What do you think? Share your ideas about pensions with Keystone Crossroads

Our reporting about Pennsylvania’s municipal pensions is not complete. We want to hear from you.

Nearly half of local governments in Pennsylvania offering pensions have distressed plans.

Sure, that directly impacts retired workers who rely on monthly pension checks, but it also affects people who live in communities where budgets are stretched and basic city services are cut to help fill the hole left by underfunded pension systems.

Keystone Crossroads‘ ongoing series, “Pennsylvania pensions: is the promise broken?,” is a fresh take on the impact of distressed pensions in communities across the state.

What do I need to know about Pennsylvania’s municipal pension problem?

In the series, we explain how Pennsylvania’s municipal pension funds got into trouble.
We map out which municipalities have distressed pension funds and show how severe the problem is.
We look at changes to pension plans and what pension reforms mean for younger generations.
We ask how spiking and other possible abuse impact pensions systems.
We explore the history and evolution of the idea of public pensions from the fall of the Roman Republic to today.
We look at what happens to communities where local governments ignore the rules put in place by state lawmakers.
We review Scranton’s pension crisis and find out what lessons other municipalities can learn from the city’s decisions.
We highlight the systemic issues and inefficiencies that weaken municipal pensions funds and could potentially be resolved.
We define terms, acronyms, and concepts commonly used when public officials and journalists write or speak about pensions.

Tell us your story

Our reporting about Pennsylvania’s municipal pensions is not complete. We want to hear from you.

Do you think there is something we’ve missed in reporting this series, so far? Do you live in a community that has been impacted by an underfunded pension system? Are you a municipal retiree concerned about receiving monthly payments? Have you had to make decisions about your future based on receiving or not receiving a pension?

Share your story and feedback by emailing us at crossroads@whyy.org. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.