Re: Social Security Representative Pat Tiberi reply to inquiry

John,

Forgive me, good friend, but I requested comments after forwarding this to Representative Pat Tiberi from our Congressional District. Mr. Tiberi votes a closely conservative ticket, as you probably know. His reply shows that the Congressional people receive the same retirement benefits as the federal civil servaants, I.e., CSRS or FERS. I was part of FERS over my civil service years. It is a decent plan and each participant is free to invest in it as they work for the federal government.

The message you forwarded to me has been around a while. It was debunked by Snopes, but I personally don't regard Snopes, with their definite liberal bias, as authorative.

I share with you the abhorence fo ObamaCare and its protagonists who are trying to shove it down our throats.

Respectfully,

Sam Kegley


----- Original Message -----

----- Original Message -----
From: Congressman Pat Tiberi
To: skegley@columbus.rr.com
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 4:11 PM
Subject: Reply from Congressman Pat Tiberi














August 10, 2009





Mr. Samuel R. Kegley

428 Illinois Avenue

Westerville, OH 43081-2639



Dear Mr. Kegley,



Thank you for contacting my office about the retirement system in which Members of Congress participate. I welcome this opportunity to correspond with you.



Members of Congress take part in either the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). These are the same retirement plans that federal civil servants participate in. You may be interested to know both CSRS and FERS require contributions from those who participate.



Before 1984, all federal employees were covered by CSRS. This system was designed as a comprehensive retirement and disability system that did not include payment of Social Security taxes or eligibility for Social Security benefits. The 1983 amendments to the Social Security Act required all Members, as well as new federal employees, to be covered under Social Security as of January 1984. Having mandated Social Security coverage, a new retirement system was developed for federal employees - FERS - that had Social Security coverage as its foundation. In fact, I contribute to Social Security, and will not be able to draw full Social Security retirement benefits until I reach 67 years of age.



As your Representative, constituent input is a vital element in best serving the 12th Congressional District of Ohio. Additional information and details about the FERS and CSRS systems is available via the Office of Personnel Management at www.opm.gov. Thanks again for taking a moment to share your thoughts with me. Please let me know if I may be of further assistance to you.



Sincerely,







Patrick J. Tiberi

Representative to Congress



PJT/AF



From: John Massey
To: John & Yvette Massey
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 9:45 AM
Subject: Fw: SOCIAL SECURITY:



>
> SOCIAL SECURITY:
>
> (This is worth reading. It is short and to the point.)
>
> Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years.
>
> Our Senators and Congressmen and women do not pay into Social
> Security and, of course, they do not collect from it.
>
> You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of
> their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a
> special plan for themselves So, many years ago they voted in their
> own benefit plan.
>
> In more recent years, no congress person has felt the need to change
> it. After all, it is a great plan.
>
> For all practical purposes their plan works like this:
>
> When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die.
> Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living
> adjustments. ....
>
> For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives
> may expect to draw $7, 800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-
> Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275, 000.00
> during the last years of their lives.
> This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two
> Dignitaries.
>
> Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much
> more during the rest of their lives.
>
> Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA!!! ZILCH!!!
>
> This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and
> I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement
> plan come directly from the General Funds;
>
> "OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK"!
>
> From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have
> paid) into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by
> our employer), We can expect to get an average of
> $1,000.. per month after retirement.
>
> Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000
> monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator
> Bill Bradley's benefits!
>
> Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.
>
> That change would be to.....
>
> Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and
> Congressmen and women. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest
> of us
>
> Then sit back.....
>
> And see how fast they would fix it!
>
> If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be
> planted and maybe good changes will evolve.
>
>