Promise keepers

Re 'As the economy sank, state retirement payments soared' (front page, Dec. 6): The story presented an understandable explanation for part of the problems with the Virginia Retirement System. But readers were left to blame the victims as a solution.

State employees long ago were promised that if they worked for the state for most of their working lives, the state would ensure that they received a modest retirement until their death.

Over the decades, state, city and school employees have accepted lower wages because of their faith that the state would live up to the promise. But now the state wants to renegotiate its part of the bargain because for years it has failed to fully fund the retirement system. It has allowed schools and municipalities to make lower payments in exchange for receiving reductions in state funding. Years of not properly funding the retirement system have resulted in a need for much higher payments at a time when the state has severe economic problems. The members of the General Assembly have no one but themselves to blame for this situation.

For teachers, VRS is not a 'generous pension program.' Virginia teachers receive 51 percent of their average salary in retirement, ranking them 39th among the states.

Kentucky teachers receive 90 percent, North Carolina 54.6 percent.

In a state where salaries are already low (30th in the U.S.), adding a dismantled retirement benefit makes it even more difficult to hire and retain high-quality teachers.

Changes need to be made to the retirement system. But the first change that needs to be made is the General Assembly's committing to fully funding the retirement plan promised to all the workers covered by VRS.

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