Several times in this thread people have claimed CA can file bankruptcy. THAT IS NOT TRUE. Bankruptcy is a statutory procedure, not a right. You must fit within the statutory scheme for it to be applicable. Who may be a debtor under the various chapters of the Bankruptcy Code is set forth in 11 USC 109, and the closest relevant section is for Chapter 9, municipalities in 11 USC 109(c):
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(c) An entity may be a debtor under chapter 9 of this title if and only if such entity
(1) is a municipality;
(2) is specifically authorized, in its capacity as a municipality or by name, to be a debtor under such chapter by State law, or by a governmental officer or organization empowered by State law to authorize such entity to be a debtor under such chapter;
* * *
"Municipality" is specifically defined at 11 USC 101(40):
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40) The term "municipality" means political subdivision or public agency or instrumentality of a State.
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"State" is seperately defined at 11 USC 101(52):
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52) The term "State" includes the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, except for the purpose of defining who may be a debtor under chapter 9 of this title.
* * *
It is crystal clear that the bankruptcy mechanism is not available to States. If anyone disagrees I challenge them to post a citation to any court opinion to the contrary, or even some legit legal scholar.
People grossly oversimplify and mischaracterize the law and assume the state can set aside existing pension obligations. In most cases that is not true and would be a violation of existing specific federal laws. Future pension obligations for current and future workers can be modified under the right circumstances, but that is not my understanding of what the OP is complaining about.
<--- doesn't live in CA and has no horse in this race