Craig Harris presents "Investigating Public Pensions," a free business journalism webinar sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. Check out additional resources from this webinar at the following link: http://businessjournalism.org/2012/12/04/investigating-public-pensions-self-guided-training/. For more information about free training for business journalists, please visit businessjournalism.org.

1. Session sponsor
Investigating
Public
Pensions
Winner of the 2011 Gold
Award in the Barlett & Steele
Awards for Investigative
Business Journalism
Winner of the first
Toner Prize for Excellence
in Political Reporting

2. Quick Pension Quiz
How familiar are
you with public
pensions?
By Flickr user Nevada Tumbleweed (Mark Holloway)

3. 3

4. Quick Pension Quiz
How many states
have underfunded
public pension
systems?
By Flickr user Nevada Tumbleweed (Mark Holloway)

5. Quick Pension Quiz
How many states
have underfunded
public pension
systems?
Answer:
By Flickr user Nevada Tumbleweed (Mark Holloway)
34

6. 6
Source: Pew Center on the States, 2012
6

7. Quick Pension Quiz
Which state fully
funded its pension
cost in 2010?
By Flickr user Nevada Tumbleweed (Mark Holloway)

8. Quick Pension Quiz
Which state fully
funded its pension
cost in 2010?
Answer:
Wisconsin
By Flickr user Nevada Tumbleweed (Mark Holloway)

9. What Does It Mean?
• Taxpayers likely are
paying more to fund
public pensions.
• Widespread interest
from readers.
• Great enterprising
stories.
By Flickr user Mayor McGinn

10. What You Will Learn
• How to uncover abuses in public pension
systems
• How to spot red flags in
an unhealthy public
pension system Photo by Flickr user kjarrett
• How to win battles with public records requests
• How to do quick-hit stories and a series with
impact

11. Getting Started
Do the homework/Learn
the terms:
▫ Cheat-sheet handout
(Milstead – Defined
Benefit Plan, Defined
Contribution Plan)
▫ Unique local issues –
DROP (Deferred
Retirement Option
Plan), Return to Work.
▫ Explain the terms as if
you were teaching
Pensions 101. Always do
the math for the reader.
By Flickr user smbuckley23

12. Biggest Things We Found
• 1. Arizona elected officials make more in
retirement than when they served in office.
• 2. Police officers and firefighters can retire after
20 years and receive six-figure lump-sum
retirement payments and annual pensions.
• 3. Convicted felons were receiving healthy public
pensions.

16. Finding Red Flags
• Look at funded ratios: If they are
low and contribution rates are
high, you have a story.
• See who is receiving large public
pensions. The information may be
By Flickr user Victoria Reay surprising, e.g., former college
football coaches and felons.
• Fights over public records.

17. Filing Public Records Requests
• Start small and work your way up/focus on one
system.
• Arizona Republic Project: 67 requests
▫ A. One with each of the four state systems/two
municipal systems (some multiple times).
▫ B. All 57 school districts in Maricopa County.
▫ If you have multiple systems, use strategy to get
records.

18. What do you ask for?
• A. Be specific in what you are seeking.
• B: Cite the law that entitles you to get the
information.

19. What do you ask for?
• C. Ask for the information electronically.
• D. Ask the public entity to put into writing the
law that would allow information to be withheld.
• E. Set a deadline to get the information.
x x x x x x x x xx x
x x x x x x x x x x xx x x
x x x
O
Photo by flickr user Joe Lanman

20. Seeking Information
• 1. Be specific in what you want
▫ A. The list of names of any and all public
employees who are currently receiving a pension
check from a retirement system.
▫ B. The monthly and/or annual amounts of each
pension for each one those employees.
▫ C. The year the individual retired.
▫ D. The years of service for each retiree.
▫ E. The last place of employment and last job for
each retiree.

21. ASRS Spreadsheet
Years of Cost of
LAST NAME FIRST NAME EMPLOYER RETIRE_DATE TOTAL SERVICE Monthly Service Purchased Annual Benefit
NAME Benefit Purchase Service
Alhambra
Elementary
Peck Carol District 68 7/4/2002 35.12 18,868.51 4.12 97201.66 226,422.12
Duvall Debra Mesa Unif Dist 4 10/17/2008 36.55 18,032.99 14.99 124761.6 216,395.88
Arizona State
Snyder Gerald University 6/27/2009 44.25 16,872.11 6.75 91395.79 202,465.32
Arizona State
Hoskisson Robert University 6/29/2009 34.78 16,447.40 29.78 1225496 197,368.80
Arizona State
Krahenbuhl Gary University 7/1/2003 38 15,256.80 8.00 178206.5 183,081.60
University Of
Tindall Jr Robert Arizona 7/31/2003 40.32 15,021.97 3.05 35490.71 180,263.64
Maricopa Co
Community
Randolph Phillip College Dist 7/6/2005 41.21 14,692.82 1.00 16262.4 176,313.84
Arizona State
Aranda Luis University 7/31/2002 32.13 14,155.52 5.08 132395.5 169,866.24
Cochise
Community
Nicodemus Karen College 8/1/2009 30.22 13,836.42 7.00 109666 166,037.04

22. Expect a fight
• 1. Arizona State Retirement System initially denied parts of
the request.
• 2. Use strategy.
• 3. Be prepared to get your lawyer involved
• 4. Newspapers in other states (Oregon and Nevada) have
filed suits.
Photo by flickr user Joe Shlabotnik

24. Pension Project/School Districts
• 1. Filed 57 Public Records Requests:
One with each school district in
Maricopa County
▫ A. Goal to see if anyone was
double-dipping and the cost to
Arizona State Retirement System
▫ B. Resistance
Photo by flickr user scott1723

26. Quick Pension Quiz
Who makes more in
a public pension?
The former city
manager in Phoenix
or ex-presidents of
By Flickr user Nevada Tumbleweed (Mark Holloway)
the United States?

27. Former Phoenix city manager vs.
former president?
Frank Fairbanks, $246,813 George W. Bush, $199,700

28. Managing Data
• 1. Keep track of data
with spreadsheet
▫ A. When request was
sent out
▫ B. Who received the
request
▫ C. When the information
was returned Photo by flickr user IvanWalsh
▫ D. Compile the
information

29. Organizing the data
• 1. Keep data in separate
spreadsheets.
• 2. Keep notes in separate
folders.
• 3. Map out stories with
editors.
Photo by flickr user numberjuan2

30. Executing a project/series
1. Plan firm deadlines for
stories and graphics.
2. Do graphics with
corresponding stories.
3. Coordinate with data editor.
4. Expect long hours.
5. Always, always, always do
the math.
6. Don’t be afraid to double-
and triple-check.
7. Make it simple.

32. The Series: A Soaring Burden
• 1. Overview
• 2. Elected Officials
• 3. Public Safety
• 4. City of Phoenix
• 5. Educators
• 6. Convicted Felons
• 7. Other States
• 8. Solutions/Op-Ed
Pieces

33. Expect criticism/praise
• 1. No one likes others
messing with their money.
• 2. Allow critics to write op-
ed pieces.
Photo by flickr user Grant.C

34. Love Letter
“Why don't you go with the dept. of Corrections employees on a week
shift at the Maximum Security. Take the day shift so you won't have
to work from midnight till 8.
“Let them throw feces and urine in your face, wonder
if they are going to shank you when your back is turned, deal with the
crazy people that are taken off the street by brave people, the police.
“Do that for 20 years and see if you earn your pension.
“The most dangerous thing you do is drive to work, and make more
money writing articles in your climate controlled office then they do.”
Photo by flickr user Vectorportal

35. Results
• 1. Laws changed
Arizona lawmakers OK bill on public pensions systems
Craig Harris
Apr. 19, 2011
The Arizona Republic
• The state Senate has sent sweeping changes to Arizona's public retirement
systems to Gov. Jan Brewer for her likely signature into law, but a public
employees' lawsuit challenging the reforms looms on the horizon.
• Arizona is at least the 11th state this year to make changes to its public-
pension programs as states across the country are struggling with the
soaring costs associated with public retirement plans.

36. Results
A. Savings for taxpayers
B. Harder to double-dip/return to work
C. Felons no longer can get pensions
D. Changes to DROP (Deferred
Retirement Option Plan)
E. Elected officials pay more
F. Spin-off stories/lawsuits Photo by flickr user
DonkeyHotey

37. What I would have done differently
• Better online presence/interactive graphics.
• Stories on average pensioners.
• Done an online chat early in series to talk with readers.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-10-11-1A-state-lawmakers-pump-pension

38. Contact info
• craig.harris@arizonarepublic.com
• 602-444-8478 – direct
• 602-509-3613 – cell
• Series link:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/arizona-pe