("Grumman-581" wrote)
Traditionally, government employees have been paid considerably less than
their private sector counterparts... One way to compensate for that is to
give them better retirement options...


Bunk.

Private sector employees operate in an environment of 'risk' ...as in, will
I have a job next month? State, County, and Federal employees often do not
face this reality. There is currency in this type of job protection.

On a side note - I love talk about raising the minimum wage. The first
benefactors of a higher minimum wage are State and County workers, who (many
times) have salaries pegged to that number.


Mont