PEP, March 2010: Letters to the editor

Taxes go down then up

I noticed in my pension check dated Jan. 31, 2010, a decrease of $42.71. This deduction was also noticed by other retirees that I know.

When I contacted NYCERS I was informed that there was an increase in the percentage of federal income tax deducted. Which means our income tax is being raised.

I am disappointed that this very important action was not discussed in the Public Employee Press, as it affects the incomes of members of DC 37.

After all, you are supposed to be the spokesman for members, working and retired.

—Jacquelyn Hughes
Retiree, Local 384

Editor’s note: As part of President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus program, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, federal tax withholding rates were decreased in 2009. In 2010 the old rates were reinstated.

Retiree writes poetry

Dear Editor,

I am a retired lunchroom worker. I worked for 25 years in Board of Education kitchens. I really miss my job, but by the grace of God I worked for 25 years and met a lot of wonderful people.

Since retiring I had a lot of time on my hands so I decided to write a poetry book, which has been a blessing to me. If anyone is interested in poetry they can find my book on BarnesandNoble.com or InfinityPublishing.com. The name of the book is “Getting Through Storms.”

—Geraldine Callands
Retiree

Layoffs while city wastes money: “inhuman”

Thank you for printing my letter in the last issue of the Public Employee Press. I am very proud that our union values the views of members and provides us with a way to get our ideas to other members.

I want to follow up on my comments about Comptroller John Liu by pointing out that he is in the news almost every other day, generally exposing waste in the Bloomberg administration.

For this rich mayor to be talking about laying off more city employees while his finance commissioner throws away money is an inhuman crime. [See 'Finance Dept. loses $8 million in taxi taxes.']

I guess he just doesn’t understand how important having a job is to average people.

Our jobs are not just how we pay the bills and buy food for our families, although taking care of your kids is a mother’s #1 job,

Our jobs also give us pride that we are working for what we get. As city employees, they give us extra pride that we are the ones who keep New York City running. We are the ones who provide the services others depend on, especially those in need of social and medical services.

I want to congratulate Lillian Roberts on her re-re-re-election and urge her to keep up the fight against giving our jobs away to outside private businesses.

Lillian, if you want to have a huge demonstration against giving public services and public money to the private sector, I will be there.

—Selma Brown
Local 1549

The problem is biased media, not the unions

Why don’t the mainstream media report that the average New York City Employees Retirement System pension is about $28,000 and that pension costs have gone up because of the stock market’s decline, not generous “giveaways,” or that for the last nine years city workers have averaged about 3 percent raises, not to mention the two years they got zero percent raises?

So the mayor is willing to give 1.25 percent raises if workers will pay more for health benefits? That’s like putting a dime in one pocket and taking a quarter out of your other pocket. In the interest of fair reporting, why isn’t this information disseminated instead of all the union bashing?

And of course my favorite: why no buyouts — a tried and true method by public and private sectors — to immediately reduce operating costs?

—Mark Shoenfield
Computer Specialist, Local 2627