LETTER: Give retirees a break
In the Oct. 23 Observer-Reporter, I read “Pension raises for some retired Pennsylvania teachers and state workers move ahead in Legislature.”
Although a 15%-to-25% pension cost-of-living raise would be nice, who is going to pay for it? How can they offer this costly benefit increase when they don’t have the money to pay for it? They can’t keep relying on taxpayers to cover their expenses.
There are many other retirees in Pennsylvania who do not have a taxpayer-funded pension and we do not receive cost of living increases. What we get each month will always stay the same. We won’t have the means to replace what we would be losing if they plan on forcing us to pay for this increase. It is bad enough that we pay property school taxes for which we receive “no service.” Now they want us to use more of our retirement money to pay for their retirement cost-of-living increase. Enough is enough.
The article states, “Let’s give these folks the dollars they need to provide for themselves.” That’s all fine and dandy but what about the rest of the retirees who will now be losing money by paying more in taxes? How about giving us a tax break so that we can provide better for ourselves as well. Where is the property tax reform that was promised?
I sent this letter to state Sen. Camera Bartolotta and state Rep. Jason Ortitay. Neither one responded to me.
Cheryl Bertolino
McDonald