The bias in the Bloomberg article is blatant. These workers aren't "earning" their pensions while working elsewhere. They earned their pensions (past tense) in their previous jobs, as agreed between employer and employee. Christ, the article makes these people out to be stealing.
There is a genuine concern. With unemployment so high (for America) should retired workers be taking jobs that could go to those who need them more? Should those with comfortable pensions do the right thing and make way for new breadwinners? It's an arguable point.
The giveaway, however, is that the article makes nary a mention of the worst offenders, the greediest offenders - the very people who so freely take shots at middle class Americans for doing what they themselves do on a much grander scale.
How many members of Congress take their generous pensions and go off into retirement? How many use Congress as a revolving door to more lucrative jobs down the road on K Street as lobbyists? How many generals clean out their desks at the Pentagon and move their personal effects straight into their new offices at places like Lockheed or General Dynamics? How big are their parting gifts, their pensions?
It's the rank hypocrisy that's so troubling, the logical disconnect, the sleight of hand. When will the rich folks be satisfied? When they've wiped out the middle class entirely?
Rampant hypocrisy is what it is.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of entitled appointments, check out this list of CONTEMPT supporters who have been given patronage positions since 2008. (There are more unaccounted for, for previous years.)
http://sixthestate.net/wp-comments-post.php
I had a brief exchange with the guy who wrote this piece. He seemed quite surprised that he hadn't noticed the hypocrisy of most of the advantaged, privileged types who were quoted lambasting middle class workers for the very same thing "their betters" routinely do themselves without the slightest hesitation or embarrassment.
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