Tim Ragsdale: Highly paid UC employees shouldn’t get pensions
Re “Sending a message on UC pensions” (Opinions, March 13): Why should we be burdened with the retirement planning of UC employees? If they are worthy of $500,000 salaries, then they should be smart enough to plan and save for their own retirement.
We don’t know how much we owe or for how long. The existing retirement system obligates current and future taxpayers to pay until the retiree dies. That is the only time that we will know the cost of the obligation.
The obligation redistributes wealth from the private sector to the public sector. It takes funds away from education for those who need it the most. Basic services such as police and fire protection are reduced to pay the obligation.
The elimination of the guaranteed retirement obligation is the only financially sound solution that serves the greater good. They can have a 401(k) and bear the burden of their retirement planning the way the rest of us do. That change would require unions and politicians to take one for the team. Given their track record of looking out for themselves, it is unlikely to happen.
Tim Ragsdale, Modesto
This story was originally published March 16, 2015 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Tim Ragsdale: Highly paid UC employees shouldn’t get pensions."