DROP Program is a giveaway
Non-government tax-paying employees say the Deferred Retirement Option Program is a big give away. It is true.
The legislators came up with DROP to lower the cost of state employees.
The objective was to get rid of high-salary employees, replacing them with "fresh blood," who can work their way up the ranks.
However, it is being abused by thousands of employees.
An employee nearing retirement can sign up for DROP, and each month, his or her retirement money is put in a trust fund and receives compounded 6.5 percent, plus a 3 percent Cost Of Living Allowance in interest.
Teachers average $125,000. There are school district administrators that can put $5,000 a month in the account. After five years, there is $300,000 lump sum waiting for them at retirement with full retirement benefits, and some return to their 6-figure jobs.
Rhode Island and California cities with similar programs have gone bankrupt.
The employee didn't have to pay a dime into the program.
When the state finally required employees to pay just 3 percent toward retirement the union sued the state. Most states require employees to pay 12 percent into retirement.
All other state employees were added in 1991, making police and fire eligible.
The legislators later realized the cost, but it was too late.
I have not learned of abuse outside of the school district, except for elected officials who received $333,000 and stayed on the job.
Bob Brewster, Cocoa
'Obamacare' is not a sure thing
"Obama-care-tax" advocates want Americans to believe the presidents' re-election ended the battle over law. It did not.
This administration is heavily dependent on states for its implementation, which will be extremely expensive; and taxpayers will pick up the costs.
Running State exchanges would be an administrative nightmare, requiring a complicated set of rules, mandates, databases and interfaces to establish eligibility, funnel subsidies and facilitate purchases.
There are broad and often incoherent statutory requirements and hundreds of federal regulations, some not written!
State exchanges would create unsustainable pressures on states insurance market, yielding perverse incentives that distort consumer and employer decisions and increase costs for us.
Gov. Rick Scott should join Governors Bobby Jindal, Ohio's John Kasich, Wisconsins' Scott Walker, Maines' Paul LePage, Democratic Missouri's Jay Nixon and West Virginia's Earl Tomblin who say 'no' to this largest tax expansion in history.
Yesterday, I opened my Bible to (the Book of) Exodus and came across Exodus 18:21, which said: "by choosing able leaders who fear God, love the truth and hate dishonest gain," we will be blessed.
Unfortunately, Americans have chosen a leader who does not fear God, possesses little regard for truth and does not seem to mind dishonest gain.
It seems many are proving themselves unworthy of the franchise of supporting liberty with responsibility through elections.
Call Gov. Scott's office at (850) 488-4441 or fax (850) 921-6114.
Alice Kreitz, Melbourne