john maddente | midwestern clarity

R aison d'être -- is French for "reason for existence" -- which is a heady concept.  I'll define this blog's  raison d'être  for my  five  six readers, with this post.  Many of my posts center on fiscal responsibility.  Fotosearch Image So when I see a column I agree with as I did today in WSJ by Steven Malanga ("State Politicians and the Public Pension Cookie Jar") -- I share it and talk about it.  I hope in a small way, I'll add attention to the generational burden-shifting and recklessness taking place (and it feels good to get gripes out of my system and into a post). Mr. Malanga focuses on at least one part of a multi-faceted national spending problem -- defined benefit programs for public employees -- better known as public pensions .  I didn't understand how costly they are until some six years ago, when a retired pediatric dentist of all people, began to educa...