“We are charting a better and more prosperous course for our state and her people that will last for generations,” proclaimed Gov. Tate Reeves in his FY 2027 executive budget recommendations.
Somehow, he foresees this “prosperous course” without addressing the $26 billion PERS shortfall. Moodys has cautioned, “PERS is on a trajectory of asset erosion unless offset by higher government contributions.”
Reeves released an $8.3 billion executive budget which would be $453.5 million over the current budget. Of this increase, $280 million would go toward 15 programs chosen by the governor. Another $229 million would go for increased Medicaid spending. He also included $56 million in budget cuts to various agencies, including $19.3 million for four military, police, and veterans programs, $18 million for bond and interest payments, and $3.8 million for the Arts Commission.
His chosen projects included:
· $100 million for an Energy Infrastructure Bank plus $20 million for energy infrastructure projects;
· $3 million for an innovation accelerator program;
· $20 million for new site developments;
· $1 million for workforce childcare;
· $1.4 million for Accelerate Mississippi Talent Solutions Centers;
· $9 million for three 16-bed stand-alone adult psychiatric emergency service locations;
· $5 million for an additional 16-bed adolescent crisis stabilization unit and a 28-bed secure adolescent residential substance use disorder unit;
· $10 million for a specialized care center for children with extreme behavioral and mental health issues;
· $20 million to expand the Oakley Youth Development Center;
· $3 million for Capitol Police expansion and vehicles;
· $15 million for the MEMA Disaster Trust Fund;
· $12.75 million for 25 youth court chancellors and staff;
· $8 million for a new youth court case management system;
· $2.1 million for trial and appellate judges pay increases; and
· $50 million for debt reduction.
Notably unmentioned and unbudgeted was any increase in PERS funding. No surprise. Reeves has virtually ignored the growing PERS funding crisis during his two decades in public office.
As state treasurer (2004 - 2012), he served as an ex-officio member of the PERS board, becoming well aware of PERS’ mounting problems. After his 2011 election as lieutenant governor, the same year Gov. Haley Barbour’s PERS Study Commission recommended changes to save PERS, Reeves ignored the problem for the eight years he controlled the state senate. In 2019 he was elected governor and even Chat GPT has noticed his PERS malingering: “Since taking office, Gov. Tate Reeves has largely remained silent on the Mississippi Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) shortfall, despite a long history of deep involvement with state finance.”
As Reeves issued his budget message, financial experts were telling legislators PERS needs $200 million more every year for 30 years.
“They shall turn away their ears from the truth” – 2 Timothy 4:4.
Crawford is an author and syndicated columnist from Jackson.
42 comments:
Screw PERS. All those damn govt retirement types need to take it on the chin like the rest of us. Haircut time. Any contract can be broken.
Legalize sports gambling apps and put the revenue towards PERS
Poor old 8:51 is jealous, failing to provide for his own retirement, would be histrionic if his social security is reduced or eliminated, best not show up at UMMC for critical medical care with that attitude, and thinks nothing of breaking contracts.
Seriously; wasn't it funded just fine until the GOP-dominated Legislature increased benefits, without funding the increase, and against the advice of the PERS Board and the actuaries?
Want to tell another lie? It was Tim Ford and the Democrats who changed it all up back in 1999. They thought we would be getting double digit returns in the markets every year so they hiked the benefits without coming up with extra revenue to pay for them.
@ 8:51 - You're right. A contract can be terminated. Ask any fired college coach. The rub with PERS is the state doesn't have the money to lawyer up and lose the lawsuits that would result.
If your constant mention of haircuts were to take place, the employee party to the contract would own Schick, Gillette, Wahl and Oster. And you would still be poppin' a shoe-shine rag.
Try again 9:30 a.m. All of the changes to the system were made by democrat dominated legislative houses of state government. Including SLRP, COLA, various programs for various groups and 25 year retirement.
Dereliction
Having been a good friend of one who tried to make PERS work, it becomes quickly Mission Impossible. While state government is a major employer in Mississippi and the money is supposed to come from the employer as well as the employee, the "employer" amount was never adequate and the employees salaries couldn't take a bigger hit or you'd not even have someone to vacuum the Governor's office.
Indeed, some state salaries are not enough for one person to live a middle class life.
KF, it'd be helpful to let people know exactly how the funds in PERS can and cannot be managed. Indeed, if the current person managing is competent and ethical, I suspect you could get them to talk off the record and win a Pulitzer or find the most qualified person PERS had around 45 years ago...see if they are still alive.
@9:13
I am not 8:51. However, I have saved and invested over 30% every year since I was 25. Unfortunately, I can’t personally control when the nation goes full stupid and elects fools who crash the stock market and cause massive inflation that strip away the value of my retirement savings. Some of us have talents and ambitions beyond sucking the government tit like you incompetent and lazy state employees do. It just really sucks that the same government that punishes private sector workers, benefits the worthless dregs who cling to government jobs because they are incapable of cutting it in the real world.
Both parties were involved in that greasing of the legislature’s own palms with PERS money. And to prove my point, the republicans have a super majority and have never remotely considered rescinding that foolish SLRP. And frankly the Dems would not either if they were in charge. Greed and lies are the two most common denominators among all politicians regardless of party affiliation.
I suspect Reeves didn’t mention PERS because he figures that there is no solution for the problem except significantly trimming benefits, such as the 13th check. And eliminating SLRP. Best just kick the can down the road. Can kicking is popular in government. Maybe a governor Fitch can get something done.
I wish this website would ignore Bill Crawford.
Us retirees & the PERS Board of Directors must make concessions. Freeze the COLA for the foreseeable future. Consider a modest cut in benefits based on individual payouts & address the shift from agencies hiring full time employees to hiring back retirees & contractors to do work of full time employees.
I’m fairly certain the GOP led legislature eliminated SLRP last year
How much state money has been wasted on virtue signaling in the past 10 years? Changing the state flag, renaming things etc. etc. etc. how many folks would that have helped in retirement in the long run with interest?
Just fund it bitches! If you can sell our souls for data centers and the like...
To be a bit more precise 1:17, the GOP legislature eliminated SLRP for future officials but kept it for themselves. I'm guessing you are one of them.
That’s a great way to never have another CPA, engineer, or lawyer ever work for the State of MS again.
If you had walkin' around sense, you would know that the last legislative session eliminated SLRP for new entrants effective end of March, 2026. But you don't.
I'll eat your drawers if you're a PERS retiree. For those living off a contracted benefit agreed to forty years ago, your suggestion is nonsense.
If you're drawing SS, will you agree to a cut in your monthly deposit in order to shore up the system for those retiring in 35 years?
The scary 13th check is a COLA. Social security has one. Would you all prefer it monthly or in once check to make it seem like it’s more than it is? My wife has worked for the state and is almost to retirement age. She could have made a lot more in the private, but decided to stick with state for obvious reasons, and it’s not the work environment. It’s PERs, plain and simple. You renig on that contract and the trial lawyers and class action guys will be foaming at the mouth.
@10:11 So you believe every person in PERS is a lazy, tit sucking, incompetent. So every, teacher, law enforcement officer, firefighter, medical professional at UMMC, employees at public universities, road maintenance workers, etc, fall in that category.
Unfortunately we were forced to pay in to the retirement system. Many of us would love to had the opportunity to invest that money in the market. We made a deal that if we worked X years we could count on a certain retirement benefit. In my case I gave 34 years and I expect every dime I am owed. So get ready for the coming tax increase and STFU,
It's not a COLA. Has nothing to do with inflation. The "COLA" is in reality an automatic 3% increase compounded another 3%.
PERS can’t be fixed; no Ponzi scheme can.
Just because it doesn't meet your specific definition of COLA doesn't mean it's not one. It is a COLA as defined by the legislature and enacted by the PERS system. Cry in that 'haircut' milk all you want.
Are you drawing SS yet, another Ponzi scheme?
The taxpayers have done more than enough. It is past time for PERS to go on a diet!
FACT- The AVERAGE PERS retirement yearly benefit is $28,000 per year. This includes the COLA. Do your research and quit lapping up the propoganda.
" am not 8:51. However, I have saved and invested over 30% every year since I was 25. Unfortunately, I can’t personally control when the nation goes full stupid and elects fools who crash the stock market and cause massive inflation that strip away the value of my retirement savings. Some of us have talents and ambitions beyond sucking the government tit like you incompetent and lazy state employees do. It just really sucks that the same government that punishes private sector workers, benefits the worthless dregs who cling to government jobs because they are incapable of cutting it in the real world."
Let me tell you something bub...I took a job with the county for one reason- So I would be home in the afternoon when both my teenage kids got home. I stuck their nose to something ever day until they were ready to go to college & I went back to work proper. I'm a diesel mechanic & don't you EVER call me Lazy mister...I worked for Atalla county almost seven yrs & I get to draw $180 a month. I worked my ass off for them & I did them a good job because I'm good at what I do. Really Pisses Me Off for some asshole to call me Lazy...
November 23, 2025 at 10:11 AM
10:11 is a funny troll.
Any Atalla county retiree receives a hell of a lot more than $180 per month .
($1,180.00 per month is more likely his actual retirement income).
That poster sounds like a drunk Jerry Clower bitching about how Amite County retirees make more money than his cuz'n Marcel Ledbetter.
It’s not a COLA from the perspective that beneficiaries got 3% increases for several years when cost of living did not go up 3% and the bond portion of PERS portfolio was yielding 2% or less.
FACT- The AVERAGE PERS retirement yearly benefit is $28,000 per year.
Link?
KF, SLRP passed in 1989.
Mississippi Senate: Democrats held majority w/ 46 seats. Mississippi House: Democrats held majority w/ 113 seats.
Ford was Speaker. Mabus signed it. The notion that Republicans had anything to do with passing the bill is complete revisionist history.
Except the comment said nothing about SLRP. I have reported repeatedly it was created in 89. I was talking about the increase in benefits for retirees.
Many highly-qualified, dedicated, and hard-working people choose the public sector over the private sector for the retirement benefits. Most people think of the worst examples of public employees without thinking about the teachers who taught their belligerent snot-nosed asses for 12 (or more) years. People will gladly support a college football coach earning over $10 million a year but bitch about PERS and COLA. On behalf of all PERS employees -- kiss our collective asses!
At the end of the day the answer comes down to math, the state needs money to cover it's contractual obligations, the state can only get money through taxes. Nobody wants to be the one to say it which is why it has gotten kicked down the road but some type of tax will have to be implemented to fully fund PERS, the online sports gambling solution sounds promising although not sure how much it would bring in.
IMO PERS is typical Bill Crawford pro-big government pass the debt and problems on to the next generation Ponzi scheme scam. And I agree that letting those in the PERS system deal with the same real world issues we in the private sector deal with (like the ups and downs in the market) is the “moral” thing to do.
HOWEVER blaming state employees and calling them lazy is BS. They took a job, did it or are doing it, and aren’t lazy just because a group of corrupt immoral ____ eater politicians padding their own retirements created this guarantee, 13th check, highest 4 years income monster.
It’s a strong safe bet that Bill Crawford wants Republicans to NOT IGNOR PERS “Needs” for the same reason he was all about changing the non-issue state flag; to get greedy selfish one-issue fools to vote Democrat in the next state election.
You want to see presumably extremely moral, fine church going every Sunday Christians lose their minds and start voting for pro-crime, pro-criminal, pro-perversion of young children, pro-men in girl’s sports Democrats? Then commit political suicide and mess with their PERS retirement plans.
There are no real men and women of high moral character willing to sacrifice and do the right thing - left in this country.
Full retirement time has been increased from 25 years to 35 years. New members now will receive no guaranteed COLA , new members now are in a hybrid system. Plenty has been done to adjust PERS. Even WITHOUT these changes, PERS actuaries predict the unfunded liability to be the same in 30 years as it is today. PERS, without changes, is predicted to have $46 billion assets in 30 years. All you geniuses who hate PERS but are to lazy to do your research but would rather believe anything Carswell puts out there........
"Any Atalla county retiree receives a hell of a lot more than $180 per month . ($1,180.00 per month is more likely his actual retirement income)."
Hello there, Junior Forest Ranger. I must tell you that your math results in an annual retirement of $14,160 or $7.00 an hour. Even Jerry Clower couldn't buy beans and weenies on that annual benefit.
Carswell? Or Bill Crawford?
I hope you're not a retired teacher. "Us retirees must make concessions..."? "Us must" Sure you don't want to make that 'ussen'?
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