Maggie's Farm

The war on obesity is a stupid effort with ill defined goals and little to no effective tactics. While their might be some value for the 10% or so children who are genetically obese to follow a specific diet the "plan" seems to be that every child in school must follow a specific diet. if your child's weight is perfect they still must eat reduced calorie meals. If your child is thin, they still must eat reduced calorie meals. If your child is genetically obese and WILL go home and eat until they feel full they still must eat reduced calorie meals in school. If your child is an athlete burning twice the calories of typical students, Yes, they too must consume low calorie meals in school. The intent isn't and never has been to actually do something about obesity. The intent is to appear to be doing something.

This story ties in with the low fat diet story in that the so-called experts simply do not know what is "good" and what is "bad". This isn't science and appears to have always been about personal biases and belief systems. If you placed all the dieticians and diet 'experts' in a straight line they would still all be pointing in different directions.

It isn't as simple as saying that government retirements are too generous. Some may be and some rules may be more generous to some than to others; for example police and firemen can retire at age 50 with full benefits. But the problem behind the public retirement systems is more complex than being "too generous".

The primary problem in all state retirement systems is that while the employees contribution (typically 6%) is deposited immediately with the retirement fund for investment the employer (the state) can delay this contribution essentially forever and many state agencies (perhaps all of them did just that). Well the same miracle of compound interest that causes the low paid employee working for the state for 35 years to accumulate $150,000 with a mere 6% deduction every month also puts the state $150,000 behind the eight ball when that employee retires. The state should pay the 6% as soon is it is due not 35 years later.

The second problem is one I already hinted at and that is the tens of thousands of police and fire retirees who receive full pensions as though they worked until 60 or 65 but in fact they retire at age 50. The legislators caused this because the powerful police and fire unions demanded it but no one funded it. The money was simply taken from that low paid secretary who had to work until age 60 or 65 to retire. The legislators should fix this either by contributing more or reversing this undeserved benefit.

Third problem was when the rules were set up the state typically provided a straight annuity OR a retirement pay based on wages during the last three years. What happens is 90% of the people retire and choose the annuity option but some (typically political cronies) get promoted work the three years to lock in the higher retirement and then take the money and run. This too should be fixed and put everyone on a annuity (commonly called money match).

If the states had set this up correctly to begin with they would not have the mess they have now.