CalPers votes to sell Smith & Wesson Shares

As of December 31, 2013 CAlPers, the largest US pension fund with almost 255 billion, had approximately 197,000 shares of Smith & Wesson Holding Corp and 117,000 shares of Sturm Ruger &Co.

The CalPers Board voted today to divest $5 million of their shares in the two companies citing the fact that some of the weapons made by the companies are illegal in the state of California.The vote was 9-3 with many of the ayes citing the Sandy Hook incident and one of the Nays expressing concern with the premise that selling stocks of items illegal in California will start an avalanche of knee jerk sales of  stocks pointing to the investment in automobiles that don't meet clean air standards in California and gasoline not available in California. It is also believed that CalPers invests in pharmaceuticals companies as well as liquor and wine companies.

CalPers Rules In Effect at Sheriff Dept

Update: 11:42
Currently the Calaveras County Sheriff Department employs six 'extra hire' deputies that have retired from other agencies. At the Board of Supervisors meeting 12-18-12 the Board approved replacing the 'extra help' positions with permanent temporary positions. According to Supervisor Spellman changing the term from extra help to permanent temporary employee makes the employee "eligible for incremental pay increases for years of service." The change in verbiage will cost the county approximately $3800.00 this fiscal year.

According to Sgt Hewitt the "extra hire deputies do not contribute to CalPers for their part time positions." Yet points out that the hours they currently work may need to be adjusted to fit with the cap of 960 hours per fiscal year and their part time employment may effect a pension they may be drawing.  Adjusting for the 960 hour cap could affect the Sheriff Dept's "court staffing since we use extra hires as bailiffs in the courts." However Sgt Hewitt states that the Sheriff Dept has already adjusted their staffing for this cap.

According to reports from other county agencies the use of qualified retirees throughout the country is common practice as many agencies see the potential for saving money due to the lack of need for training (ex:sending recruits to a police academy or firefighters to a fire academy) as well as many retirees prefer part-time employment allowing for more lenient scheduling. Recently CalPers placed many restrictions on the ability of a person retired from a CalPers agency to accept employment from another CalPers employer.

Opinion Article - CalPERS – Back to Basics? by Al Segalla

Are public employees human beings?

If they are, then, according to our Founding Fathers and the 5^th and 14^th Amendments to the US Constitution, they have natural rights to life, liberty and property.

This fact seems to be ignored by the legislature, the Public Employees Retirement System, local elected and unelected public officials and the Unions.

Doesn’t the employee own their mind and body? 

When compensated for use of their mind and body, isn’t the money thus earned their property?

If the above is true, then it seems proper that the employee and retiree be allowed to control their money. That means they should decide how the money is invested and if they wish to be part of an employee based retirement system or even choose another use for their money.