Retirees

In response to the letter writer who was leaving Maryland as soon as he retires with all those other retirees who are "leaving Maryland in droves," I can only say good riddance and don't let the door hit you on the way out ( "Retirees are leaving Maryland in droves and I'm next," Aug. 15). We all know that retired people are takers, not makers. They're all suckling at the government teat and whining about "taxes" while waiting for their next handout. Who needs 'em? I say let's encourage more of these lazy welfare addicts to take their mooching to some other state and encourage more young, industrious Central Americans to make Maryland their home.

Merrill Lynch made business page headlines this year by appointing Baltimore County native Cynthia Hutchins to the newly created post of director of financial gerontology. Ms. Hutchins is charged with teaching the company's nearly 14,000 financial advisers how to talk to baby boomer clients about more than stocks and bonds - to help those planning to end their working lives understand the complexities and the realities of retiring. It is a smart move. More than 42 percent of the average financial advisor's client base is of baby boomer age, and another 36 percent is older than 67. It helps if you understand what they are experiencing.

A lifelong Democrat, I now find myself taking issue with the Obama administration in general and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke in particular as it pertains to current Fed policy. What seemed to have been a good idea at the onset, to keep interest rates low to stimulate the economy, has been counterproductive and harmful to many of us who need help the most, the retired, the elderly and the poor. The funds this group depends on come mostly from savings. This was the way many of us were directed over time by the prevailing wisdom on how to prepare for the future.

As a retiree who held his first job at age 11 and who worked and paid into Social Security for 50 years and into Medicare since it's inception, that obnoxious diatribe by William Smith is an affront to retirees everywhere ( "Who needs those lazy retirees?" Aug. 19). The generalization that retirees are takers and welfare addicts is ridiculous. Perhaps he is speaking for himself. I went to night school for 17 years and earned four degrees while raising a family and trying to create a self-sufficient retirement.

I read William Smith's letter again and again ( "Who needs lazy retirees?" Aug. 19). It was an incredibly good piece of satire. For those that didn't get it, the retirees who are leaving Maryland are not the lazy welfare addicts - those people stay here. Instead, the ones who are leaving are those of us who worked long and hard our entire lives, lived within our means and paid off our mortgages instead of continually refinancing to buy yet a nicer car or a bigger TV. We are the ones who saved enough money to retire without counting on Social Security.

I was totally shocked by William Smith's letter concerning "lazy retirees" ( "Who needs those lazy retirees?" Aug. 19). The letter lacked cohesion, and it was difficult to discern if he was ranting about retirees leaving Maryland, welfare addicts or undocumented immigrants. As one of the many Marylanders planning to leave the state, I earned that right, and as an American citizen I am free to move to any state or country I please - especially to those that don't tax the rain.

I must disagree with letter writer Neil L. Bergsman's view that high taxes don't drive people out of Maryland ("Tax rates have a negligible effect on people's decision to move out of state," Dec. 29). My wife and I retired from the federal government, and it puzzles us why Maryland is taxing our retirement income when states like Texas and Florida do not tax retirement income or Social Security benefits. Maryland is not a tax-friendly state for retirees, even though Social Security benefits are not taxed here.

Pope Benedict XVI retires Thursday, and he leaves the workplace the way many of us would like to - on his own terms. He wasn't laid off at 50 with few transferable skills, required to retrain or reinvent himself and then compete for work with people half his age. His job wasn't outsourced (although the conclave set to choose his successor may elect someone from another country to do his job). He is 85, but he didn't have to keep working because the recession wiped out his meager 401(k)

I grew up in Baltimore, attended school here, and after graduating Hopkins, moved to New York City. I've spent my adult life working in New York, and I'm thinking of retirement in several years. The excitement and glamour of New York are counterbalanced by the high cost of participating in that excitement and glamour. Then there's the astronomical rents. Rents in Baltimore are retiree-friendly. There's the symphony, art museums and my extended family who live here. I am seriously considering Baltimore.

I retired from the Howard County Department of Education in 2001 after 28 years of service. All retirees recently learned that United Health Care Medicare Solutions would not cover Howard County General Hospital, Hopkins and University of Maryland Hospital. We will continue to appeal to UHC and inform them that we desperately need these hospitals. Sonya Cohen Columbia

I read William Smith's letter again and again ( "Who needs lazy retirees?" Aug. 19). It was an incredibly good piece of satire. For those that didn't get it, the retirees who are leaving Maryland are not the lazy welfare addicts - those people stay here. Instead, the ones who are leaving are those of us who worked long and hard our entire lives, lived within our means and paid off our mortgages instead of continually refinancing to buy yet a nicer car or a bigger TV. We are the ones who saved enough money to retire without counting on Social Security.

I was totally shocked by William Smith's letter concerning "lazy retirees" ( "Who needs those lazy retirees?" Aug. 19). The letter lacked cohesion, and it was difficult to discern if he was ranting about retirees leaving Maryland, welfare addicts or undocumented immigrants. As one of the many Marylanders planning to leave the state, I earned that right, and as an American citizen I am free to move to any state or country I please - especially to those that don't tax the rain.

As a retiree, I read William Smith's recent letter to the editor with equal parts amazement and sadness ( "Who needs those lazy retirees?" Aug. 19). Amazement at the level of vitriol displayed, and sadness because it appears that Mr. Smith's education did not include a rigorous course in English usage, during which he would have become familiar with the definitions of the words "handout" and "welfare. " Let me attempt to fill this lamentable gap. According to Oxforddictionaries.com, a handout is "something given free to a needy person," and welfare is "financial support given to people in need.

In response to the letter writer who was leaving Maryland as soon as he retires with all those other retirees who are "leaving Maryland in droves," I can only say good riddance and don't let the door hit you on the way out ( "Retirees are leaving Maryland in droves and I'm next," Aug. 15). We all know that retired people are takers, not makers. They're all suckling at the government teat and whining about "taxes" while waiting for their next handout. Who needs 'em? I say let's encourage more of these lazy welfare addicts to take their mooching to some other state and encourage more young, industrious Central Americans to make Maryland their home.

The city of Annapolis has named dozens of retired police officers and firefighters in a federal lawsuit, the latest tactic in a decade-long legal battle over changes to retiree pensions. In court filings last week, the city asked a judge to rule that a recent switch to an annual 2 percent cost-of-living increase for retirees — instead of a previous sliding scale tied to city employee raises — is legal. Attorney Eric Paltell, who represents the city in the case, said a ruling is needed because, "the retirees have made it crystal clear that they do not believe this is legal.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's actions regarding city pensions show why Baltimore City will never be able to obtain and keep qualified police and fire personnel ("Federal court upholds mayor's pension overhaul," Aug. 6). When people come on a job they sign a contract that outlines what they will receive for their services when they retire. Throughout their careers contracts are renegotiated and each party expects the other to abide by the terms agreed on. However, this mayor has ignored what was promised to retirees.

In its coverage of the reactions to the negotiated changes to the state's pension plans ("State workers decry new pension plan", April 6), the changes described the financial help given to state employees due to the increase from 5 to 7 percent in their withholdings for pension contributions. Not mentioned in this increase is that deductions are pretax and part of the increased withholding will be offset by a reduction of payroll withholding taxes to this increase. But we also read that employees will be receiving a $750 bonus to help "smooth the transition" to the new plan.

As a retiree, I read William Smith's recent letter to the editor with equal parts amazement and sadness ( "Who needs those lazy retirees?" Aug. 19). Amazement at the level of vitriol displayed, and sadness because it appears that Mr. Smith's education did not include a rigorous course in English usage, during which he would have become familiar with the definitions of the words "handout" and "welfare. " Let me attempt to fill this lamentable gap. According to Oxforddictionaries.com, a handout is "something given free to a needy person," and welfare is "financial support given to people in need.

"Pension pandering" (Aug. 13) is a laughably misinformed and woefully inaccurate opinion piece. As Maryland retirees are leaving the state in droves, the state tax on pensions issue is a non-issue. The notion of revenue loss simply a product of progressive daydreaming. These folks are going to Delaware, the Carolinas or Florida where the state governments' desire to tax and spend is kept in check by the people's common sense. And as we all know, common sense is in short supply in both Annapolis and on Calvert Street.

In a particularly naked bit of pandering, Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan appeared before the state Fraternal Order of Police this week as part of its process of determining its endorsement in the fall election and promised to exempt law enforcement officers' pensions from the state income tax. As intuitively appealing as it might seem to help those who have served, it's a bad idea. To his credit, Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, the Democratic candidate, appeared before the same groups a day later and said he would not make that promise, preferring to seek comprehensive tax reform that benefits the middle class rather than making promises to every group.