A majority of California voters are in favor of public-employee pension caps to help balance the state’s budget, according to a poll by The Los Angeles Times and USC.

Seventy percent of respondents say they favor a cap on pension benefits for current and future government workers, and 68 percent want public employees to contribute more to their pensions. Fifty-two percent want the retirement age to be raised for public employees.

Changes and cuts to public workers’ pensions are being discussed across the country, as states and cities try to squeeze already-tight budgets to reduce deficits.

"It's pretty clear that there's broad support for making changes in the area of pensions," said poll co-director Stanley Greenberg.

Poll director Dan Schnur was surprised by the findings, saying, "It's one thing for Republican governors in Wisconsin and Indiana to support these types of changes, but seeing this type of support from California voters, even California Democrats, is really remarkable."

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee said they expect proposals overhauling pension programs to be on ballots in November.

Still, union members defend pensions. Art Pulaski, executive secretary-treasurer of the California Labor Federation, believes the public is misinformed about union benefits they think are lavish. He maintains that every worker is entitled to a pension, and not just an unsecured retirement susceptible to the ups and downs of Wall Street. Instead of demonizing public employees, policymakers should concentrate on recreating stable retirements for private-sector workers, he said.

Instant Insights /

Poll: Californians support caps to public-employee pensions

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