When it comes to shaping the future of Social Security, Sen. Dianne Feinstein says "everything should be on the table," including gradually raising the retirement age.
Executives from the Area 4 Agency on Aging – which funnels more than $6 million in federal grants each year to a host of seniors' nutrition, health and social programs in a seven-county area including Sacramento – warned elder advocates this week to expect significant funding reductions to programs for older adults.
"We're entering the great unknown," said Area 4 Agency on Aging executive director Deanna Lea. "We need a disaster plan, just in case."
In what could become a turning point in Gov. Jerry Brown's effort to close California's $26.6 billion deficit, a group of Republican state senators may support the Democratic governor's plan to ask voters for extended tax increases, in exchange for concessions, people familiar with the matter said. [Read More...]
On the 99th night of the fiscal year, California lawmakers were still debating late Thursday whether to pass a budget, already the latest spending plan in state history.
The Schwarzenegger administration and Service Employees International Union Local 1000 have just announced a tentative labor agreement that includes higher employee contributions to their retirement plans and rolls back pension formulas for new hires to pre-1999 levels.