I wish I had written a column that Jim Carl, an administrator at SIU Carbondale, wrote titled "Pensions are payment for work." I wish every legislator, governor and president would read this article.

People everywhere need to understand, pension promises are debts, not privileges granted. Our pensions are not government handouts, we worked for them for more than 25 years. The pensions were negotiated as a part of our salary. We paid into the system, the state didn't, yet we, the faithful employees, are being talked about like we are deadbeats.

People need to wake up. If they do this to their dedicated workers, they won't think twice about throwing other people and their unions and pensions under the bus. Today it is us, tomorrow it will be you.

Jim Snider

Energy