My daughter is joining the teaching ranks in science next year. I don't hold teachers's unions responsible. There are elected representatives that bargain with taxpayers money that should be held responsible. Many of those also get government pensions and wouldn't dream of taking away others pension plans because it would risk there own. Who wouldn't want a pension? Still many companies have gone away from the pension model to one that provides good programs for the workers to put money into for retirement. Many will provide some matching money. This seems much more sustainable than pension plans where the government agrees to contracts and then fails to adequately fund those contracts and then complains that teachers unions have too much power.
It is not just teachers that I am talking about with respect to government pension plans. I know of one individual who is getting a pension payment from the state of Kansas while working for the state, a pension from working as a judge and a pension from a law school, plus social security. I know of another who will get a pension payment from working for the Sedgwick County sheriff department, one from the City of Wichita and is trying to get enough time as a US Deputy Marshall to get a third. Good for them but the money to pay all those pensions comes from taxpayers. The US Post Office is another example. They are struggling mightily with retirees pensions and health care. Not once I have seen anyone suggest that they need to scrap the retirement programs they have and go to sustainable retirement programs, especially from anyone within the Postal Service. While many blast the US Post Office it is still remarkable to me that I can send a Priority Mail package for around $5 that would cost me $30 through FedEX.
Also I might add that I really appreciate the new income tax law. I will not have to pay state income taxes this year! Still I do not see the fairness of having certain people that do not recieve a "wage" not having to pay income taxes but those that do get a wage or salary having to pay income taxes. I also cannot fathom how the state can fund what needs to be funded without income tax revenues.
It is not just teachers that I am talking about with respect to government pension plans. I know of one individual who is getting a pension payment from the state of Kansas while working for the state, a pension from working as a judge and a pension from a law school, plus social security. I know of another who will get a pension payment from working for the Sedgwick County sheriff department, one from the City of Wichita and is trying to get enough time as a US Deputy Marshall to get a third. Good for them but the money to pay all those pensions comes from taxpayers. The US Post Office is another example. They are struggling mightily with retirees pensions and health care. Not once I have seen anyone suggest that they need to scrap the retirement programs they have and go to sustainable retirement programs, especially from anyone within the Postal Service. While many blast the US Post Office it is still remarkable to me that I can send a Priority Mail package for around $5 that would cost me $30 through FedEX.
Also I might add that I really appreciate the new income tax law. I will not have to pay state income taxes this year! Still I do not see the fairness of having certain people that do not recieve a "wage" not having to pay income taxes but those that do get a wage or salary having to pay income taxes. I also cannot fathom how the state can fund what needs to be funded without income tax revenues.
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