Pension plans operated by state governments on behalf of their employees are underfunded by an estimated $452 billion according to official reports,1 with total liabilities of $2.8 trillion and total assets of $2.3 trillion in 2008. However, many economists argue that even these daunting...

New Jersey entered the 2008 recession in a weakened fiscal and economic condition. With the state's economy and revenues closely linked to Wall Street, the collapse of the financial sector and its aftershocks - rising unemployment and falling income leaves New Jersey facing “a historic revenue...