The Maryland legislature's efforts to reduce its commitment to the state pension fund is both reckless and a breach of faith with state workers ("House panel finds money for education, state employee pay raise," March 13).
I am a retired state employee, with more than 30 years state service as well as two years active duty military service. While a state employee, I obtained a Ph.D. in criminology to increase my skill set while working for the state justice system. I sought no state financial support for my advanced education, paying with my own funds as well as GI Bill money to which I was entitled as a veteran. As with many state employees, I accepted salaries that were considerably lower than the private sector or federal government, in part because of the promised pension benefits.
The perceived need to steal from the pension system is in large part the result of previous incompetent state pension system oversight resulting in poor pension fund growth and the state's continued over spending beyond tax revenues. Some of the overspending is due to the state's reckless sanctuary policies for undocumented immigrants, where many undocumented immigrants require considerably more in state and local health, education, justice system and social services than can be supported by the income they earn, assuming most are in fact paying taxes.
If I am wrong about my assumptions that undocumented immigrants require more services than the taxable income they generate, the state should provide valid data to refute my belief.
But if I am correct, why should state employees and other citizens have to suffer from reckless social policies? We need a legal immigration system resulting in a diversified population of persons with a variety of skill sets, ranging from unskilled to professional and technical.
I urge everyone in the state pension system to contact their state representatives to voice their opposition to reducing state support for the pension system. Maybe the results of our latest state election for governor should be a wake-up call to our legislators. I wonder if the Maryland legislature's pension system will be impacted as well?
Martin S. Schugam, Owings Mills