Apr 10, 2002 2 min read

Dear Editor: May I address this letter to Stephanie Salter? Please tell us you didn’t write your March 22 column from the gutter. Your words say more about you than they do about the ones you are blaming falsely.

Why don’t you want young people to have a chance (no, a sure thing) in the good, clean life?

It is not absence but abstinence that makes the heart grow fonder.

You have just indicted yourself. So be truthful and claim: guilty as charged.

Lois Carson

Perryopolis

Long distant fan

Keeping a ‘fixed’ income

Dear Editor:

This letter is to remind the public and the state retirees who retired before July 1, 2001 that they have been poorly treated by the governor and by the General Assembly. Act 9 that often is called the “pension grab bill” increased state pensions for new retirees by 25 percent and the legislators by 50 percent and has eliminated a chance for a cost of living increase (COLA) in pensions for those who retired prior to July 1, 2001.

Many retirees live on less than $1,000 a month and only receive a COLA every 4 to 5 years, if at all.

On behalf of all state retirees, we need support for legislation for an automatic cost of living adjustment (COLA). It is my understanding that only Pennsylvania, Kansas, North Dakota and Oklahoma do not receive any automatic pension increase (either every year or every two years.)

The current system does not maintain the standard of living base for retirees and those who retired prior to July 1, 2001. They should be considered first for tapping into the current pension fund.

The General Assembly gets an annual COLA, yet they ignore retirees prior to July 1, 2001. The dictionary defines unconscionable as “not guided by conscience,” “not in accord with what is just or reasonable.” This is exactly what the General Assembly is doing – taking care of themselves and forgetting those already retired.

It’s time for a wake up call come election day.

James L. Killinger

Uniontown