LePage Exempt From Pension Changes

Augusta - State workers have been outspoken over proposed increases to their retirement contributions and other changes directly affecting them in the Governor's new budget. Some of those changes include a 2%increase that employees would be required to contribute to their pension funds. The funds would jump from 7.65% to 9.65% Governor LePage's contribution however will remain at 7.65%.

LePage spokesman Dan DeMeritt confirmed to TV 5 news that the governor is the only state employee who is exempt from any changes to his pension or health care contributions. "The contributions that the Governor makes to his retirement is set forward by statute," DeMeritt said on Monday. "When we looked at the budget we had 37 days to do it. We looked at big pots of money to try and solve as many problems as we could and we didn't play politics with it. So the 13,000 state employees, that pension system, is where the money was. That's where the focus of our efforts are."

DeMeritt says LePage is the lowest paid governor in America.

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Excuse me??? What a hypocrite!!! If he had any sense of dignity, he would make it so he pays in the same as everyone else. This is an absolute outrage!!!

This reporting is not as accurate as it could be. You fail to mention that the 2% contribution does not feed back into the retirement plan, but into a general fund. That is what is being proposed here. State employees are being asked to pay 2% more into a general fund for all people of the state. They will never see that money again. Please be accurate with your reporting.