making more if that's the median . 

 

To pay for that retirement , 1 million dollars + would have to be invested to fully fund that at 6% return . Does the state have that ? We all know that answer . So who pays that 42 year old till he lives to 100 + the way life span gets older ? Sure he earned it but it needs to get paid for . Where does that money come from ? There are only so many rich people the state can shake down . And they are leaving in drpves and taking their state income tax bill with them . Which leaves it to the rest of us.  

Tom Gallisiono took 11.5 million to Fla. For just one . 

 

 

That 60k is just wages not benefits. Also NYS does not take state taxes from state retirement. I'm also curious if that 60 includes all police (town/village cops) or just state troopers? I don't think the difference in 20 and out vs 25 and out is causing a recruiting issue. They have issues with recruiting troopers and have had to lower standards. Maybe the state needs to do a better job of showing these jobs in a higher light and people would want to be an eco or a trooper. 

[nasc620]

Paying in on your retirement depends on what Tier you’re in and what retirement plan you have.  I’m in Tier 2 and didn’t have to pay in.  The recruiting issue is who wants to be a police officer this day and age with all the negativity towards them.  Also the recruiting issue for PBA of NYS is  who wants to work 25 years when you can go to another department and work 20.  When we retire we still have to pay for our health care benefits, we don’t get them for free (I’m guessing that the same for all state employees).  In our retirement system we get 50% at 25 years of service. We get 1.66% per year after that up to 32 years to max out at 62%. The troopers get 50% at 20 years then 1.66% per year up to 32 years and max out at 70%

[Lucky13]

On 4/21/2024 at 2:32 PM, GAMBLER said:

State pension employees pay into the system.  The Tier I am in, pays 3% for the first 10 years of their career.  After that they don't pay.  Tier 6 (the newest Tier) pays minimum 3.5% for their entire career.  If their salary is over $100,000 per year, they pay 6% (minimum is 3.5% and there is a scale it goes up to $100,000 and 6%).  My retirement is based off of my three highest year average counting overtime.  The new tiers, its solely off of base salary.  There is plenty of money being paid into the system to support it.  The state pension system is getting stronger with the older tiers being phased out and the people in those tiers no longer living.  Once someone dies in the pension system, the money stops.  If you die 2 weeks after retirement, that money does not go to your family.  It stays in the fund unless you have extra money taken out of your retirement check and your spouse gets payments until she dies.  

You can opt for a reduced payout while you are alive and the pension continues for your spouse until his or her death.  

 

The NYS Pension fund is one of the healthiest out there.  Mr. DiNapoli is doing a fine job of managing the fund.  

[rolmops]

On 4/21/2024 at 10:31 AM, Gator said:

Based on the pension numbers that I saw reported for NYS policemen, the average works out to ~$60K a year. That's average - so there must be a significant portion who make less than that. IMHO it would be tight living on a pension of that size, particularly if it's taxed and you have a family with kids getting toward college age. And I don't know how it adjusts for inflation...if you retire at 42, you hopefully have lots of living left. No wonder so many cops retire to second careers. 

 

All in all, and doubly-so given the current climate, I bet they earn every penny of that pension. 

As far as inflation adjustment is concerned, not so good. During the first five or maybe six years of retirement there is no inflation adjustment. Afterwards, there is yearly adjustment of maximum 3% per year.

[rolmops]

The 20 or 25 years are the first possibility to retire and get healthcare paid for by the state not all of it, but somewhere around 80%. That really is the important thing. Because it provides healthcare for families.

Many officers will stay in service until their kids are out of college because then the kids have healthcare until the age of 23.

For those who want to start out in a new career this is a very good benefit, because healthcare is taken care of.

I wonder what would happen if the ECOs would somehow manage to become part of the policeman's trade union. That would probably drastically change the picture.

[Gill-T]

I think law enforcement is all under the same PBA union. The DEC ECO’s could not use lethal force if they didn’t have the protection of a large police union representing them. They would be put in jail or sued out of existence without the blanket protection of the PBA. 

[1lastweekend]

My son just got a job as a seasonal assistant NYS Forest Ranger for the summer.  He is set to graduate from the SUNY ESF Ranger school with a degree in En Con next month.  I know he is interested in becoming a full time NYS Forest Ranger, and from what I have read these positions are sworn officers and take a 6 month NYS academy training that combines law enforcement training with en con training.  Are these positions also part of the PBA union, or is this something different?  I thought I saw above where someone said they were, but I get the forest ranger position confused with the game warden...

[nasc620]

Yes forest rangers are in the same union as encon officers