They voted as members of their union not to participate. They had a referendum within the union, it was a hard fought battle. They were split on whether they should withdraw or not, but they did withdraw. And they put together something called the Alternate Plan. And it deducts the same amount that Social Security deducts from the paychecks of these employs.
Half is deducted from their paycheck and half is paid in by the county government, their employer.
But instead of the money going to Washington and the Social Security system, it goes into a private pension account. Over the past dozen years, since 1981 when they approved the plan, and they began investing a few years later, in the past dozen years the fund has earned an average of 6.5 percent real return a year. By contrast Social Security of course doesn't grow at all. It's insurance and there is a fixed payment at the other end. Under Social Security of course, when you retire you own no nest egg at all.