The current state benefit model is mathematically unsustainable because it tethers taxpayers to permanent, growing legacy debt that Delaware simply cannot outpace. By pivoting to a modern 401(k) model for new and unvested hires, we replace that "Debt Trap" with a portable, predictable, and fully funded plan. Unlike the current system, a 401(k) is portable—allowing workers to carry their wealth across their careers—and sustainable, because it ends the 7-to-1 spending-to-population growth gap that has plagued our budget since 2000. This isn't about cutting benefits; it's about auditing a management failure to ensure Delaware remains solvent for the next generation.
The Hard Numbers Behind This Petition:

The Current Crisis: Delaware’s Retiree Healthcare Fund (OPEB) faces a staggering $8.4 billion to $10.1 billion structural deficit because it was run on a passive, un-prefunded "pay-as-you-go" basis for decades.
The Taxpayer Impact: This multi-billion dollar debt squeezes the state budget, which directly chokes off state funding to our local municipal school districts. This forces local school boards to pass referendums raising our local real property taxes to fill the gap.
The Financial Solution: Right now, a single legacy employee accumulates an unpredictable future medical liability of up to $300,000. By transitioning new hires to a modern 3% matching framework, a $50,000-a-year employee costs the state exactly $1,500 a year—totaling $45,000 over a 30-year career.
The Return on Investment: Spending $45,000 in concurrent, predictable cash to completely wipe out a $300,000 volatile future debt yields a 6.6x ROI for taxpayers and freezes the growth of new debt.
The Win-Win Realignment: The massive savings from capping this future debt will be statutorily shifted directly into active starting salaries, lifting them above the historical 86% market average. New hires get higher take-home pay today, while our local property values and current retirees' healthy pensions are permanently protected.