Big decision awaiting state lawmakers

It is a generally accepted fact of life that people don't like change. It is equally given that change is, from time to time, inevitable. What form that change should take is often a source of heated debate among stakeholders. This is especially true in matters of public policy, where economic and social costs are tangible, if not always completely measurable.

As the Legislature heads into the home stretch of this session, the matter of how to fund teacher and public employee retirement programs is a hot issue. The Senate recently approved a measure that would change the way the present pension system works. Proponents of the measure, including the Murkowski administration, are urging the House to do the same before the session ends.

The plan's opponents, including several public employee unions, dislike the proposed changes and are asking legislators to take more time to study the plan and explore alternatives.

We are departing from our usual Opinion page format today to allow the two sides of the debate to lay out their arguments for readers together.

We urge readers who care about how the state handles the teacher and public employee retirement systems to take the time to read both arguments. It is interesting to note the approach and tone of each writer and how each claims his idea is best for everyone affected. For this reason, it may take some additional research to separate fact from spin.

We likewise urge the Legislature to remember the many hard-working public servants whose lives are likely to be affected by any decision to change the present system. We hope that lawmakers will act with the same diligence, attention and sense of urgency they used in their reaction to recently recommended cuts in their own per diem stipends.

Sammye Pokryfki's Sunday Sampler column will return to this page next week.