Retired teachers owe no apologies

Retired teachers owe no apologies

As a participant in the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System, I am offended by the continual criticism of public-sector employees and their retirement systems by Bertram de Souza and some of the other guest columnists on your editorial page.

In particular, the impression given by some columnists is that public-sector employees do not pay anything into their retirement system. At least in the case of STRS, that is absolutely false. I have paid into STRS with every paycheck, and so have the other members of that system. In fact, had I paid into Social Security instead, the amount of my contribution would actually have been less than what I pay to STRS.

Whatever pension I receive from STRS when I retire, it will have been supported heavily by my own contributions. I have nothing to be ashamed of or to apologize for — nor do my colleagues at universities and public schools across the state.

Robert A. Hogue, Boardman