Work toward real pension reform

State Sen. Matt Murphy’s idea on pension reform misses the point (Fence Post, Nov. 5). You don’t have to be abusing the system to be abusing taxpayers and our children.

The retirement and health care programs for civil servants are extraordinary. The vast majority of private sector workers are entitled to Social Security and Medicare. Those programs are under pressure and benefits will surely be reduced. At the same time our legislators continue to promise government employees lucrative pensions and worry-free health care coverage.

Don’t be misled by claims of modest public pensions. The current programs are so lucrative that recent reform limited future pensions to $85,000 per year. Why must Social Security recipients sacrifice their savings to provide $85,000 pensions for civil servants? Why must Medicare recipients guarantee government workers extraordinary health care benefits? Today the unfunded liability for pension and health care promises likely exceeds $200 billion, and that burden will be born by our children.

It’s unfair, it’s immoral, it’s abusive.

Sen. Murphy is correct; there is a common sense solution. Every civil service employee should be enrolled in Social Security and Medicare. The benefit will be immense and immediate. Egregious cheating will be stopped and our children will be relieved of guarantees and backdoor deals between clout-heavy unions and legislators.

If government employees demand compensation, pay it. We will then know the true cost of government. If the cost is too great, we will reduce our demands.

Our legislators should give up their extraordinary pensions and stop offering extraordinary benefits to clout-heavy unions. Our legislators should represent the majority of taxpayers and our children. Our legislators should support real reform.

Bob Ruffatto

Arlington Heights