DEAR EDITOR:

I am writing in reference to your excellent editorial in the Dec. 27 newspaper titled “Government pension bailouts choose winners unfairly.”

As a retired federal government employee, I have been trying to get this message across to our legislators for more than 30 years. I was somewhat hopeful that it might have happened during this session of Congress, as the president and members of Congress were of the same political party. We also had the requisite 290 endorsements of Congress to bring it up for vote on the floor.

Also, President Joe Biden has, stated he favors repeal of the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provisions, which penalize individuals and their spouses who have dedicated their careers to public service by taking away benefits they rightfully earned.

My husband is now deceased, and because of GPO and WEP, I cannot collect benefits. With all the money that has been recently doled out, I get the feeling that if you worked hard your entire life, your entitlements are always put on the back burner.

My message to the salaried Delphi retirees: “Good luck. I hope you are more successful than we have been having. Our struggle has been ongoing since 1982.”

MARY STRAUSS

Youngstown