Pensions have long been a mess because of shady union practices. They generously award over time to retirees in the last 3-4 years of service, this often sends up their average compensation by a factor of 3 to 4. Then you also have other benefits. No pension fund can pay for something like this. So you have to take money from the tax payer to pay for these people. The day tax payers decide to call it quits, it will all collapse.

Plus this still doesn't say anything about people in non-govt sectors.