Federal Retirement

Hastings Keith’s criticism (Editorial Pages, March 22) of congressional and Civil Service retirement, is lacking in credibility.

First, he characterized federal retirement as “lavish.” The average federal annuity is $1,039 per month, before deductions for income taxes ($104), health insurance ($100) and survivor protection ($85).

Second, he used his own triple annuity from congressional-executive branch service, military reserve retirement, and Social Security to imply that his case is typical, which it certainly is not.

Third, he used National Taxpayers Union conclusions that several current members of Congress will become millionaires on their federal retirement. As a self-proclaimed expert, he should know that a member of Congress cannot receive more than 80% of final salary (now $75,100) in starting annuity. And if he has been listening to economic reports he should realize that inflation has been below 4% for more than two years. Yet NTU’s projections assume double-digit inflation forever.

Finally, as a member of Congress, Keith voted for the 1969 amendments to the retirement law, which were intended to remedy 50 years of government underpayments to the retirement fund, and which now account for nearly 80% of the government’s contribution to the retirement fund. He was silent on the fact that those amendments are now increasing the fund’s assets at the rate of $14 billion per year.

L.J. ANDOLSEK

Washington, D.C.

Andolsek, a former member of the U.S. Civil Service Commission, is president of the National Assn. of Retired Federal Employees.