In recognition of the fact that underfunded, fiscally-unsustainable public employ retirement programs are driving all levels government toward bankruptcy, Americans for Prosperity-Colorado last week unveiled a new pledge it is asking elected officials and candidates for office to sign. The pledge not only asks signers to abstain from participating in such programs themselves, but it commits them to taking every action possible to protect taxpayers from future pension bailouts, by restoring such funds to financial sustainability and refraining from promising public employees pension benefits that aren’t fully funded and sustainable over the long run.

The pledge reads as follows:

Fired Board Gave CEO Big Pay Raise and Severance Windfall Despite Internal Dissent

Your help is urgently needed in order to stop the Colorado Springs City Council from making a terrible and costly mistake by handing the departing CEO of the city-owned hospital system, Dr. Larry McEvoy, a “golden parachute” severance package worth a whopping $1.15 million dollars -- which is 3 times larger than what his contract calls for. All without public input. All without City Council debating or voting. And all against the wishes and advice of Mayor Steve Bach.

Council isn’t actually handing McEvoy the check: that’s being done by Memorial Health System’s unelected board of trustees, which for 5 years has maintained a chummy-chummy relationship with McEvoy. Now they are making him a millionaire as he heads for the exits. But City Council has the authority to stop this outrageous misuse of public money if it chooses to. And councilors need to know that we'll hold them accountable if they let Memorial insiders get away with it.