Page 8 November 2012 Pensions still need attention Councilman Sal DiCiccio Bed bugs sit atop list of wild cases Justice Steven Sarkis By Steven Sarkis People often ask me, what are some of the stranger cases you’ve seen in court? Simply put, there is never a shortage of strange cases. Cases involving bed bugs, however, seem to be a common factor in many of the unusual cases these days. During a few recent cases I have seen pictures of apartments and houses so riddled with bed bugs the scene would be better fi t for a horror movie than a courtroom trial. In a recent landlord-tenant dispute, during settlement discussions outside of the courtroom, a belligerent tenant threw an open jar of live bed bugs at the landlord’s attorney. The attorney had to immediately leave court and commence with burning all of her clothing. Why was the tenant allowed into the courthouse with a jar of live bed bugs, you may ask? The answer: he had planned to use them as evidence. In another case, an angry tenant threw an open envelope of live bed bugs into an apartment manager’s of fi ce. The next day, the complex had to dispose of most of the furniture in the of fi ce and take other serious measures to ensure the bed bugs did not spread further. These are but a few examples of strange cases involving bed bugs in recent history. Such cases are a real and ever-increasing issue in the courts and our communities. Experts from the Environmental Protection Agency have stated the recent increase in bed bugs in the U.S. may be caused by the increase in people traveling, lack of knowledge regarding prevention and increased resistance of bed bugs to pesticides and treatments. However, entomophobiacs (those afraid of bugs) need not distress. Bed Continued on page 14 By Sal DiCiccio Phoenix marginally improved its pension system in a recent vote. However, it failed to take reasonable and necessary steps toward protecting taxpayers and creating a stable retirement system for employees, the city and taxpayers. Instead, Phoenix modeled its plan similarly to the state and every other government plan in the country – the same plans that have failed and created fi scal problems everywhere they’ve been used. I really care about our employees and the services we provide the public, but the pension direction right now is unsustainable and doesn’t work for anyone. The new Phoenix plan saves money, but long-term reform, as I had recommended, did not occur. Taxpayers were not protected against the skyrocketing pension costs that have bankrupted cities throughout the United States. I fi rmly believe and support a cap that limits taxpayer exposure. Pension and pension costs have eaten away at vital city services. Cuts in after- school programs, library and senior programs and pools are a direct result of high pension costs. Money either goes to public service or to government servants. It is not complicated. Here are the facts: $2 billion – the amount of money the pension plans are underfunded. That you, the taxpayer, are responsible for. $12.6 million – the amount a 1-percent pay increase for all employees would cost the taxpayer. About half of government employees received a 4.8-percent increase every single year. And yes, during the Great Recession the private sector saw cuts around 25 percent. $100,980 – the average total compensation for more than 14,000 employees. Since 2005-06, the cost per employee has gone up every single year. And yes, this was given during the Continued on page 14 © 2011 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. 6959127 11/11 Experience trumps uncertainty. As the events of the past two years are giving way to hope, an emphasis on responsible investing is emerging. Risk management has moved to the forefront, as investors demand sophisticated strategies to help protect their wealth. As the Olson Campbell Diller Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, we have the experience, knowledge and resources to help manage risk, to recognize how it could affect your portfolio and to work toward minimizing its impact. Meet with us to learn more and get the caliber of advice you need in an uncertain world. The Olson Campbell Diller Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney 14850 N. Scottsdale Road, 6th Floor Scottsdale, AZ 85254 480-922-7800 melissa.campbell@mssb.com www.morganstanley.com/fa/olsoncampbelldiller Shawn D. Olson Melissa C. Campbell Kirk W. Diller Managing Director Senior Vice President Senior Vice President Wealth Advisor Wealth Advisor Wealth Advisor Managing Director

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