Letters: 'Reasonable changes' for pensions
2008 -- Stock photo of an old-fashioned gold watch resting on a Benjamin Franklin, $100, one hundred dollar bill. Photo credit: istock Credit: ISTOCK/
I read "Washing away our retirements" [Opinion, Jan. 26] with great interest, and I agree that changes in the private sector should not be the rationale for changes in the public sector. Yet the perception of many is that changes to the public sector are needed.
Whether accurate or not, the perception is that the public sector enjoys a broad range of valued benefits at limited personal cost and limited risk of unemployment. These benefits include pensions, medical care, accrued sick time, extended leaves while their jobs are held, guarantees of savings, and I suspect many more. On top of that, the perception is that certain public sector employees beef up their pensions with overtime, and some even collect while on disability.
Perception is reality. If my perception is inaccurate, then someone from the public sector needs to correct that perception. I believe that public sector employees might not see themselves as targets if they proposed reasonable changes rather than just opposing those proposed by our governor.
In this regard, the public sector is no different from the private sector, where those in positions of authority protect each other rather than do what is right for the organization and its consumers.
Robert Biancardi, Valley Stream
I understand the pressure Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is receiving from the public on pension reform. This is coming from people who for the most part do not receive pensions, so it's easy for them to criticize.
These are the same people who, 10 years ago, thought that civil service work was beneath them. Now that the market has crashed, they have changed their tune. Now they want pension reform.
The governor has jumped on board with them in supporting diminished benefits for future employees. There have to be limits. Under the governor's new plan, he expects firefighters to wait until their 60s to collect retirement. Having 60-something firefighters running into burning buildings would be dangerous and irresponsible.
You might as well change the motto from New York's bravest to New York's grayest.
Chris Riordan, Merrick
