Something to keep in mind while trying to determine if your state pension is worth it... Does the pension cover state legislators? That's the saving grace of my husband's state pension. To trash the pensions of state college Retirees, legislators would have to trash their own pensions. I'm pretty confident that won't happen!

My husband plans to retire next year with 10 years of service, so the pension will be small (something like $700/month with the 100 % survivor option), but he can also stay in the health plan at the employee rate (he was grandfathered--you now need 15 years for that bennie), which turns into a Medicare supplemental at age 65 at the same premium (well, the premium is apt to be higher a few years from now).

Oh, it sux to have a pay freeze--BTDT, sorry it happened to you.

Something else to keep in mind while you make decisions about future employment...Private sector programmers are often laid off in their 50s, so do try to save what you need to retire on by then.