Protecting pensions from politics

“We have a mission to protect public pension funds and the trustees…from the interference of politics in some decision making.” Tim Hill’s opening statement at the recent NCPERS’ Public Safety Conference is timely given today’s political environment.

Hill, president of the Alliance for Prosperity and a Secure Retirement (APSR), was joined by Greg Markley, Secretary Treasurer of Washington State Council of Firefighters and APSR Advisory Board Member, and O’Brien Atkinson, President of Anne Arundel County Fraternal Order of Police, to discuss how political decisions can compromise the fiscal responsibility and decision-making of investment firms.

Elected officials and policy makers in several states have put their political views ahead of the needs of public servants and taxpayers. These politically motivated actions often take the form of laws that ban or blacklist investment firms that are accused of considering environmental, social, or governance concerns in their investment decisions.

Hill noted the Alliance is not pro- or anti-ESG, but rather “…pro you and your professional advice. Figuring out what is the best investment for you.”  That’s right, the needs of retirees and those who will soon retire are more important than politicking by state elected officials. They are who the Alliance advocates for.

To hear more of this discussion at NCPERS, watch the video below – and join the Alliance to further our mission of keeping politics out pensions.