Home of Today's Common Sense

Published – Brownsville Herald November 13, 2005
You may have noticed that that we now have a name for my column, not just “Contributing Columnist”. I chose “Today’s Common Sense” for several reasons, firstly because I hope it encourages the native good judgment in those who read it. Secondly, as sort of a continuation of Thomas Paine’s good works. He was also a former Customs or Excise Collector, and he believed that “Rights and Liberties were the essence of a person’s humanity. I find that I share many of Mr. Paine’s beliefs as well as his practical application of them.
On March 3 the Brownsville Herald published my perspective of Social Security entitled “Government just wants to maintain its power. “
I believe more than ever that a reform is critical, not as much because I worry about the solvency but because we can not trust our “Rulers” both at the State and Federal levels, to have the interests of retirees at heart and do anything but seize more power from the people that they are supposed to serve – not rule.
The proposals for social security described in the, Libertarian, Cato Institute Brochure on the Social Security remodeling “Its Your Money” describe a system, similar to the Federal Employees Retirement System, in effect now for more than ten years, that promises to treat all retirees fairly. That alone is a big change.
Current systems deprive many retired public servants of the social security benefits that they contributed towards.

If you are a Civil Service Retiree, a teacher or other employee that has a government retirement you will receive only a much reduced social security benefit even though you may have earned your benefits before or after your service or even in a part time job while serving. I have spoken to a number of teachers who would normally have received a benefit of $500 per month but will only receive $200 because they are receiving a retirement, which in most cases is much less than those with company retirements that will not have their benefits reduced.
Present federal employees are covered under the new Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) which according to former colleagues that I have spoken to “is the best thing since sliced bread” and promises adequate resources .for comfort in the “Golden Years” rather than the future looming for some such as teachers, and others covered by State Retirements, and former Federal civil servants; including law enforcement officers; as living and health costs continue to rise.
It is amazing to me that those who have worked the hardest to help the folks, are disadvantaged the most, by the same government.
Our government in the same wisdom has continually failed to recognize a group of folks that defend our borders, make as many if not more fugitive arrests than any other agency, and are killed in the line of duty with shattering frequency, as any other law enforcement officers. The same Customs and Immigration Inspectors, who have the power of arrest, and are many times the only thing between us and foreign terrorists, drug smugglers and fugitives at border crossings, seaports and airports, for the last century or more and are still technically classified by the Office of Personnel Management as compliance officers and do not qualify for law enforcement retirement or other such benefits. Our “Rulers” are definitely not looking out for us.
The State of Texas “Rulers” are no shirkers when it comes to focusing more on partisan wellbeing, their own pockets and interest groups. They obviously do not feel education is a sufficient enough issue to take a position on as evidenced by the refusal to come to an agreement on an education funding plan. They want to be able to blame someone else, in this case the courts and or the Federal Government for their own failures.
At a time of uncertainty about the quality of education or students receive, Texas “Rulers” confiscate four months retirement benefits from very experienced retired teachers who work part or full time more than 20 hours. (six months for a returning principal) They also penalize school districts a 12½ % surcharge to the pension fund as well as a health benefits surcharge for any retired teachers who continue to share expertise. They further chose to punish the retirees by making the change effective with teachers working as of January 1 rather than June 15 when it was passed.
The teachers do not receive any larger health benefit, other than the very poor ones they are already entitled to; nor do they have their retirement benefit increased due to the additional employment time. This certainly does nothing to encourage retired teachers that still have a contribution to make, but just may not want to endure the pressure through the whole 10-12 hour day. (Yes with the increased paperwork now required by the different levels of bureaucracy, class preparation it is often a 12 hour day), Schools need the hard learned skills of the more mature teachers and both the school and seasoned retiring teacher need flexibility in the work times.
These rules discourage and hurt teachers who do not have retirements that suggest luxury; they also hurt schools; but most of all they hurt our young folks that need these kindly shepards to guide them towards a satisfying life.
Our legislators need to consider who their employers are; it is the “you and me” who actually pay taxes, it is not the lobbyists or the book distributors or the other parties that profit by these poorly conceived requirements.
While it is too much to ask I would like to see new initiatives that provide more choices and more freedom such as the administration proposed Social Security Reform and a community controlled education, not a system that must bow and scrape to the State and Federal “Rulers” for resources.
Our “Rulers” are not contributing very well.