June Hughes responds re: In defense of the popular 13th check

From: June Hughes

Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Subject: Re: In Defense of the Popular 13th Check.

And in addition to the 'older' retirees not getting the 13th check, why should employees get a bonus of 1000's but the 13th check, which is miniscule in comparison, not be given to those who have contributed for many years AND never complained about increases of contributions to the retirement system. Again, it's the haves and have nots. Power can be an addictive thing! Why was this bias allowed to happen?
Now we're being told the payment toward our Medicare B may not be the same for next year. Well, when bonuses, unnecessary trips, raises are stopped then and only then can things be reduced for the retiree!
We're being divided into a bad situation here because older retirees are being separated vs those who didn't get a 13th check but did get a nice windfall of more monthly retirement money.
Either all or none is my position!
I happened to run into 7 retirees recently by chance, most are older than me, and none have a computer in order to make contact. Could it be they can't afford it? I had a business after I retired from teaching therefore I had other income for such equipment. Now that I sold that business, I know longer have that extra.
June (retired 1990)

PS Could an agreement made with an internet server to supply all of us access, at a lesser cost, if we have a certain number of members to join?