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Hernando Today

Hernando County Teachers Fund Social Security Pay Hike

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 18, 2008

Re: Don Plezia's Feedback letter, "Fix Public Education By Eliminating Teacher Unions," in the Dec. 16 edition of Hernando Today.

Mr. Plezia says fix education by eliminating teacher unions; I say fix Social Security by eliminating AARP - the amalgamated association I assume Mr. Plezia is a card carrying member of. You know the one that just announced its multi-million members will be getting a 5.8 percent raise in their Social Security checks next month as a result of the AARP spending millions of dollars annually on lobbying Congress for the good fortune of its membership.

Isn't it ironic that this raise will be funded in part by those hard working, dedicated Hernando County school teachers who will be getting a paltry 2.39 percent raise? One of the early lessons in life suggests that if you live in a glass house, don't throw stones. Apparently, that's a lesson Mr. Plezia missed!

Now let's talk union power. Since 1983, AARP and its membership have stood by without a bleeping peep, while those like the Hernando County teachers have been overfunding the Social Security trust fund, only to have their tax overpayments spent on something other than intended, then turned against them in the form of Social Security IOUs that will have to be paid again.

The AARP has been a powerful lobbying force in silencing and appeasing its membership while putting a $2.4 trillion financial noose, in the form of Social Security IOUs, around the necks of its member's children and grandchildren. Where were you Mr. Plezia?

To further demonstrate the Main Street power of Mr. Plezia's union, walk into any restaurant today and compare an AARP discount with that of a NEA member; look at the insurance premium's of average families today and compare those with Medicare premiums and you'll see just how powerful the AARP union is. Who do you think is ultimately on the hook for all of these discounts and subsidies? Why it's those professional Hernando County school teachers, and the millions of other hard working, middle-class Americans who may or may not be union members.

Mr. Plezia continues to state that Hernando County teachers work only a half a year. That is a blatant misrepresentation of fact and calls into question his entire premise.

Finally, when age suggests millions of us have passed the ultimate threshold on the road to maturity, society's one best hope is that our minds aren't just along for the ride. So to my friend, Mr. Plezia, if you were a bird dog I would have to put you back in the kennel for some remedial work; your points aren't putting any pheasants on the table, if you get what I mean.

If you won't apologize to the Hernando County school teachers, maybe you would consider thanking them; after all they are on the hook for the 5.8 percent pay increase your union got for you.

Jim Gries

Weeki Wachee

Editor's note: Don't all retired Hernando County school teachers also receive Social Security benefits, including the 5.8 percent increase?

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