GOP Lawmaker Criticizes Dipping Into State Pensions
State Rep. Kenneth Sheets, R-Dallas, has become the first GOP lawmaker to openly disparage other elected officials for collecting a state pension while receiving a government salary for their elected position, a practice that received notoriety after reports came out that Gov. Rick Perry officially retired to boost his take-home pay.
“It becomes an issue when you are a current elected official that is drawing a state employee pension while receiving a salary as an elected official,” Sheets wrote in an email Wednesday to The Texas Tribune. He was responding to a follow-up question on why he believed it was ...
Comments (8)
Hannah Katz
Representative Sheets is an intelligent, honorable man. We need him in Austin where such qualities are not always abundant.
gypsy314 ne
Pensions must go besides if a 401k is good enough for the people who are paying the bills it should be good enough for our public workers. I think the people should vote on canceling all pension plans for the state of Texas lets put it on the ballot! City's are going broke with the piss poor promises that were made by folks that did not have a clue what maybe down the raod and how to pay for it if things went south.
Niki Genusa
Pensions are not evil. Some rules can be changed to make them workable. However, I'd rather have my pension than a very undependable 401k.
C.g. David via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Pension Stacking is a problem. The solution is no pensions for elected officials. IT'S NOT A JOB!!!!
Jo Jimerson
Not to argue against 401K plans, but just to clarify for gypsy314 ne: There is no distinction between "bill payers" and "public workers"; public sector workers also pay the bills. When I was an employee of a school district (i.e., a 'public worker') I still paid not only all of the sales taxes that everyone pays, but my property tax bill and any other bills an employee of the private sector pays. While you may have valid points about 401Ks vs. pensions, trying to create a distinction between private sector and public sector employees as to "bill paying" is not accurate.
Monica A Guzmán via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I've seen my share of "double-dippers" when I was w/the state. There were/are plenty of under/unemployed well-qualified to fill those positions! Double-dippers have put in their years, time to enjoy retirement (vs "boosted" pension) and let younger ppl step in/step up!
Patricia Budak
The Teacher Retirement System was created after a constitutional amendment referendum in 1936. During the Great Depression era, Texas voters recognized the need to establish a retirement fund for teachers since they were not eligible for Social Security as most other American workers were. So not only are working teachers to this day paying into their retirement fund every pay day, they will never recoup the Social Security money which they paid into other jobs they may have held. If Texans no longer respect and support the men and women who teach their children and cook their school lunches and drive their school buses, they will have to amend the Texas Constitution to take away their lifelong pensions. I do not believe many Texas citizens feel this way. Texas has abundant resources. All it will take is electing candidates who believe in the Texas public school system and its employees and the money will be found to give teachers an adequate professional salary and a dignified pension.
Amanda Winters via Texas Tribune on Facebook
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