>I understand the payoff numbers have increased 3-4% per year since this was written while SS has gone up a total of 7.1% in the last 6 years. Employees pay in about the same or less % than they would under SS.

That's great to hear.
As you can see below, it's not universal.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130110/NEWS07/130109847/pension-fund-rankings-by-state-were-no-50

Private pension plans are worse off.

Check this out
"In fiscal year 2015, PBGC paid $5.6 billion in benefits to participants of failed single-employer pension plans. That year, 69 single-employer pension plans failed. PBGC paid $103 million in financial assistance to 57 multiemployer pension plans. The agency's deficit increased to $76 billion. It has a total of $164 billion in obligations and $88 billion in assets.[2]"

Sure, there are stories of plans making huge returns with equities, but let me remind you that the NASDAQ just reached the level it was at in 1999 this year.

Here in New Jersey, state workers are seriously worried about the state's funding ability.