Federal pensions: One to customer

I read with great interest your article on “Record U.S. deficit.”

I understand the need for the U.S. to stop its outrageous spending; much on the two wars that continue to be a huge drain on our resources. Gifting to Third World countries while we here in America face such daunting monetary challenges should also be visited.

We cannot allow our nation to default. Global investors will indeed get nervous and start driving up interest rates.

One of the first places to start the inevitable cuts should be federal pensions. We should make it illegal for federal pension holders currently receiving pensions and future recipients, who have an income of more than $250,000, to not double dip from the government. They should be required to save for retirement like everyone else.

My daughter recently switched careers. After 20 years in business in the private sector she followed her heart and obtained her teaching certificate and master's degree. She is now teaching at the middle school level. She will be unable to collect Social Security when she retires because she will have a single pension from the Illinois Teachers Pension Fund — if is still being funded by the state.

If educators, who receive the least pay during their careers, compared to private or state or federally employed people with the same educational backgrounds, are limited to only one form of pension, everyone else should be, too.

This would be a good start to saving millions or billions that could, in the future, drive down our federal deficit.

Diane Marks

Huntley