Taxpayers Shouldn’t Foot the Bill for Steel Workers’ Pensions

I have been reading James Flanigan’s column for years, and I normally am in sympathy with his point of view. He took me by surprise, though, by appearing to be in favor of providing steel workers who are put out of jobs with pensions provided by the taxpayers of the United States (“Saving Steel May Require French Lesson,” Aug. 16).

It seems to me one of the most outrageous ideas I have ever heard to have steel workers, whose wages are so high they put the entire industry out of business, get rewarded with retirement at 80% of an inflated wage!

I would be willing to bet that 70% or 80% of the American working population over 50 years old would be happy to retire on the conditions you seem to approve. If anything, they might deserve 80% of the average industrial wage paid in the United States for two or three years.

There are plenty of people going back to college at age 45 to 50 to start new careers! My wife is one of those people. I think it’s idiotic for the American public to provide this kind of financial luxury to any American worker.

I frankly think an even better provision would be one or two years at the average U.S. industrial wage. This would allow each individual to get some retraining without needing to be fully employed, and put them on notice that we expect them to get back to work.

RADFORD BIVANS

President

Bivans Corp.

Los Angeles