Keep word to state workers

Gov. Matt Bevin’s comments regarding the special session for tax reform/pensions are troubling. He has stated that other than retirees, nothing is off the table. It feels like Bevin is trying to divide state workers and the rest of Kentucky. Bevin talks about how unfair it is for state workers or teachers to be able to retire after 27 years or in their 40s.

What Bevin hasn’t said is that there already are three standard tiers of state employees. To get the full scoop on each tier, look on the Kentucky Retirement Systems web page; research the teacher’s retirement plan, too. It’s time to look at facts.

As state employees, we take a lower salary than in the private sector because of the benefits. We don’t get stock options in a company or a yearly bonus. What we want is what we were promised from day one of working. Nobody wants to work a whole career, be close to retirement and then be told “sorry, but we are changing your retirement plan.”

Study after study makes clear that Kentucky failed to fund the pension system adequately for nearly 20 years. The employees met their responsibility; the state did not.

This story was originally published July 14, 2017 at 8:53 PM with the headline "Keep word to state workers."