Tag: bailout

More Federal Aid to States Not Needed

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.cato.org/blog/more-federal-aid-states-not-needed

Graphic:

Excerpt:

Spending advocacy groups are still claiming that state and local budget “shortfalls” are hundreds of billions of dollars. It is true that tax revenue growth in 2020 was slower than projected before the pandemic, but that is only a “shortfall” if you assume that budgets must always grow at the strong pre‐​pandemic rates. Yet states should know that booms do not last forever. If revenues are growing slower, then states should slow spending growth to match.

Perhaps tax revenues will fall in 2021, as they did in 2009. But that seems unlikely. CBO projected yesterday that real GDP will rise a strong 4.6 percent in calendar 2021. Private forecasters are also projecting solid growth. As incomes rise, state tax revenues should grow. Meanwhile, local governments are gaining from rising house prices because property taxes account for 70 percent of local tax revenues. U.S. house prices in the fourth quarter were up 14.9 percent on the year and are expected to remain strong in 2021.

Author(s): Chris Edwards

Publication Date: 12 February 2021

Publication Site: Cato Institute

Memo To Congress Re Pending Aid To States: America Cannot Bail itself Out – Wirepoints

Mary Pat Campbell
Memo To Congress Re Pending Aid To States: America Cannot Bail itself Out – Wirepoints

Excerpt:

In all the debate about the pending federal aid package for cities and states, you’d think something so obvious would have been said often, but it hasn’t been: America cannot bail itself out.

Bailing the nation as whole out is exactly the idea behind the $350 billion package of federal aid proposed in the American Rescue Plan now pending in Congress. It would provide $220 billion to state governments and $130 billion to local governments.

The allocation is based on population – so far, at least, in the pending bill. For example, Illinois has about 3.9% of the nation’s population, so it would get about $13.6 billion of state and local money, which is about 3.9% of the $350 billion.

Author(s): Mark Glennon

Publication Date: 17 February 2021

Publication Site: Wirepoints

Delta Plans $500 Million Voluntary Staff Pension Contribution

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://simpleflying.com/delta-staff-pension-contribution/

Excerpt:

Delta sponsors defined benefit pension plans for eligible employees and retirees. According to its recent SEC filing, the airline had no minimum funding requirements in 2019 or 2020. There are also no minimum funding requirements in 2021. Based on Delta’s current projections, the airline does not expect any minimum required contributions until 2025.

However, in 2019, Delta voluntarily tipped US$1 billion into pension plans. Last year, because of the cash crunch, Delta only put $49 million in. However, in 2021, Delta plans to upsize that figure and voluntarily put significantly more money into their employee’s pension plans.

“We plan to contribute at least $500 million to these plans in 2021,” says a note buried in Delta’s recent financial filings with the SEC.

Author(s): Andrew Curran

Publication Date: 17 February 2021

Publication Site: Simple Flying

Congress Considers New Multiemployer Pension Reform

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/congress-considers-new-multiemployer-2408608/

Excerpt:

Without congressional intervention, about 100 multiemployer pension plans are expected to become insolvent in the next 20 years, and some much sooner.  In other words, for these pension plans, their liabilities to retired employees and current employees with vested benefits far outweigh their assets and incoming contributions. Although the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is intended to provide a backstop to any insolvencies, the sheer number of plans facing insolvency and the total size of unfunded vested liabilities will bankrupt the PBGC’s multiemployer program as well.  It is against that backdrop that Congress has added the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021 to the COVID-19 relief bill. 

…..

Fourth, the bill would create a special financial assistance program for those plans that are expected to become insolvent in the near future.  Under the bill, the Treasury would grant money to the PBGC, which would then disburse it to eligible plans.  Eligible plans include (a) those in critical and declining status, (b) those that have approved benefit suspensions, (c) those that are in critical status with a funding percentage of less than 40% with more inactive than active participants, and (d) those plans that are already insolvent. The bill would instruct the PBGC to develop regulations within 120 days for applications and to prioritize applications from plans that are (a) insolvent, (b) likely to become insolvent within five years, (c) have a present value of over $1 billion in unfunded vested benefits, or (d) have already implemented benefit suspensions. The money would be paid in a single, lump-sum payment in the amount sufficient to guarantee benefits, without reductions, through 2051.  If a multiemployer plan were to receive financial assistance, it would be required to reinstate any suspended benefits, and repay the amount of benefits previously suspended.  Finally, an employer’s withdrawal liability would be calculated without taking into account this assistance for 15 calendar years after it was received. 

Publication Date: 16 February 2021

Publication Site: JD Supra

The states’ 2020 financials are in: Biden’s billions in new federal aid aren’t needed – Wirepoints Special Report

Mary Pat Campbell
The states’ 2020 financials are in: Biden’s billions in new federal aid aren’t needed – Wirepoints Special Report

Graphic:

Excerpt:

States like Illinois, New York and California have long histories of financial negligence. California ran a budget deficit during seven of the last 16 years, according to a Wirepoints analysis of Pew Charitable Trust data. Connecticut has 10 years of deficits to its name. New York has 11. And Illinois and New Jersey have run budget deficits every year since at least 2004.

And then there’s the problem of pensions. States like Illinois, Connecticut and New Jersey all have amassed hundreds of billions in pension debt – all self-inflicted by state lawmakers.

The pandemic had nothing to do with those past deficits and debts, but that’s exactly what more federal aid would end up paying for.

Author(s): Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner

Publication Date: 16 February 2021

Publication Site: Wirepoints

Multiemployer Pension Plan Bailout Update: The Good News, Bad News, And The Pricetag

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ebauer/2021/02/16/multiemployer-pension-plan-bailout-update-the-good-news-bad-news-and-the-pricetag/?sh=7d41ea2e6fb9

Excerpt:

The legislation states that its objective is “to pay all benefits due” up until 2051. However, experts with whom I spoke explained that this is not intended as a complete funding of all benefits due during the period, but only meant to fill in the gaps so that, added together with their current assets and future contributions, there will be enough funds to pay benefits for the next 30 years.

The bad news:

The text of the legislation, as written at the moment, does not spell out any of these mechanics. Is the plan to require contributions at the same level as these troubled plans are currently paying in, or more, or less? To what extent would those contributions be used to build assets for future accruals, vs. being “spent” on already-accrued benefits by being included in the calculations of federal bailout funds, as offsetting money? My expert friends did not know, and, to be honest, this is the sort of detail that, in any prior pension funding legislation, is spelled out in the law itself rather than left for the PBGC (Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation) to sort out as regulation. This is concerning, because it risks the whole program going south very quickly.

Author(s): Elizabeth Bauer

Publication Date: 16 February 2021

Publication Site: Forbes

As Cuomo Banks on Federal Funds, Localities Grow Nervous

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.governing.com/finance/As-Cuomo-Banks-on-Federal-Funds-Localities-Grow-Nervous.html

Excerpt:

 Receive from above, take from below. Such is the essence of one theme of the 2021 state budget plan unveiled last week by New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

The Democratic governor’s budget plan has a basic premise: Red ink will be washed away only if his request for a bailout from the federal government happens.

Cuomo’s new budget assumes the federal government will give New York at least $6 billion over two years as part of a broader $1.9 trillion Covid-related stimulus package being negotiated by Democratic President Joseph Biden and the Democratic-led Congress.

Author(s): TOM PRECIOUS, THE BUFFALO NEWS

Publication Date: 25 January 2021

Publication Site: Governing

To the union allies of the victor go the pension spoils

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/to-the-union-allies-of-the-victor-go-the-pension-spoils

Excerpt:

Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a massive taxpayer bailout of private sector multiemployer defined benefit pension plans, or MEPs, as part of a budget reconciliation package that is purportedly meant to deal with COVID-19. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders claims MEPs are underfunded because “of the greed on Wall Street.” But MEPs are troubled because of mismanagement, not because of COVID-19 or Wall Street.

MEPs are jointly sponsored by a union and companies employing members of that union. It is not clear why taxpayers, who had no role in making these pension promises, should be funding them.

The proposal would saddle taxpayers with unfunded pension promises made by eligible MEPs, which are underfunded by more than $100 billion, while providing perverse incentives for other MEPs to subsequently qualify. This would be extremely expensive as MEPs are already underfunded by $673 billion as of 2017 (a funding ratio of 42%).

Author(s): Aharon Friedman

Publication Date: 15 February 2021

Publication Site: Washington Examiner

EPPRA Bailout Bill Advances

Mary Pat Campbell
EPPRA Bailout Bill Advances

Excerpt:

According to an email blast from the Road Carriers 707 Pension Fund on Thursday..

the House Ways and Means Committee reported out (passed) the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act with only technical amendments. The Bill now moves onto the Budget Committee and the Rules Committee. It is expected to move through these Committees without incident and onto a vote on the House floor. As we reported yesterday this Bill is part of a larger Covid Relief Bill expected to be voted on in mid March in the Senate after House passage.

There was a lot of discussion about workers deserving a bailout as they did nothing wrong (trusting politicians, actuaries, and union heads notwithstanding) but what struck me was the perspicacity of Congressman Adrian Smith (R-Nebraska):

Author(s): John Bury

Publication Date: 13 February 2021

Publication Site: Burypensions

House Includes Pension Reform Plan in COVID-19 Relief Bill

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.ai-cio.com/news/house-includes-pension-reform-plan-covid-19-relief-bill/

Excerpt:

Multiemployer pension plans eligible for the program would include plans in critical and declining status, and plans with significant underfunding that have more retirees than active workers in any plan year beginning in 2020 through 2022. Additionally, plans that have suspended benefits and certain plans that have already become insolvent would also be eligible.

The plans would have to apply for the special financial assistance, and, if approved, the payment made by PBGC would be in the form of a single, lump sum. The amount of financial assistance would be equal to the amount required for the plan to pay all benefits due during the period beginning on the date of enactment and ending on the last day of the plan year ending in 2051. Plans would also be required to invest the amounts in investment-grade bonds or other investments as permitted by PBGC.

Author(s): Michael Katz

Publication Date: 11 February 2021

Publication Site: ai-CIO

Mulitemployer Bailout Eligibility

Mary Pat Campbell
Mulitemployer Bailout Eligibility

Excerpt:

It was reported that The Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021, to be included in some covid-relief bill, would create a special financial assistance program under which cash payments would be made by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to financially troubled multiemployer pension plans so they could continue paying retirees’ benefits. The money would be provided to PBGC through a general Treasury transfer. Multiemployer pension plans eligible for the program would include plans in critical and declining status, and plans with significant underfunding that have more retirees than active workers in any plan year beginning in 2020 through 2022. Additionally, plans that have suspended benefits and certain plans that have already become insolvent would also be eligible.

So how many plans would that be? Based on the last full year of data (2018) from the DOL website here is how it breaks down.

Author(s): John Bury

Publication Date: 11 February 2021

Publication Site: Burypensions

Bipartisan Agreement AKA Multiemployer Pension Bailout

Mary Pat Campbell
Bipartisan Agreement AKA Multiemployer Pension Bailout

Excerpt:

Two years ago retired coal miners traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby lawmakers to put in place a federal safety net in case the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) pension fund fails. Coal plant closures and company bankruptcies have sent the pension fund to the edge of collapse. In October, 2019 Murray Energy, the last major company propping up the dwindling fund, also went bankrupt and the prediction was insolvency in FY23.

From their 5500 form for the year ended 6/30/19 confirming the timeline.

Author(s): John Bury

Publication Date: 2 February 2021

Publication Site: Burypensions