Will Walker 'Fix' Wisconsin's Not-Broke or Broken Pension Fund?

Given the uproar Scott Walker created with his dropped bomb known as Act 10, it has been assumed for months that the study he ordered to improve the Wisconsin Retirement System was another plan to somehow strip Wisconsin state employees of their pension rights, benefits or retirement financial assumptions.

Or perhaps recommend that employees or retirees be allowed to find a private sector broker or adviser or manager to facilitate some added 401-K options and whip up some fees.

Who knows - - except to always keep up your guard when Walker and his people are doing some planning.

Now comes a national assessment ranking the Wisconsin plan the best, most solidly managed, so the report Walker ordered up is even more highly anticipated.

The Pew Center on the States last week found that only Wisconsin out of the 50 states has enough money set aside to meet its current obligations to pay the pensions that have been promised to public employees. Wisconsin is also the only state in the country to receive a "solid performer" ranking from Pew for both its funding of pensions and health care obligations for retirees.

After he won the recall election, Walker said he was not promoting right-to-work legislation because he didn't want another divisive distraction.

A reasonable person would assume that messing with the state pension plan would fall into that category, but remember that Walker called his Act 10 surprise a "modest proposal."

And "progressive," too.