Retired teachers pay for health insurance

Dear R. Eden Martin,

As a retired Illinois Educator I was reading your and Mr. Swanson's articles in the Daily Herald (April 26) concerning public pensions. I found that both articles have merit, but I wanted to make one item clear to you which is misrepresented in your article.

You clearly stated in the article that government employees receive "gold-plated" health insurance which in essence the state of Illinois pays 100 percent of the premiums for these government employees. It is true that my wife and I have great health insurance through my previous school district, however I pay $14,758 per year for the premiums only on this health insurance for my wife and myself.

Again, I am an advocate for information being presented in a true factual manner to the public, but I would appreciate it, as others with "lucrative" public pensions, if individuals such as yourself Mr. Martin get the information correct before you present it to the press for print.

Roger T. Seely

Schaumburg