Retired government employees get short shrift from Social Security; corrective action needed

EDITOR:

I am deeply troubled by the $700 billion dollar bailout of he financial market. The problems with the financial market were all created by the greed of the lenders and of the borrowers.

As employees and retirees of the federal government, we are severely penalized by a Government Pension Offset (GPO) law that prevents federal, state and local government retires (who were first eligible to retire in December 1982 and later) from collecting both a government annuity based on their own work and Social Security benefits based on their spouse’s work record. There is also a Social Security Amendment that includes a provision that greatly reduces the Social Security benefit of a retired or disabled worker who also receives a federal, state or local government annuity based on his/her earnings (WEP). There are approximately 401,200 beneficiaries currently affected by the GPO and 971,300 beneficiaries currently affected by the WEP.

These provisions were enacted to prevent double dipping. However, they most drastically affect low income widows and spouses. Please understand that we, the retirees of the public sector, had absolutely nothing to do with this dilemma, whereas the “fat cats” of all the handouts are responsible for their own problems.

For over 20 years we, as a group and as individuals, have been writing to our congressmen and senators to no avail. Their pat answer is that the government cannot afford to fix the problem. This is the same response we have gotten even when the government was showing a huge surplus. They do, however, admit that we are being treated unfairly. During each congressional year, we get many cosponsors. Many sign on because they know nothing will ever come of it. They will not even let it come out of committee for a vote.

I cannot understand where the government suddenly found the money for the huge bailouts of the financial market, the bailout of AIG, the stimulus package (from which help was very short-lived). And on the news today I heard that Nancy Pelosi was going to ask for another stimulus package. Please help.

MARY STRAUSS, President

Chapter 14, NARFE

For Active and Retired Federal Employees

Youngstown