Crowley Political Report

Left with a little extra pondering time, Crowley Political Report came up with this question - why should elected officials get government pensions?

During the election most candiates railed against "career politicians" and many fervently believe in term limits (until they are confronted with them).

So if we don't want "career politicians" why should federal, state and local elected officials be eligible for taxpayer funded pensions.

The fact is that most politicians do want to be "career politicians."  Have a beer with them and ask them about their government retirement plan and most can give you a detailed explanation of the benefit, how it is calculated and when they will be able to start collecting.

But really - isn't it counterintuitive to give elected officials pensions? Even after voters toss them out, if the elected official has been around long enough, he still receives a taxpayer check.

And maybe one of the reasons Florida state employees do not contribute to their pensions is because that is also a perk for the elected officials who decide how the pension plan will work.

So, which "career politician" will be the first to step up and say it is time to stop giving pensions to elected officials?

Art by Patrick Crowley