Opinion: Retired state workers are struggling and need help from Austin
When I heard that the Texas House Appropriations Committee was meeting in Austin this week about the proposed state budget, I wanted to get in my car and drive from San Antonio to the Capitol. I hoped to testify and talk with legislators about the urgent need to provide retired state employees like me with a 13th paycheck this year, just like retired teachers are going to get.
Unfortunately, the price of gas has gotten too high for me to take that 160-mile round trip. My state pension has not increased since the day I retired in 2010. So I need to watch every penny.
I am not alone. More than 120,000 Texans rely on pensions from the state’s Employees Retirement System (ERS) to pay our bills. We are struggling and asking our state leaders to use a small part of their record budget surplus to help.
When I first became a state worker in the 1980s, I was a single mother with three young daughters. I needed to earn a living and was drawn to state employment because my parents were both public servants. My dad had served in the military in World War II and in Korea and then worked for the government as a civilian.
I started as a part-time dental assistant with the Texas Department of Health, helping seniors in nursing homes take care of their teeth and dentures. Within a couple of years, I moved to a full-time administrative job and then worked my way up the ladder to become executive director of the Texas Chiropractic Board.
In my 24 years in state government, I saw that my work impacted thousands of Texans, and I was proud to be a state worker. I gladly accepted lower pay than I could have received in the private sector because I love Texas and believe in serving others.
When I retired in 2010, it had already been almost a decade since the Legislature had approved a cost of living adjustment (COLA) to increase pensions for retirees. I never dreamed we would be here nearly a decade-and-a-half later, still with no COLA.
The average retiree who left state service in 2001 (when that last COLA was approved) gets just $18,000 a year from ERS.
Each year, I receive a COLA from the Social Security Administration, including an 8.7% increase this year. That helps me get by. But barely.
And each year, I wait in vain for more support from state government.
In each of the last two legislative sessions, Texas lawmakers gave retired teachers a 13th paycheck – on top of the usual 12 monthly checks they receive each year. And state leaders say they want to approve an extra check for teachers again this year.
Retired teachers deserve this. I am happy for them and have seen the extra money make a big difference in their lives. But I don’t understand why retired state workers can’t get the same support from the very state that we helped make so great. It would cost $250 million, a tiny fraction of the state’s $33 billion surplus.
Things are hard for us. Gas, clothing, and food cost more than ever before.
I have arthritis and can’t walk into my backyard because my porch steps need to be fixed, but I can’t afford the repairs. Last month's ice storm knocked down trees and fences in my yard. But I can’t pay for those repairs either.
I am also the caretaker for an adult relative with disabilities, which puts more strain on my income.
A 13th check would benefit me and every former state employee who gave our careers, professional lives, and blood, sweat, and tears to this state.
Smith lives in San Antonio. She worked for the State of Texas for 24 years, including at the Department of Health, the Comptroller’s Office, the Texas Education Agency, and the Chiropractic Board. She is a board member of AFSCME Texas Retirees, Chapter 12.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Opinion: Retired state workers are struggling and need help
