On pensions, what about the rest of us?

On pensions, what about the rest of us?

There have been several articles in the Daily Herald, relating to the pension mess running rampant across the country. What a sorry state we have come to: CEO’s making millions of dollars no matter how well they do their job. On the other side, we have union bosses and union workers with the same mindset: I want mine no matter who gets hurt!

During John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech he posited the edict, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” We have federal, state, county, municipalities governments dying under the weight of our current pension liabilities. Our jobs in the private sector are going overseas; do public employees care? They tell us they have “earned” all their overly generous pensions and benefits. Did the private sector employee not “earn” what he worked for when he had a job?

If those CEO’s had America and Americans’ welfare in mind, as part of their value system, wouldn’t they be more willing to forego some of the massive wages bestowed on them, and bring home some of those jobs they’ve sent overseas? And if those public union employees would think about the situation as it actually exists, maybe they could be more amenable about giving back some of those “promises” made by the politicians.

As for what was not paid into the funds over the years as promised — how much sooner would it have been realized that the promises were unsustainable? If the money being promised wasn’t being paid in, where did it go? Our taxes and fees never stopped being raised, ad nauseam, so where is all that money that didn’t go into those promised pension funds?

Isn’t it time everyone realized there is no “money tree” in the back yard?

Rosemary Colbert

Schaumburg