1,400+ State Employees Have $100k+ Pensions

More than 48,000 retired Connecticut state employees drew a total of $1.8 billion in pensions during 2017, according to the State Comptroller Office.

Two retired state works drew more than $300,000 pensions last year and more than 1,400 had pensions of $100,000 or more.

Connecticut routinely ranks near the bottom of the list for pension system health after the state decades failed to properly fund its pension obligations and missed out on investment returns. Unfunded pension obligations are a continual ding on the state’s credit ratings.

A report by the American Legislative Exchange Council found that Connecticut had the worst system with a 19.7 percent funding ratio. The state is only one of four to set retiree benefits through collective bargaining. It is the only state where the legislature doesn’t have to consent to contracts.

“Under these rules, politicians can abstain from making politically difficult decisions needed to protect taxpayers from future pension fund bailouts and retirees from the consequences of a future pension default,” ALEC noted in its report.

ALEC also found that Connecticut assumes too high of a return on investments.

Collective bargaining for state employee retirement benefits is sure to be a dividing issue between governor candidates. The current state employee benefit contract was extended to 2027 as part of a concession agreement

Below are the 10 highest state pensioners during 2017 in Connecticut:

1. Jack Blechner: $313,275.96
2. John Veiga: $312,680.76
3. Edward Blanchette: $256,443.12
4. Harry Harley: $239,465.22
5. Eugene Sigman: $236,900.16
6. Anthony Dibenedetto: $236,021.22
7. Richard Judd: $235,712.28
8. John Raye: $226,957.50
9. Leslie Cutler: $224,378.52
10. David Carter: $220,727.40

Check out the full pension list here.

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