Stop calling public employees who collect a pension and a paycheck ‘double dippers’

To the editor: It’s misleading to call a public employee’s receipt of a pension payment coupled with the receipt of salary covering post-retirement employment “double dipping.” The term conveys the impression of something improper. (“San Diego County public safety agencies often rehire retirees for their expertise,” June 25)

Pension payments are a form of deferred compensation covering work performed before retirement. If a retired public employee returned to work, he or she would be essentially working for free if required to give up the pension payments during the second period of employment.

“Double dipping” implies a double payment without justification. The term is misleading and should be abandoned.

David Muir, Palos Verdes Estates

The writer, former chief counsel for the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Assn., is president of Retired Employees of Los Angeles County.

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To the editor: As if the San Diego County undersheriff’s double dipping isn’t enough, it’s worse that he retired with a salary of $229,000 and gets a pension of $230,000.

I know of no teachers who get a 100% pension after 30 or 40 years. We working stiffs get Social Security based on the highest 35 years of salary. Despite starting at the bottom, this guy, after 34 years, gets a pension based on only his last few years of salary.

What I’d call legal theft is called business as usual.

Robert Bubnovich, Irvine

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