Letters, 9/2: County retirement match
Union President Melvin Moore’s Aug. 25 letter to the editor criticizing LIBA’s request that the Lancaster County commissioners consider reducing the county’s employer-employee retirement match begs a response.
First, it is correct that, by statute, all but one Nebraska county is required to match employee contributions at 150 percent. Douglas County, based on its population, is allowed to create and fund its own retirement system and by doing so provides a one-to-one match to its employees’ contributions.
However, Lancaster County provides one of the two highest contribution rates among Nebraska counties. Generally speaking, other Nebraska counties contribute 6.75 percent to an employee’s 4.5 percent contribution. Lancaster County contributes 7.8 percent to an employee’s 5.2 percent contribution. This is done at the expense of the taxpayer.
It is also important to recognize that while most of these rates are set in Nebraska statute, LIBA most often voices issues of concern to the appropriate local governing body. Those familiar with the legislative process know that the county prepares a legislative agenda for which its lobbyist advocates to the Legislature. Thus, while the county cannot independently implement a lower retirement matching rate, it can place such a request on its legislative agenda. We have asked the county commissioners to lobby on other issues (state reimbursement on jail costs), and perhaps we should have articulated this issue more clearly.
We stand behind our past statements that a 100 percent immediate match on retirement funds would be considered generous by most Lincolnites.
Coby Mach, executive director, Lincoln Independent Business Association
Book full of lies, distortions
First off, thanks to the Journal Star for continuing to give the readership weekly book reviews that cover a broad range of genres and topics. In the article (Aug. 24) about negative Obama books, no mention was made that the biggest best-seller of the books (Jerome Corsi’s “The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality”) is riddled with inaccuracies that go beyond “anti-” anything, even beyond heated political arguments, and into smears and outright lies. From Barack Obama’s citizenship, to the day he married Michelle Obama, to his relationship with his Kansas grandparents — the list of Corsi’s mistakes, lies, and distortions is a long one.
Whether or not he is just giving his readers what they want, the people buying his book should know that this is not a work of political analysis and careful research.
Leslie Working, Lincoln
Worst of hypocrites
In recent days, the Democratic candidate for president, Barack Hussein Obama, was campaigning among a group of evangelicals in hopes of getting their vote. In his attempt to present himself as a good, compassionate Christian, he quoted scripture whereby Jesus said, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, that you do unto me.”
Now I ask you, Mr. Obama and the rest of the pro-choice Democrats, who are the least of your brethren? Without a shadow of a doubt, they are the unborn babies who are being murdered every day through the support and promotion of legalized abortion by the likes of Obama and the Democratic Party.
Obama voted in favor of every pro-choice measure that was introduced, and he even failed to vote for a measure that would help save the lives of babies who survived an abortion.
Obama and the rest of the pro-choice Democrats are the worst of all hypocrites. Did any of them ever hear Christ’s words, “Love one another as I have loved you”? That includes not killing the least of your brethren, namely little unborn children.
Bert B. Hrnicek, Seward
First, it is correct that, by statute, all but one Nebraska county is required to match employee contributions at 150 percent. Douglas County, based on its population, is allowed to create and fund its own retirement system and by doing so provides a one-to-one match to its employees’ contributions.
However, Lancaster County provides one of the two highest contribution rates among Nebraska counties. Generally speaking, other Nebraska counties contribute 6.75 percent to an employee’s 4.5 percent contribution. Lancaster County contributes 7.8 percent to an employee’s 5.2 percent contribution. This is done at the expense of the taxpayer.
It is also important to recognize that while most of these rates are set in Nebraska statute, LIBA most often voices issues of concern to the appropriate local governing body. Those familiar with the legislative process know that the county prepares a legislative agenda for which its lobbyist advocates to the Legislature. Thus, while the county cannot independently implement a lower retirement matching rate, it can place such a request on its legislative agenda. We have asked the county commissioners to lobby on other issues (state reimbursement on jail costs), and perhaps we should have articulated this issue more clearly.
We stand behind our past statements that a 100 percent immediate match on retirement funds would be considered generous by most Lincolnites.
Coby Mach, executive director, Lincoln Independent Business Association
Book full of lies, distortions
First off, thanks to the Journal Star for continuing to give the readership weekly book reviews that cover a broad range of genres and topics. In the article (Aug. 24) about negative Obama books, no mention was made that the biggest best-seller of the books (Jerome Corsi’s “The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality”) is riddled with inaccuracies that go beyond “anti-” anything, even beyond heated political arguments, and into smears and outright lies. From Barack Obama’s citizenship, to the day he married Michelle Obama, to his relationship with his Kansas grandparents — the list of Corsi’s mistakes, lies, and distortions is a long one.
Whether or not he is just giving his readers what they want, the people buying his book should know that this is not a work of political analysis and careful research.
Leslie Working, Lincoln
Worst of hypocrites
In recent days, the Democratic candidate for president, Barack Hussein Obama, was campaigning among a group of evangelicals in hopes of getting their vote. In his attempt to present himself as a good, compassionate Christian, he quoted scripture whereby Jesus said, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, that you do unto me.”
Now I ask you, Mr. Obama and the rest of the pro-choice Democrats, who are the least of your brethren? Without a shadow of a doubt, they are the unborn babies who are being murdered every day through the support and promotion of legalized abortion by the likes of Obama and the Democratic Party.
Obama voted in favor of every pro-choice measure that was introduced, and he even failed to vote for a measure that would help save the lives of babies who survived an abortion.
Obama and the rest of the pro-choice Democrats are the worst of all hypocrites. Did any of them ever hear Christ’s words, “Love one another as I have loved you”? That includes not killing the least of your brethren, namely little unborn children.
Bert B. Hrnicek, Seward
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