The Problem in Annapolis
Back in the1920s, Maryland’s leaders made a key decision. They decided to make their public school system competitive with the rest of the country by having the state pay teacher pensions while counties would pay for teacher salaries. The idea was that if the entire state pooled its resources into education, Marylanders would be competitive with residents of other states for jobs.
In one sense, it worked. Maryland’s schools have been named number one the States Education Week four years in a row. All over the state, superintendents, principals, teachers, parents and communities are working hard to give Maryland’s kids a better future.
Unfortunately, the state has not held up its end of the deal. Over the last ten years, it has made a series of flawed decisions that have put its teacher pension fund in crisis. The state could have fixed the problems, but it never did.
Now the state wants to make YOU pay for those oversights. State leaders in Annapolis want to shift the responsibility of fixing its pension fund to county governments. That means YOU will face broken schools, decimated fire and police service, higher taxes or maybe all three.
Here’s how the problem was created.
And here’s what you can do about it.
Eastern Shore Counties cannot afford a dysfunctional Teacher Pension System
By Administrator on March 2, 2012
The Eastern Shore counties created a Powerpoint presentation against the teacher pension shift. You can view it by clicking the link below.
ENDORSEMENTS
"We, the undersigned organizations, are opposed to shifting costs for state pensions to county governments. The proposal that has been introduced in the Governor's budget would cost county governments $1.6 billion over the next five years alone. It would force counties to cut local services that residents depend on, from education to parks to arts and culture to libraries to human services to transportation. We call on the General Assembly to protect our community by opposing the shift."
A Wider Circle
· AFSCME Council 67 (Maryland)
· AFSCME Local 1633 (Allegany County)
· Allegany County Government
· Anne Arundel County Fire Fighters Local 1563
· Asian-American Homeownership Counseling, Inc.
· Association of Community Services -- Howard County
· Calvert County Government
· Caribbean Help Center
· Caroline County Government
· Carroll County Government
· CASA de Maryland
· Cecil College
· Cecil County Board of Commissioners
· Cecil County Public Library
· Cecil County Public Schools
· Charles County Government
· Community Clinic, Inc.
· Dorchester County Government
· Education Committee, NAACP MC
· Family Services Inc.
· Frederick County Government
· Garrett County Government
· GUIDE Program, Inc.
· Harford County Government
· Home Care Partners
· Howard County Government and County Council
· Howard County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 21
· Howard County Professional Firefighters Association Local 2000
· Howard County Public Safety Dispatchers Association
· Howard County Public School System
· Jobs Unlimited, Inc.
· Kent County Government
· Latin American Youth/Center Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers
· Liberty's Promise
· Maryland Association of Community Colleges
· Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)
· Maryland Library Association
· Mental Health Association
· Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Local 1664
· Montgomery County Council of PTAs
· Montgomery County Government
· Montgomery County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35
· National Youth Association
· Pain Connection-Chronic Pain Outreach Center, Inc.
· Prince George's County Council
· Prince George's County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 89
· Queen Anne's County Government
· Rebuilding Together Montgomery County
· St. Mary's County Government
· Talbot County Council
· The Dwelling Place
· The Senior Connection of Montgomery County, Inc.
· Threshold Services
· UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO (Montgomery and Prince George's Counties)
· Wicomico County Executive
· Worcester County Government