I was hoping someday the lefties of the Valley would stop with their hypocritical ways but I was wrong. On Nov. 22 Bill Williams talked about Republicans and their lust for sex. I guess he forgot about the two worst offenders of all time — President Bill Clinton and President John F Kennedy. Enough said!
Bill Rouillier
McAllen
Pension
problems
Few facts, so much misinformation.
A letter to the editor stated that Texas teachers “chose their pensions.” That statement by Mr. Ned Sheats (Nov. 28) is not true.
When I started my teaching career in Brownsville in 1968, I was placed in the Teacher Retirement System. I had no option to join Social Security. I had 6% deducted from my salary. Today’s teachers are now charged 8% for their retirement benefits.
All other state employees in Texas are members of the Employees Retirement System of Texas. With very few exceptions they are put in the ERS system and cannot chose to be in Social Security. Those employees are charged 6% for their retirement benefits. You will note that those employees pay 2% less than Texas teachers to basically get the same benefits.
I am really tired of the anti-sentiment feeling about teachers all across the country. No group deserves that.
I worked many part-time jobs for more than 36 years and paid into Social Security. As a retired teacher my Social Security benefits are reduced by 60%. Instead of $1,000 from Social Security, I receive closer to $400. Real fair, right?
Under both retirement systems in Texas, cost-of-living increases generally do not occur. I have received one cost-of-living benefit of 3% since 2003.
Teachers are one of the most underappreciated, underpaid groups in the USA. We are under constant criticism and we wonder why there is an acute shortage of teachers. And, since 2003, I have lost more than half my pension to inflation.
Nothing against the military. I respect them and know we need them just like teachers. However, it is my understanding that they receive an annual cost of living adjustment for their pensions. Retired federal employees also receive annual cost-of-living increases.
Mr. Sheats, why are you against giving retired teachers a much-needed cost-of-living increase? Don’t they deserve it? I think the retired teachers you mentioned deserve an apology.
Alan L. Neeley
Brownsville
Gas prices
addressed
When gas prices hit an all-time high the Republican Party blamed President Biden. Gas prices are now down $1.50 a gallon or more and the right does not mention this at all.
Look at the profits of the major oil companies the last two quarters and ask yourself if the term “corporate greed” comes into mind.
Andrey Anderson
Weslaco
Solar
backed
In his Dec. 12 opinion, D. Dowd Muska of the Southwest Public Policy Institute in Rio Ranch, N.M., argued, “Solar is a bust, even in the sundrenched Southwest. If it can’t make it here, it can’t make it anywhere.”
Excuse me. According to the International Energy Agency: “Led by solar energy, renewables are poised to overtake coal as the largest source of electricity generation worldwide by early 2025.”
Global renewable power capacity is now expected to grow by 2,400 gigawatts between 2022 and 2027, an amount equivalent to the entire power capacity of China today, according to the IEA.
Ed Chaney
Laguna Vista
