If you did not attend the Shasta VOICES "Public Pension Forum" held on September

24th, you missed a truly historical event. Our distinguished panelists, representing all

sides of the debate on California's public pension system, had an impressive and invaluable

discussion about potential reform of the existing system, paving the way for similar

debate throughout the State.

The highly productive session proves that when people on all sides of the isle are able to

come together and listen to each other, they can actually find a way to work through viable

solutions. And all agreed that reform at the State level will be needed to bring the

current system back to sustainability (including Steve Allen, who represented the public

sector union employees). An initiative is being prepared by the California Foundation

For Fiscal Responsibility (CFFR) for next year's ballot that would reduce pension formulas,

raise retirement ages, and put a stop to costly abuses of the system for newly hired

public workers.

A good deal of thought was given to the actual "format" for the Forum. Our goals, after

securing our dream panel of experts, were to do these four things:

1. Avoid the town hall meeting environment to eliminate any disrespect for our panelists

(or anybody else). Only two of our Shasta VOICES Board members, Dave Scott

and Maureen Gaynor, were authorized to ask any questions.

2. Solicit and produce appropriate questions in advance that would educate, inform,

and simplify the complex subject matter for all persons attending. Allow our panelists

to view the questions two weeks in advance so that they would be prepared to

have such a discussion.

3. Produce a power point presentation that showed each question on a large screen as it

was being asked of our panelists for the benefit of the audience (we did have 7 panelists-

it could've been easy to forget the question before each had answered).

4. Additional questions could be written down during the panel discussion by the audience,

and passed along to our two authorized questioners.

To say we reached our goals is an understatement. We managed to stay focused and finish

on time, even with some additional audience questions. The format that we created

can serve as a model for future discussions for this and other sensitive subject matter.

But perhaps most importantly, we were willing to take the lead in promoting discussion

of public pension reform when nobody else has been willing to do so. It is all too easy to

sit back and wait for "somebody else" to do it because one lacks the personal fortitude to

stand up for what they believe in. We could all take a lesson from union employees and

their representatives. They never back away from what they believe is in their best interests,

and have no fear of taking a position, even if it becomes negotiable.

If and when the taxpaying citizens in California decide to stand up for themselves, only

then will we see public pension reform become a reality.