Pennsylvanians pay extra for public pensions Joseph N. DiStefano, The Philadelphia Inquirer In Pennsylvania, state lawmakers have had a problem common among politicians. They’ve liked to increase benefits, but didn’t like making anyone pay for them. Popular Searches This history of generosity has helped put Pennsylvania’s public pensions into a deep financial hole. But steps to remedy that are now catching up with state teachers and taxpayers. Forced to cover the higher pension checks, state and local taxpayer funding for PSERS, the big retirement plan for public-school educators, has risen year after year, soaring from just over $600 million in 2010 to $5 billion this year.