Scott Lang

He says current pension and health insurance systems for city employees have to go, period. If not, they will destroy the city and its ability to maintain the services people expect like public safety. He calls for "pension relief" and "healthcare reform," which in plain English means cuts.

"It's absolute insanity. They're unsustainable," he says about pensions. "There isn't the money to pay for an unfunded liability like that. All the revenues will be eaten up by past-due promises. Pensions have a 20-year schedule modeled after the industrial plan. It doesn't fit today."

"The question is," he adds, "How much does it cost a household to pay for these pensions?"

Or: When will the tipping point be reached that will drive New Bedford residents to move against the current pension system?

"You have to make a choice," he says. "If you're not going to change, then no road repairs, no keeping the city beautiful, no infrastructure work. You'll end up with unfunded levels that begin to suck the air out of every expendable dollar we have. If you put your ear to the tracks, you can hear it coming."