THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, January 3, 1995               TAG: 9412310012
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A12  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   45 lines

DON'T TARGET RETIREES' COLAS

In ``Begin by capping COLAs'' (Another View, Dec. 15), former Rep. Hastings Keith, R-Mass., proposes that cost-of-living adjustments be based on the financial needs of the person rather than on the amount of the pension, and he is willing to sacrifice a portion of his COLAs accordingly.

Bully for him! The $263 monthly COLA Mr. Keith will receive next year equates to an annual income from pensions alone of $113,000 considering a 2.8 percent COLA. If I were receiving a combined annual retirement pension of close to $113,000, as he is, I probably would also be willing to sacrifice a portion of my COLA. However, such is not the case with me and the vast majority of civil-service retirees. Most of us have modest retirement pensions and require the inflation-protection COLA provided by existing law in order to meet our basic ``financial needs.''

Federal retirees have repeatedly paid their dues in the name of deficit reduction through canceled, delayed or reduced COLAs.

Our most recent hit is a three-month delay in COLAs for 1994, 1995 and 1996 which will save the government close to a billion dollars. Additionally, federal workers retiring under the new Federal Employee Retirement System will receive a reduced COLA of 2 percent vs. 2.8 percent next year and only if they are at least age 62.

Let's also not forget that most federal retirees who retired since the mid-'80s and are eligible for Social Security benefits receive approximately one-half of the earned Social Security benefit they would have otherwise received had they not been federal retirees. Moreover, the majority of federal retirees who are eligible for a spousal Social Security benefit receive nothing or, at the very most, a mere pittance of what they would have otherwise received had they not retired from the government.

Although we continue to pay our share, we also continue to be convenient targets for the Capitol Hill budget cutters. Enough already: We need to let our senators and representatives know how we feel and encourage them to protect our already reduced retirement benefits.

RAY MARSHALL

Virginia Beach, Dec. 20, 1994 by CNB