Letters: We must all pull together

What is it with people today? What’s with our teachers? No one likes to lose income or benefits ... join the club.

Are teachers some kind of privileged class who are entitled to their salaries, benefits and retirement ... guaranteed by taxpayers?

I’m 70 and have been working for over 50 years. My wife (a retired operating room nurse of 41 years) and I have suffered a 60 percent decrease in our retirement income because of this “Great Recession.” We lost our home. So after 44 years of marriage, we have no home of our own.

We could have survived a couple of years on our savings but this recession is one that our current president seems to have no idea of how to end. He’s more concerned about socialized medicine — his way or the highway.

Do any of you people know what’s going on in socialist Europe? Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and now France and Italy are on the ropes financially with riots in Greece, Spain and France. And our president wants our country to have the same kind of socialist system as they.

Here’s a news flash for y’all: The Great Depression of the late ’20s started in Europe when a major German bank failed, and it set off a “domino effect.” Oh, and by the way, do you know what brought down Greece? Bloated salaries, benefits and retirement plans of government employees — that’s what.

So, just keep on demanding what we can no longer afford — just like a spoiled brat from the “ME, ME, ME Generation.”

The American people — well, some of them — are still strong and resilient and will pull our country out of this mess one day. But not with everyone pulling in opposite directions for their interests only.

Thomas C. Gandolfo

oil and gas

Lakeland

Comments

1) Comment by GoldenSage - 06/05/2012

Great letter. Sad so many people will not understand it and so many people will still follow the talking points of their Puppet Masters, Obama, Soros, Nancy, Harry, and so many others, including most Democrats now. Teachers are not the issues; the puppets are not the issues. The issue is We The People are no longer thinking American; we are thinking what the Puppet Masters want U.S. to think: class warfare, race, sexism, and so many other off key topics. Think anything but the truth: The Puppet Masters are the Elite and We The People are not on the same level as them. We "need" the Puppet Masters to govern our lives because We The People can't. And the sad part is there are so many puppets that are following them: they talk as if they have a brain, but only follow their Masters' talking points. They speak freedom, liberties, and independence but their actions say otherwise, and they offer no workable alternatives to our current system. They want to destroy without knowing how or what they want to replace it with. They only are able to look up to their Masters' for "what to do". The best example of Obama and the Democrats are the OWS people: what trash, either naive or corrupt or both. The saddest part, we have NO leader to save U.S. We need a leader with "American" spirit; the heart and soul of Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan. An American leader to stand up and rally We The People in a "fight" against the Puppet Masters and their mindless puppets.

2) Comment by Bouncer - 06/05/2012

You forgot one crucial item, spqr. Teachers also must endure the contempt and disrespect of people in the general public like Mr. Gandolfo. Thanks for the props. :-)

3) Comment by spqr - 06/05/2012

Teachers are entitled if they work for their salaries, Thomas. Just like any occupation. Teachers do work. And break up fights. And confiscate drugs. And get cursed by students. And work many hours at home. And coach. And fund raise for clubs they run for no money. And phone parents. And attend meetings. And stay after school for faculty meetings for no money. And put together lesson plans. And grade papers. And take online courses (mandatory). And teach multiple classes with only 30 minutes for lunch. They work, Thomas. They earn the money.

4) Comment by WhoCares - 06/05/2012

Who is the ME generation? Baby Boomers? I agree with many of the sentiments of the commenters.

5) Comment by nimby? - 06/05/2012

Warp7 , perhaps we should abolish all social programs , allowing the "earner" to keep those deductions and invest or use them as they deem best ....

6) Comment by teachersarepeople2 - 06/05/2012

The downfall of Greece's economy was caused and may be attributed largely to the fact that they misrepresented the amount of debt they owed in order to become part of the Eurozone. Under Education reform efforts, those with a four year degree of any kind will be able to teach our children. Then, people like you would qualify to teach History. Kind of scary, considering you make it up as you go along, huh?

7) Comment by Warp7 - 06/05/2012

Another blind conservative who has no clue as to what is really going on in this world. Same old right Wing rhetoric about socialism. Anything thay disagree with they label it socialism or liberalism. I bet he is happy to be drawing social security and getting Medicare to cover his medical!

8) Comment by MissBR - 06/05/2012

Wouldn't "pulling together" imply socialist leanings? If you hadn't (unfairly and unfortunately) lost out on your money would you even bother to say these sorts of things?

9) Comment by Scrooge - 05/05/2012

Abolish socialist medicare

10) Comment by Whatchange - 05/05/2012

Good letter.

11) Comment by Scrooge - 05/05/2012

Spekaing of "pulling in opposite directions for their interests only"I wonder if Mr. Gandolfo uses that socialist Medicare which Republicans would like to abolish their way or the highway? right, Gandolfo, what you are really saying is "ME, ME, ME" must all pull together.

12) Comment by jobo - 05/05/2012

LOL, like we should believe anything an oil and gas man says.

13) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 05/05/2012

"At the end of the day, HB-969 is not about education. It is about enabling raids on public resources by the wealthiest individuals in the state that will deprive the state’s people and its institutions of the funds needed to provide essential services. All of this is being done in the broad light of day under the supervision and direction of an administration that has repeatedly proven itself incapable of managing the state’s finances. If there has ever been a more cynical and/or reckless piece of legislation enacted here, I don’t think we’d be celebrating our bicentennial this year." http://dailykingfish.com/2012/04/29/rep-kirk-talbots-hb-969- redefining-fiscal-recklessness/

14) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 05/05/2012

Paychecks and retirements are not entitlements. They are earned. But, how about this report: http://app1.lla.state.la.us/PublicReports.nsf/428299A4F3E9524D 8625799E00734D44/$FILE/0002610D.pdf Louisiana has cut about 10,000 positions, but the cost of employment keeps going up! All those high paid positions Jindal keeps making. Can we say cronyism? And recently, the House, in its wisdom, voted down a bill that would limit THEIR use of Lasers to stop the cronyism. Oh, no.. can't touch their retirement. And recently the Legislative Auditor released a report showing we are giving away over 55% of our tax base away in credits and exemptions. Corporate Welfare is not Economic incentive. Stop the cronyism and we could fix the budget. But it is easier to blame the lowest ranks and make them pay for the last 30 years of Politicians excesses and corruption. At least H Long helped the state and the Middle Class. Jindal is just out for himself.

15) Comment by agagent - 05/05/2012

You can check the charts of the Obama administration claiming that the stimulus would keep unemployment below 8%. According to their estimate we would be well below 8% unemployment now. The actual unemployment has been above what Obama economists claimed. Unemployment has also been higher their estimate of unemployment of “if nothing is done.” By their estimate the stimulus made unemployment higher than it would have been without it.

16) Comment by agagent - 05/05/2012

“ 2010 Regulations Prohibits lifetime limits on coverage, restricts rescission of policies, and provides health coverage for persons with pre-existing • conditions through a national high risk pool. Establishes a requirement to provide coverage for non-dependent children up to age 26 to all existing health insurance plans • starting six months after enactment. Requires that all new group health plans in the individual health insurance market must provide first dollar coverage for • preventative services. 2011 New Taxes The law will impose a pharmaceutical industry fee on sales of brand name pharmaceuticals for use in government health programs • ($2.5 billion for 2011, $2.8 billion per year for 2012 and 2013, $3.0 billion per year for 2014 through 2016, $4 billion for 2017, $4.1 billion for 2018, and $2.8 billion for 2019 and thereafter). The law will increases the additional tax for Health Savings Accounts withdrawals prior to age 65 that are not used for qualified • medical expenses from 10% to 20%. 2012 The federal benchmark payment to Medicare Advantage plans that now cover an estimated 20 percent of seniors will be reduced. • Further payments changes then will be phased-in over several years.”--Heritage Foundation We are paying some of the costs of Obamacare already.

17) Comment by 8point6 - 05/05/2012

Thank you, agagent. And thank you Mr Gandolfo.

18) Comment by agagent - 05/05/2012

"A Barrier to Job Growth: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains expensive mandates and penalties that create major barriers to stronger job growth. The mandates will compete for the scarce business resources used for hiring and firm expansion. The law also levies roughly $500 billion in new taxes that will enter the supply chain for medical services, raising the cost of medical services. At the same time that businesses juggle the potential for higher interest rates or higher taxes, these medical costs will translate to higher insurance premiums, further increasing the cost of operating a business in the United States."--from a letter to Congress signed by some 200 economists and experts

19) Comment by Bouncer - 05/05/2012

Well, Mr. Gandolfo, you've convinced me. I've been a teacher for the better part of 3 decades, and I have each month had the required percentage of my salary deducted and put into the Teacher Retirement System of Louisiana. Teachers are not allowed or given the option to pay into Social Security, so what I have to look forward to in my retirement will be the modest 2% benefit the State promised me when I became a teacher almost 30 years ago. However, your letter has made me see how utterly self-serving I am to expect my employer (the State) to fulfill its contractual obligation to me. Therefore, in the name of "pulling together," I hereby relinquish my retirement.

20) Comment by Wallop - 05/05/2012

Mr. Gandolfo, you'd be a lot more credible if you weren't so obvious about your political prejudices.

21) Comment by SuzanneMS - 05/05/2012

First, Mr. Gandolfo, teachers are both workers and tax payers. Second, they are not a "privileged class entitled to their salaries, benefits and retirement" for which they worked and to which they contributed as required by their contract with the state. Every worker is entitled to the salaries, benefits and retirement for which they worked and to which they contributed as required by contract with their employer. Third, the Recession is not the issue. More than 2/3s of the Unfunded Accrued Liability is due to the fact that the state reneged on its part of the contract. The state did not contribute the amount that it had committed to in that contract. Had it done so, the remaining UAL, due to the Recession, would be significantly less -- if anything. It's quite possible that the system would still have more money than it needed if state contributions had been made as required for the past -- what, 50 or 60 years? Fourth, how's Social Security working for you? That's an entitlement payed for by the tax payers and your employer.

22) Comment by gary - 05/05/2012

Mr. Gandolfo, sorry to hear about your retirement situation - however, Obamacare (as the right calls it) will not kick in until 2014 - you are blaming the wrong folks on your problems - this recession started in late 2007 and picked up steam in early 2008.