Today the State of Alabama spends roughly $1 billion per year on pension costs and that number has been increasing in an unsustainable manner.

We will increase employee retirement contributions over three years. Once fully implemented, those increases will result in a savings of over $100 million for state government.

We will control taxpayer expenditures on public employee health benefits. State insurance boards will now be given the opportunity to make changes and come up with new ideas for health cost savings.]

The whole point of being a state employee is for the benefits you get as said employee. Why take from them? You have taken in every other manner too. I know there needs to be cuts, why not start by cutting the ridiculously high salaries from all you senators and government politicians? You say, “We will be called on to do without.” Well, some of us are already doing w/o. Some of us were relying on the pension & retirement of our jobs to survive after we quit work.

Between gas, food, and living costs increasing and the loss of raises from work, because of cut backs, how in the world is ANYONE suppose to rise above all this? I can barely put gas in my car to get to work, let alone feed my growing kids, and all my immediate bills (electric, water, etc..) keeps going up too. I haven’t been allowed a raise in 3 yrs because of cut backs. How can I continue to survive?

This world is going to pot.