One of the reasons state government, localities and school districts face such difficult financial challenges is the high cost of retirees’ pensions.

The Empire Center for Public Policy website recently posted public pensions paid to 342,543 retired state and local government employees. It shows nearly 1,400 retirees receiving at least $100,000 a year. Many of them are retired police and firefighters.

Some of the eye-opening pensions included a $105,221 annual pension for former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, who resigned in 2006 after pleading guilty to using state workers as chauffeurs and companions for his wife; a $96,085 pension for former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, who retired before being convicted in a public corruption case; a $75,012 pension for former Sen. Guy Velella, who pleaded guilty in a bribery case; and a $261,037 annual pension for a former teacher.

The information shows that among employees who retired in 2009, the average annual pension allowance was $62,208 for Police and Fire Retirement System employees and $25,947 for Employee Retirement System members.

Among public-employee retirees of local interest, a former Gloversville police chief receives a pension of $41,258 per year; a former Gloversville fire chief receives a pension of $31,327; a former Fulton County Family Court judge receives a pension of $67,226; a former local school district superintendent received a pension of $89,865 in 2009; and a former local athletic director received a pension of $90,423 in 2009, according to the website, found at www.seethroughny.net…

Read article here