RHODE ISLAND UNION BOSS: "THEY ARE NOT ACTING LIKE DEMOCRATS"

Pensions and retirement funding are the core of this nation's looming financial difficulties. Rhode Island stands tall and faces the problem.

In spite of most expert opinion, national politicians have not yet deemed Washington finances as worth the effort to fix.

Rhode Island decided it no longer has the luxury of waiting.  It has long possessed one of the least financially prudent state governments.  

Two key points:

* Dems pulled a Nixon-in-China and "disrespected" their union base to get the job done.

* Younger state workers broke with their unions and supported the plan. They'd rather have some state pension  than none. 

Click here to read this great story in Stateline.

And click here to keep up with public policy pension news at PensionTsunami.