(Source: Mansfield News Journal, October 4, 2012. BLET Editor’s note: James R. Blum is Legislative Representative of BLET Division 526 in Willard, Ohio.)
MANSFIELD, Ohio — In the Paul Ryan budget, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives, there is a resolution that would raise the retirement age of rail workers by seven years based totally on falsehoods.
The budget proposal, which has yet to be voted on in the Senate, states that the raising of the railroad retirement age would save taxpayers $2 billion over 10 years. This is false. Railroad retirement is totally funded by rail workers and their employers. Other than railroad workers and their employers, there is no taxpayer money that goes into the Railroad Retirement Fund. Railroad Retirement is solvent and remains in excellent shape. The falsehood that exists with the House budget is that if fewer benefits are paid out, the federal government can claim it is spending less money.
Full story: Mansfield News Journal