KPERS caper

? Once again the state?s public employee retirement program could be at risk for political gain.

Gov. Sam Brownback apparently has decided to undo what legislators accomplished a couple of years ago with his decision to ?borrow? funds from KPERS to help offset his income tax cuts that have put Kansas into a deep financial hole.

A few years ago, Kansas had the second-worst funded public employee retirement program in the nation because of deliberate underfunding. Following the fix in 2012, Kansas was again ranked in the middle of the pack.

How do we underfund state workers? pay, then not even assure them of even a somewhat decent retirement as a payback? For many, that is their only hope for a retirement above the poverty level. The KPERS program used to be one major incentive for competent workers to leave the private sector and serve the public good. Without it, who?ll work for the state that we actually want working there? ?DR

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