Even though her plan, which would have reduced the FY2002 House-Senate pension appropriation by $130 million, was included in a last-minute token "recovery" budget in political reaction to the Legislature's lateness in submitting a FY2002 budget, it was cause for alarm.

"The House-Senate compromise on a $912 million pension liability fund appropriation was absolutely the very minimum amount that could have been budgeted without endangering the schedule which calls for pension liabilities to be eliminated by year 2018," said Association President Ralph White.

"To blithely say that we could re-mortgage the funding plan and set a new 2028 date, thus justifying a lower appropriation to free up money for other budget items, was a serious misstep by the Swift Administration, which must be held to task for lack of institutional memory."

In 1997 when then Treasurer Joe Malone opined that a 2028 funding schedule could lower the state's annual pension appropriations and thus free up additional revenue for the Big Dig, he was pilloried by both sides of the aisle. House Speaker Thomas Finneran said the "Malone plan defied common sense." Paul Cellucci, then Lt. Governor, was not in favor of the proposal.

"Privately, (Governor) Weld insiders called the plan ludicrous," said White. "Our Association is always willing to work with any administration on pension issues. We would hope that Governor Swift will do better next time. On this one, she was way off base."