Latest Fact-Checks In Retirement

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Brendan Doherty
Brendan Doherty
stated on May 15, 2012 a campaign website
"Over the past five years the federal government has paid out $601 million in retirement and disability benefits to deceased former federal employees."
True
By Tom Mooney • May 23, 2012
John Ludlow
John Ludlow
stated on May 8, 2012 a Facebook post
Says "I am happy to decline PERS so that the County can save over $68,000 over a four year term that would have been paid on my behalf."
Half-True
By Janie Har • May 11, 2012
Frank Wolf
Frank Wolf
stated on February 17, 2012 a news release
"In 1950, the average American lived for 68 years and 16 workers supported one retiree. Today, the average life expectancy is 78 and three workers support one retiree."
True
By Sean Gorman • March 16, 2012
Pat Boone
Pat Boone
stated on March 12, 2012 a television ad
"This (Independent Payment Advisory Board) board can ration care and deny certain Medicare treatments so Washington can fund more wasteful spending."
Pants on Fire!
By Angie Drobnic Holan • March 15, 2012
Rick Scott
Rick Scott
stated on March 6, 2012 a press conference
"Today, you can't rely on (the retirement fund for public employees), it's not funded."
False
By Katie Sanders • March 7, 2012
Gary Chiusano
Gary Chiusano
stated on February 26, 2012 an interview on My9 News' “New Jersey Now”
Says pension contributions under Gov. Chris Christie would represent "75 percent of the total contribution made between the years 1995 and 2010. That's right, in 15 years, total state contribution was only $2.1 billion."
False
By Bill Wichert • March 7, 2012
Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
stated on February 29, 2012 a campaign speech
"When my grandfather came to this country back in 1925, there were no government benefits."  
False
By Louis Jacobson • March 6, 2012
Steve Rothman
Steve Rothman
stated on February 8, 2012 a speech on the House floor
"The Republicans just voted last year to end Medicare."
False
By Bill Wichert • February 19, 2012
Chain email
Chain email
stated on February 2, 2012 a message via the Internet
"If you sell your house after 2012 you will pay a 3.8 percent sales tax on it."
Pants on Fire!
By C. Eugene Emery Jr. • February 7, 2012
Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
stated on January 30, 2012 a speech in Tampa, Fla.
"Gov. Romney cut off kosher meals for Jewish senior citizens who were on Medicaid to save $5 a day."
Mostly False
By Becky Bowers • February 1, 2012
Richard Codey
Richard Codey
stated on January 16, 2012 a radio interview
"And by the way, when I was governor, I did make the payment into the pension fund."
Mostly True
By Bill Wichert • January 23, 2012
David Cicilline
David Cicilline
stated on December 25, 2011 an appearance on WPRI's Newsmakers
"I think with the exception of the last year or maybe the last two years, we were at 100 percent" when it came to contributing to the Providence pension fund.
Mostly True
By C. Eugene Emery Jr. • January 6, 2012
Loretta Weinberg
Loretta Weinberg
stated on November 21, 2011 a column on bluejersey.com
"(Chris Christie) has not paid one dollar of state money into our pension system, and then states that the system is broke."
Mostly True
By Bill Wichert • December 2, 2011
Philip Keefe
Philip Keefe
stated on November 13, 2011 an appearance on 10 News Conference
"If they made no changes whatsoever, the [state employees pension] plan still had enough money to go forward for approximately the next 16 years."
False
By C. Eugene Emery Jr. • November 18, 2011
David Mellon
David Mellon
stated on October 27, 2011 testimony at a state pension hearing
"The job [of correctional officer] lowers your life expectancy . . . Metropolitan did a study in, I believe it was 1998, and the life expectancy was 58."
False
By C. Eugene Emery Jr. • November 16, 2011
Kathleen Connell
Kathleen Connell
stated on October 26, 2011 a hearing
"Sixty-percent of the state retirees...don’t get Social Security.’’
False
By Lynn Arditi • November 13, 2011
Paul Valletta
Paul Valletta
stated on October 27, 2011 testimony at a General Assembly pension hearing
Rhode Island Treasurer Gina Raimondo "raised the mortality rate from 65 to 87" and "used a 1994 annuity chart" to create the pension crisis.
Mostly False
By C. Eugene Emery Jr. • November 6, 2011
Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Chafee
stated on October 24, 2011 in a hearing
"If Rhode Island does a hybrid [retirement] plan we’ll be the first state in the nation to do this.’’
False
By Lynn Arditi • November 2, 2011
Rachel Maddow
Rachel Maddow
stated on October 19, 2011 a segment on The Rachel Maddow Show
"A recent Department of Labor study guessed Wall Street fees cost a worker 28 percent of the value of your plan over the span of your career."
Mostly False
By Molly Moorhead • October 28, 2011
George Nee
George Nee
stated on October 19, 2011 a pension forum
"This is the first time in our state, and one of the first times in the country, where benefit reductions . . . has happened to people who are retired."
Half-True
By C. Eugene Emery Jr. • October 23, 2011
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