Jeff Adachi - Pension Reform Advocacy

Pension Reform Advocacy

In 2010, Adachi placed "Proposition B" on the ballot, which would have required employees to increase the level of their contribution to defray the cost of both their pension and health care benefits. Proposition B was defeated, having faced significant opposition from unions and elected officials.

In 2011, Adachi has again placed a charter amendment on the ballot -- "Proposition D"—which would require all employees to pay a base contribution rate towards their pension costs, require higher-earning employees to contribute an additional amount based on their salary level, cap the maximum size of pensions, and eliminate abusive and wasteful practices such as "pension spiking." In response to criticisms leveled at Proposition B, Adachi's new plan exempts the lowest-paid workers from any cost increases, uses a progressive income scale to determine contributions, and does not require any health care contributions. According to the City Controller, Proposition D would save San Francisco as much as $142 million a year, and $1.6 billion over the next ten years. Mayor Ed Lee has offered a competing plan -- "Proposition C"—which would similarly require employees to contribute at a higher level to their pensions, but also requires contributions to cover health care costs. Proposition C is projected to save the city an estimated $1.29 billion over the next ten years.

His campaign has been opposed by the police and firefighter unions, as his pension reform plan would require them to contribute more to their own retirement pensions. When Adachi went to pay his respects at the June, 2011 funeral services honoring San Francisco firefighters, Lt. Vincent Perez and Anthony Valerio who were killed in a house fire in San Francisco's Diamond Heights neighborhood, he was asked to leave by a firefighter. The Fire Chief was unaware that Adachi had been asked to leave and stated that everyone had the right to show their support and respect, and that she did not support the request to leave.