$25 million hidden over 7 years

Supreme Court star Tom Goldstein sentenced to six years in prison for hiding millions in poker winnings from the IRS

A prominent Washington lawyer who argued more than 40 cases before the Supreme Court was handcuffed in a Maryland courtroom Friday after a federal judge sentenced him to six years in prison for tax evasion and financial fraud tied to a secret high-stakes gambling habit.

Thomas Goldstein, 56, stood before U.S. District Judge Lydia Griggsby in Greenbelt, Maryland, at the end of a day-long hearing and heard a sentence that caps one of the most dramatic falls in modern legal Washington.

The Democrat and co-founder of the widely read legal news site SCOTUSblog (I read this blog) had asked the court for leniency, his defense lawyers requested a term of supervised release that would let him "repay his debts, address his gambling addiction and contribute to society." Griggsby rejected that request outright.

Prosecutors had pushed for more than eight years. The judge split the difference but made clear she saw no ambiguity in the evidence. Reuters reported that Griggsby told the courtroom, "Every American understands that they have an obligation to pay taxes," and added bluntly: "I don't think this is a close case."

Read about it...

Two DEA Agents convicted of Bribery and Fraud

'Greed and corruption': Federal jury convicts veteran DEA agents in bribery conspiracy

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal jury convicted two longtime U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration supervisors Wednesday of leaking confidential information to defense attorneys as part of a bribery conspiracy that prosecutors say imperiled high-profile cases and the lives of overseas drug informants.

The Manhattan jury found John Costanzo Jr. and Manny Recio guilty of bribery and honest-services wire fraud after a two-week trial that cast a harsh light on DEA's handling of government secrets, including testimony about one breach so sensitive the judge closed the courtroom to avoid what he called “serious diplomatic repercussions."

Recio and Costanzo join a growing list of more than a dozen DEA agents convicted of federal charges in recent years, including one who laundered money for Colombian cartels. Another is scheduled to stand trial in January on charges he took $250,000 in bribes to protect the Mafia in Buffalo, New York.

Read about the low lives

It's Never Enough for Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy Extends Greedy Hand with MORE Demands for U.S.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already received BILLIONS in aid from the United States. However, that is not enough, if you ask him.

The greedy leader is now demanding for the U.S. to provide a “full protective shield” of air defense systems to Ukraine, citing a campaign of what he referred to as “Russian missile terror.”

Zelenskyy wants Western allies to provide MORE anti-aircraft systems to protect the entire country. Where are all the billions in military equipment and taxpayer dollars that have already been sent over?

Zelenskyy will make sure that he drags us into a World War. He just put out this scary video--

Twitter video

And knowing the bleeding heart of a president we have, Joe Biden and his administration are probably already drafting the checks to be sent right now.

Read more...

Way too many horrible humans living among us

Pastor And Wife Thrown In Jail After Police Find Something Disturbing Hidden In The Basement

Nothing redeeming about Joe

Biden Cancer Charity Spent Zero on Cancer Research, Millions on Executives' Salaries

Actually, I am surprised about this. Biden has now fallen to the bottom of the barrel of rotten apples.

During the campaign, he used his dead son as well as the tragedy of his first wife's death in campaign ads to garner votes. Really sick. So why should I be surprised?

Read about corrupt Biden...

Employer keeps Employees on Payroll but they're Ticked

Employees Furious When Owner Keeps Paying Them - They Would Have Made More on Unemployment

Well, the majority of people want to go back to work, but these employees are ticked off that their employer kept them on the payroll. They are being paid for doing nothing but doing nothing is worth so much more money in their feeble minds.

Our government passed the Cares Act that gives each unemployed an extra $600 a week because of the coronavirus. Pushed by Democrats, the government really made a grave mistake getting people hooked on the "nanny state."

Read about it...

Let's get America back to work! And once the economy opens again, this spa owner should fire every one of these ungrateful employees.

Greed before the Crash

Multiple Senators Under Fire for Selling Off Millions in Stocks Just Before Market Crash

President Trump was asked this question yesterday by the fake News Media not mentioning one prominent Democrat who was also involved.

Read about it...

"Vote them all out!"

I say, vote them all out if this commission tonight continues to roll over for developers and greed at the expense of our city.

Two interesting items on tonight's Commission Agenda are under Public Hearings.

10-A: This is a joint request by owners John Rinaldi, Thomas C. Greene, and Robert D. Knight to change the zoning of 109, 121, and 125 North Golfview Road from Multi-Family Residential (MF-20) to Downtown (DT). The properties have a future land use designation of Downtown Mixed Use (DMU).

At the time of the December meeting, two of the commissioners had met with John Rinaldi regarding this up-zoning and all but Robinson has taken a campaign contribution.

This is nothing more than greed--three owners out of the four parcels want to make their property more valuable with a commercial zoning and more enticing for a sale. And Lame Duck Omari is all for it!  If this passes, vote them all out!

10-B:  An appeal by two affected parties, Thomas V. Conboy, P.E., and Cliff Kohlmeyer of the Certificate of Appropriateness rendered by the Historic Resources Preservation Board (HRPB) at a public hearing held on September 18, 2019, for HRPB Project number 19-00100207, a request by the Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) for the relocation or demolition of seven (7) contributing resources and three (3) non-contributing resources on the six parcels located at 17 South M Street, 23
South M Street, 24 South L Street, 26 South L Street, 30 South L Street, and 32 South L Street.

In working with City staff, the CRA requested approval from the HRPB to relocate or demolish contributing structures located at 24 South L Street, 26 South L Street, 30 South L Street, and 32 South L Street. It also requested to demolish the non-contributing structures located at 23 South M Street and 24 South L Street.

Our Historic Resource Preservation Board voted 5/2 to approve. This city is hell bent on rolling over to any or all development even going so far as to demolish historic buildings.

Let's seriously consider ending the CRA. Better yet, if this commission approves of this, consider voting them all out.

Greed - A Deadly Sin

On one hand, the deputy did his job--he arrested the bad guy. But on the other hand--he became a bad guy when his greed caused this 2014 PBSO Deputy of the Year his job. He stole over $10,000 from some cocaine cowboy who was a passenger in a vehicle along with two others dealing cocaine. All three were arrested.

Read about it...

Corruption needs to stop at every level of government and this incident, among many others involving people in authority, is why the citizenry will not tolerate it.

You're damn right it's political - The Gulfstream Hotel

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At the first reading of this ordinance a resident who is a former Lake Worth city attorney commented that she supported the ordinance to give Hudson Holdings an upzoning on their parcels known as The Gulfstream Hotel.

Her reasoning: The Gulfstream Hotel had been standing empty for years. There was a need for meeting or wedding rooms to be provided. There was a five or six story nursing home a block away from her home and no one knew that it was there. There was a need for a six-story hotel and a need for it in the City. She said she was sad that people were politicizing this issue. The ordinance was good for the City.

Well, surprise!  OF COURSE, it is political.  We voted on it. And her opinion is just that--opinion by someone who once got her paycheck from the City. Hudson Holdings can build a 45 foot building--they do NOT need a 6 story building, nor do they need a 5 story building in order to make money. Their own attorney said that most hotels needed 120 rooms. There is a difference between NEED and WANT and in this case it is called GREED.  And the city commission of Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso are allowing this to happen and don't give a fig about you and your vote in their desperation for a hotel. They believe in the wants of the owners over their own citizens' vote and prefer to call us liars.

What is GOOD for the city is to honor the vote on the Heights Charter Amendment. This commission trio chooses to believe an investor over the people who the "visionaries" have accused in a public meeting of lying to get the vote. It wasn't the people who promised 20 months ago that renovations would begin at the Gulfstream within 9 months. We the people only care about our city--not the almighty dollar or who Hudson Holdings wants to flip the property to. So who do you find the most honest?

We are allowed to amend our Charter.

Action:3/2 with McVoy and Maier dissenting.

In 27 days, we gathered 1790 signatures that were gathered by 43 volunteers. Some only got their next door neighbor but every signature was important. We even had John Szerdi turning in two signatures.

Greed, one of the Deadly Sins

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Stop coveting. Stop stealing. Read the Ten Commandments and understand the seven deadly sins. Go to church, temple, whatever. If you're not satisfied with your present circumstances, stop blaming everyone. Get off the couch. Look for a job. Take honest responsibility for your own life.

Greed gets you into all sorts of trouble.  There was a guy who walked into a kitchen of a restaurant and demanded a plate of food all the while wielding a butcher knife.  The owner complied. After all, it is the Christmas holidays and the spirit of giving and all that jazz or so he probably thought in spite of that big knife in his face.  The hungry guy wanted his plate packed higher with vittles..not enough food he said.  The owner complied again.  Then the criminal grabbed for a change jar with $104--that's when the owner took action.

Read about the greedy, hungry criminal

Casey, Ciklin, was it the Culture?

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The facts

Boose, Casey, Ciklin, Lubitz, Martens, O’Connell was the law firm we originally hired to help negotiate the Greater Bay contract, a contract that was signed by former Vice Mayor Retha Lowe when it was ripped out of the hands of the then mayor Marc Drautz in November 2006.  The following year, William Boose, a partner  at Casey Ciklin, went to prison, involved in the Masilotti scandal that put Masilotti in federal prison. The firm dropped the name of Boose.

Long time partner, Patrick Casey who helped start his firm in 1985, retired in 2012 and the firm immediately dropped the name Casey from the masthead. The firm did not honor his retirement benefits and he had to sue them in the amount of $511,200 and his share of the firm. Even the judge on the case said that managing partner Alan Ciklin's  testimony and credibility were questionable. Patrick Casey was just awarded $2.2 million and the firm is going to appeal. The judgment also affects every partner individually.

It came out during the trial that Casey, Ciklin had two sets of balance sheets dated October 31, 2012, the very day that Patrick Casey retired.  The Judge said that the evidence regarding another partner in the firm, Richard Martens, was a "charade being played out in order to manipulate a matter pending in the Family Division of this Court."

So, if a firm treats its founder this way and covers up for another partner in trying to eliminate alimony payments, and helped a former county commissioner hide profits from a land deal, you can't help but ask the question, "what else is or has been going on there throughout these 30 years?"  Is this the culture? You have to ask yourself, have all of their clients been represented fairly?

One of the partners, Brian Joslyn, was also the attorney that the City of Lake Worth hired to sue the petitioners on August 21, 2007 of We Love Lake Worth Political Action Committee of which Commissioner McVoy was the Chair. We Love Lake Worth, Inc. and its supporters were against the City's attempt to change our beach to a commercial zoning and allow a developer to grab our 19 acres of prime beachfront to develop a mall along with a parking garage. There was a citizens' law suit back then, McCauley/McNamara, against Greater Bay that stated it was not a 20 year lease but a 40 plus year lease as the development agreement had no time period where  performance was demanded. They could have tied up our beach for 100 years and our own attorneys missed this important factor. The WLLW case was dropped on June 23, 2009 after Greater Bay was relieved from its contract for non-performance. The private citizens' suit was dropped as well.

Casey, Ciklin represented the City of Lake Worth. They helped to negotiate the unfavorable Greater Bay contract and then after Greater Bay stalled for years and did nothing, they became our lawyers after the contract was terminated by the City Commission for non-performance. Who better to hire than the firm that actually helped draw up the original deal?  Brian Joslyn was then again appointed our "counsel," who helped drag out the case over three years and cost us $900,000 in legal fees just to end up recommending that we settle with Peter Willard and group (Greater Bay) for $1.6  million dollars. 

Joslyn put on some "mock" trials regarding Greater Bay. It never was mentioned in that public settlement meeting that he was arguing for Greater Bay during those "pretend" trials. Joslyn, the lawyer who was supposedly on our side, said that we "could have" lost millions more because he conducted four mock juries that "said so," a mockery in itself. This was all confirmed by Scott Maxwell. This majority commission that aligns itself with the original commission that got us into all of this costly predicament (other than Szerdi who was not yet elected and Christopher McVoy who was against Greater Bay) fell for the settlement deal, hook, line and "stinker."

Aside from this settle at all costs culture that we have at City Hall (suing its citizens is an exception), we put our faith and money in this firm and it cost us a bundle. Casey, Ciklin has been/is one of the most prominent long-time firms in Palm Beach County and now it's going to cost all of them with their prominent name dragged through the courts.

Letters to the Editor - Don't destroy John Prince Park for greed

Letters to the Editor

Palm Beach Post
May 1, 2014


Don’t ruin park for profit

Please don’t let John Prince Park be ruined by greed and tax revenues for Lake Worth, which may or may not come through. The city of Lake Worth doesn’t even own the park. The county owns it. When did the laws of this county and state allow Lake Worth and the County Commission to sell off close to a quarter of the park? And who is going to benefit from this? It won’t be the residents in this area. If they really want to do this, let them build it on the Palm Beach State College property. Or the old hospital property on Lantana Road east of Interstate 95. Please listen to the people and not the money interests.

RICHARD WILMOTH, LANTANA


Song says it all; don’t destroy park

To quote Joni Mitchell, “We don’t know what we’ve got till it’s gone. They paved paradise and put in a parking lot.” Describes the proposed sale of John Prince Park to developers to build a baseball stadium.

THOMAS VRANEK, NORTH PALM BEACH

CLICK HERE to say NO to a Spring training field at John Prince Park

It is all about Greed

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It is always unsettling when you realize that the church has committed a sin--that of Greed, which is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. In fact, it is a cardinal sin. Some people might think that the church was "evil" in what it did and categorize its action as lustful appetite, (gluttony, or extreme avarice). Yes, the church has the right to make money but look at what has been lost because of its action.

ROBERT DAVIDSSON, West Palm Beach, wrote a good opinion piece for the Palm  Beach Post today on the recent approval of the West Palm Beach Commission regarding the sale of the Chapel on the Lake property for a 22 story condo highrise to be built on the waterfront, blocking gorgeous views forever.

"The losers are the people of West Palm Beach. Citizens have lost another section of the waterfront to an emerging condominium wall along the Lake Worth Lagoon. Smart developers know how to game the city’s existing zoning variance rules and will continue to do so. As the result of the City Commission’s action, more high-rise projects will follow along Flagler Drive."

Read his point of view.

Chapel By the Lake - Quotes of the Day

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Another part of our Florida waterfront skyline soon will be gone--zip, over, done.


The West Palm Beach Commission approved a 22 story condo to be built on the Chapel by the Sea property on the Intracoastal Waterway.  Last night, residents talked for two hours, mostly against it...no one on the commission heard. The Commission believes that it is private property and people can do what they want with it as long as it is within their zoning codes.  Why can't waterfront property be protected?  Why do commissions constantly give waiver after waiver so that developers can come in and do what they want with property within our State?  Why does a city like West Palm Beach or Lake Worth go around a vote all for their development aspirations?  They got rid of Lois Frankel years ago and look what happened to her--now a United States Congresswoman. Can it get any worse than that?  It is no wonder residents believe there is corruption.

Quotes from the meeting:

• Mayor Jeri Muoio:  "We all, we all, find it incredibly insulting that people suggest there's money being exchanged, there's corruption going on."

• Associate pastor of the First Baptist church, Kevin Mahoney:  "We're very pleased with the work of the city commission to accomplish this project for our city."  What he failed to say, 'We will make double digit millions to block the waterfront."

• Kilday Associates, Planners on behalf of the developer:  "Almost every recent major development in the city has received waivers."  Why do we have a Comprehensive Plan when waivers are dished out like M&M's to anyone who asks?

• Former jailbird West Palm Beach commissioner Jim Exline who spent 10 months in a Federal Prison:  "Developer's concessions make it palatable."

Anthony Pugliese and powerful developer interests

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On March 11, 2013, a Judge agreed to return the passports of Delray Beach developer Anthony Pugliese and his business manager Joseph Reamer as they await trial on charges they stole nearly $1.2 million from Subway franchise founder Fred DeLuca in a failed land development, Destiny, Florida. He's back in the news today. Even though he's facing grand theft and money laundering charges as well as stealing approximately $1.2  million...he now has asked the Judge to allow him to travel to Italy for 9 days.

The Destiny project had been highly controversial and contentious from inception. In 2009 Osceola County proposed an amendment in its comprehensive building plan for a "new city overlay on more than 500,000 acres in a rural area in the county," which would allow for the construction of the Destiny development as well as several other large-scale projects. The Florida Department of Community Affairs opposed the amendment, citing the Florida’s Growth Management Act and stating the amendment would contribute to urban sprawl. The PB Post back in 2009 said "it is an inappropriate exploitation of natural resources and will be a setback for Florida."

In 2011, Florida legislators wiped out 30 years of growth management law and passed measures to restrict the public from challenging controversial development projects in the name of economic development. We here in Lake Worth know what all these shenanigans are about and have been dealing with developer backed politicians for years. Recently the Lake Worth city commission denied the results of an election to change its Charter held this past March that would have limited heights in downtown Lake Worth to 4 stories because of some law that Rick Scott passed in June 2013, three months AFTER the election, that they say makes our vote moot. This is being challenged. The commission has now passed an overlay Hotel District allowing heights to go to 6 stories.

Throughout the years, Florida residents have had to challenge those with the power--developers and politicians, and those sitting on major boards who are forcing heights and/or sprawl even believing their own lies and twisting the truth to get their way. Lobbyists, politicians and those hell bent on ruining our State and local  municipalities, continue to effect laws under the guise of "we need growth" and the hell with what you want and your quality of life and the Florida environment.

And Anthony Pugliese gets to have a European vacation.

Greedy developers get whopping fine for criminal actions involving Florida wetlands

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“The defendants adversely impacted wetlands, which play a critical role in maintaining water quality, providing habitat for fish and wildlife, reducing flood damage, and providing recreational opportunities for the public”, said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance. “The sentences show that EPA, in conjunction with its federal and state law enforcement partners, will vigorously investigate and seek prosecution for those who harm these essential natural resources.

The two defendants were ordered to pay a criminal fine totaling $2.25 million dollars, the largest criminal fine assessed for wetlands-related violations in Florida history. D’Isernia was sentenced to pay a $100,000 criminal fine, while Lagoon Landing, LLC was sentenced to pay a $2.15 million criminal fine, a $1 million community service payment, and a term of three years probation."

Read more... at Huntington News.

And the winner is...FPL's Lewis Hay

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Photo by Allen Eyestone, PBPost

The winner of the top greedy CEO goes to Lewis Hay of FPL.

Being a defender of American capitalism, I find it impossible to defend greed especially from a public corporation that has a monopoly on life sustaining services--FPL's executive salaries and benefits are truly obnoxious.This is a main reason why liberals continue to come after big business.

There is nothing inherently wrong with executives getting bigger houses and the use of jets ($31 million went for a new jet at FPL just a few years ago) especially if they’re not gaining at the expense of others in a monopolistic business supported by government in that they are allowed to take gigantic tax breaks. When you have a company that votes to pay its top executive, Lewis  Hay, $33  million in salary and benefits, it is a stark reminder of the average American worker who must have and can't live without their product. The average working stiffs' salary is $34,645 with CEO's, on an average,  make a whopping 354% more than the average worker.

The Palm Beach Post reported today that FPL's CEO is the top paid utility executive in the country and he is right in our own back yard. Other utility CEO's highest paid executives:

William Johnson, Duke energey---$28.7 million
Gale Klappa, Wisconsin Energy---$26.7 million
John Rowe, Exelon--- $23 million
Anthony Alexander, FirstEnergy---$19.8 million

Sure, FPL has the lowest residential rates in Florida. Who wouldn't, when they can buy things much cheaper than can the small utility. They have the synergies that can provide efficiency and get better rates for virtually everything, even their cost of money. They buy in gigantic bulk that lowers prices. They have people in their pockets and lobbyists (5 lobbyist firms made an average of $500,000 a piece...source Wikipedia) up the wazoo and they are driving out competition with their advantages.  With money, especially the rate payer's, you can do just about anything.  Hell, they even have some Lake Worth residents pushing for FPL to buy our Lake Worth utility. They continually ask for rate increases, all in the name of long-term investment. FPL continues to rake in the profits while those who need their product can't find jobs or feed their families and many have lost their homes. Last year FPL reported $14 BILLION in revenue.

Florida Power & Light, whose service territory stretches from South Florida to the southern borders of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, charges just $93.23--add on the 6% franchise fee and it brings up the residential rate to $98.82 for 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity, 1000 kilowatt hours used as a benchmark of what a small residence uses in an average month. Lake Worth's comparable rate is $119.55 but we need to charge $20 more in order to operate our city and to fill in the pot-holes.

Click here to read about the obnoxious corporate CEO salaries of greedy executives, the only real winners, along with their shareholders, of these companies.

Media Bias

The other evening, while at Walgreens, I spotted this headline. I couldn't help but think that this is a headline that could be in many cities across the country, especially close to home. So why isn't it? Corruption comes in many forms. It doesn't have to be just the guy who is involved in pay-to-play.

Decades ago, towns used to have two newspapers with each having its own bias. At least you got to read both sides of the argument. Here in Palm Beach County, the PBPost had a morning and an evening edition of its paper. Today and for the most part, the media is liberal and supports the socialistic agenda of Barack Obama. Locally, the news editor has always supported the developer side's argument over us "poor slobs" lumping us all into what he believes as one anarchist group if you have any contrary thought or opinion. In fact, he goes so far to ridicule when he suggests that Commissioner McVoy prove his statements--in his opinion, McVoy's memory is not good enough and discounts the entire Tri-Meeting held in January 2012 because of no audio and insufficient Minutes, even though it was the Mayor who referenced the Tri-Meeting during a workshop on the LDR's this week saying at one discussion point that "they had a consensus."

Gallup Polls show that most Americans do not have confidence in the media "to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly," according to Wikipedia. In 2011 a 60% majority reported a perception of media bias, with 47% saying mass media was too liberal, 13% too conservative. Prevalence of the perception of bias was highest among partisans, with 78% of conservatives reporting a perception of bias, 53% of liberals reporting a perception of bias and 46% of moderates reporting a perception of bias. Those who view mass media reporting as "just about right" was polled at 36%, in the historic range of Gallup polling. According to Gallup, in every year since 2002 more Americans think the media show liberal bias than think the media show conservative bias.

The confidence level that we have of the media in general is compounded when you include local editors and their one-sided opinions. The press is slanted and predicated today on greed with the power in the hands of too few people.

Maybe, just maybe, we should have media that will report both sides of the issue without slanting the news. Perhaps then, readership will increase and the confidence level in the press will rise once again.

The best Christmas present that the City of Lake Worth needs to give its citizens

The best Christmas present that Lake Worth could give to its citizens is to hire a Union negotiator. This is the most important position that should be filled for the over all health of our city. If we don't solve this immediate problem of employee benefits, nothing else matters. As Union benefits are unsustainable, it will take someone with experience and acumen to negotiate with union leaders on these run-away costs and to look out for taxpayers' interests.

Politicians have gotten us into this mess by agreeing to lucrative contracts when the economy was booming but also they know, if they play ball, those campaign contributions will "keep on a comin."  It is the mindset of some politicians (not only in Union contracts) that "a contract is a contract" and we need to meet the obligation no matter what. We have done this with non-union contracts that cost us some money to terminate which ended up to the betterment of Lake Worth. Unfavorable, costly and unsustainable contracts to our city must be re-negotiated and 2013 is the time to get serious. It's past time.

Over a year ago, Florida State Senator John Thrasher introduced legislation that would prevent governments from collecting union dues from the paychecks of state union workers. This was one beginning in an effort by a politician but Governments all across the country are considering ways to reduce the costs associated with public unions whose paychecks are substantially higher than the private sector.

When Governor Christie of New Jersey was elected he said, "At some point, there has to be parity between what is happening in the real world and what is happening in the public-sector world."

The Leroy Collins Institute issued a report late last year that gave reviews on the financial health of pension plans in 100 Florida cities. Lake Worth got a D rating. One of the problems is less workers supporting those who are retiring as we, along with many cities, have had to lay-off workers in order to meet budget. Other reasons are just plain union greed and politician apathy that are killing cities and killing ours.

Their recommendations for local governments on retiree benefits include:

• The minimum age before a retiree qualifies for benefits should be  gradually raised. A reasonable age to begin receiving benefits could be approximately 60.
• Localities should not include overtime or additional earnings/bonus pay  in the base salary used to calculate pension benefits.
  Recommendations for state government on health benefits:
• Among other options, Florida lawmakers should give much consideration to
  repealing current Florida law requiring the implicit subsidization of healthcare benefits for Florida local governmental retirees.
• State oversight by a relevant state agency should be provided in statute  to manage local retiree health benefit obligations. This agency should establish standards and provide technical assistance, if desired, to local government staff and local officials.  Recommendations for state and local governments on administration and  transparency:
• Cities should set a minimum contribution rate to ensure minimal  contribution levels during good years and reduce the need to significantly increase contributions during periods of fiscal stress.
• The statutory restrictions on the use of premium tax dollars that link  increases in tax premium funds to the provision of additional benefits should be reduced or removed. Cities and counties should be able to use premium tax dollars to cover their current pension obligations.
• Localities should improve the accessibility of funding, actuarial  reporting and liabilities information to its taxpayers.

An editorial that the PB Post got right