I have not earlier commented about the fight over entitlements going on in Wisconsin and other states because I have warned about this at least five times beginning last May when I wrote," The day is coming when private sector workers, who have only a shaky social security retirement to look forward to will refuse to vote more taxes and those exorbitant benefits will be history."
On August 3 I quoted the Times, "State Barreling to the Cliff" because of its unfunded retirement obligations. Later that month I pointed out that only four states are operating in the black, and Louisiana is not one of them. In fact, Louisiana is designated as one of the seven worst state as far as finances are concerned. Local governments throughout the nation are facing bankruptcy because their workers can retire at young ages and draw benefits even greater than their salary was. This is extreme but some workers can retire at 45 after 20 years on the job. As the situation got worse I said on December 31 that too generous pensions mean trouble ahead, and on January 19 I posed this question which I ask again, " Have unions and cowardly politicians brought us to our knees?"
Dear Roy, my father was on the USS Pickens. I would sure like it if I could talk to you, email with you about the USS Pickens. I am looking for any crew photos or pictures. My father was Warren Steinbecker, He always said he was a store keeper on the ship. Our home burned down and we lost all photos of my dad, all his medals and uniform. I remember one picture he had that he said was a tradition that sailors did when they crossed the Ecuador. I seen a bunch of sailors in their under ware, need I say more? We have a shell left in my brothers possession that has some kind of script on it. My brother and I are not talking for now, but I have sent my sister to covertly write down what is on it. I always presumed that it was given to him upon exiting the navy after the war. Unfortunately my father and I did not talk much about the war. He would just speak in short one line sentence when asked and he would move on, change the subject. He died in 2000 and like most children must feel – wish we had talked more. He was not a huger or an. I love you kind of guy. I feel a great need to find out more about his time during the war, as I am just getting into this genealogy stuff.
ReplyDeleteRon Steinbecker (Warren Steinbecker)
314-599-6060
ronsteinbecker@att.net