I "retired" this time of the year in 09, so that's 13 years. Over that time my check has gone down quite a bit with health care premiums going up. When Cindy changed jobs we lost her healthcare and life insurance that was supposed to follow with her, but somehow her new school never got it and by the time we realized what was happening it was "too late to change it" according to the union...who didn't even know she was a teacher with the 2nd highest seniority in that school system for over a year!!! A big part of why I serve on our town board is to try and keep local taxes under control. Public office seems to draw people who look at public $$$ as their own personal piggy bank, so if right thinking don't serve, well...look around and you see the result.
As for the unholy alliance of insurance, gov't, etc., that's a pretty hard issue to discuss without it being branded "political". It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see everything is political now, but we won't mention that.