TIME magazine (Dec. 5) describes the irresponsible behavior of the Rhode Island Legislature regarding its public employee’s pension plan. For years, the Legislature, along with special interest groups, promised more benefits without providing additional funding. Like Greece, the state Legislature ignored simple math when making these promises.
Gina Raimondo, a first-time politician with a plan to reform the pension system, was elected as the state’s general treasurer. Her painful plan was passed by the Legislature with overwhelming margins. And Raimondo was elected without the support of the traditional special interest groups and without following her party’s political platform.
We need more patriots like Raimondo in our U.S. Congress. If you agree, go to www.goooh.com to learn about a new process to select and elect representatives for the U.S. Congress in 2012 who are independent of a political party, will serve a limited term and will refuse to accept lobby money.
Billy Clifford
Austin, Texas