“Public Employee Pensions: Is it Time to Retire the System?”

In his 2009 State of the State address, Governor Patrick acknowledged “abuses” in Massachusetts’ public pension system and “special benefits for a select few,” and called for “meaningful pension reform this [legislative] session.” This was in response to a number of notable pension scandals that have made headlines recently. According to a Boston Globe investigative report in January 2008, 102 Boston firefighters between 2005 and 2007 retired on disability pensions while temporarily filling in for their supervisors.