Legislators' retirement obscene

The following letter appeared in the Aiken Standard a few days ago. Even the City of Aiken pays a small pension to its elected officials who have served12 years or more. Admittedly its a small amount they get but it should be eliminated. The only way we will ever stop this absurdity is term limits for all

From the Aiken Standard




"When do the people of this state get smart and vote every House member in Columbia out of office? This inept group has presided over the lowest public school system in the country. Their policy on businesses has created the lowest average income per capita in the country. They have continually refused to reform state government, which is bloated with corruption and inefficiency.

Just one example - state Social Services, not to mention the cancerous deadbeat dads dilemma which the state is being fined millions of dollars a year by federal government. Wasting taxpayers money, I thought was their high point until I read about, of all things, these clowns' retirement program.

Can anyone out there, for heavens name, give me one good reason why state politicians need a retirement? When everyone I know wants term limits. The most absurd fact about what they voted themselves is their retirement benefits which will be 1.5 times their salary and even legislators who lose will also get 150 percent of their salary; while the average state employee retirement will be only 45 percent of their retiring salary. Folks, we need to get serious about our government before its too late."

Jet Beckum

Aiken