Retirement Pensions

The question before the state legislature should not be whether or not elected or appointed state officials who have been convicted of a felony related to their office should be stripped of their retirement benefits be it pension, medical, or any other form of compensation. The question should be; why do elected and/or appointed officials of any government branch, (municipal, state, or federal) receive a pension and/or medical benefits at all. We taxpayers who pay these benefits have to work 40-50 years to collect miniscule social security payments and what ever 401K or employee pension we may be eligible for and hope we can survive what time is left us in a decent manner. These officials on the other hand serve a term or 2 in office (4-8 years) and receive a pension and benefits better then most taxpayers receive in pay and benefits while they are working.

Why? I see no reason for a person to collect a pension from an elected or appointed position.

I believe it is time for the taxpayers to start taking back our government and if the legislature does not do away with all retirement benefits for all elected and appointed offices then we should hold a binding public referendum and let the taxpayers have their direct say. At the same time vote out of office those officials who want to maintain the give away program to politicians.

It is time our elected officials remember that they are elected to best serve the taxpayers; it is not the other way around. Nor are they elected to serve multinational corporations and lobbyists. They are elected to do the best they can for the taxpayers and to carry out the wishes of the taxpayers to the best of their ability.

Bonz