LAWMAKERS and CNMI Leaders, please restore cuts made to senior citizens retirement benefits. At a time when inflation cuts away the precarious budgets of those on fixed incomes, salt is thrown in the wound.
A quarter of our income disappears. Medical benefits, key to life itself for many older retirees, is slashed.
We understand funds are short. We know it’s not always easy to be a lawmaker. We sincerely thank those who take their job seriously.
With not enough money, priorities have to be made. Apparently, the manamko’ class is not a priority. We don’t wish pain for others. But there were other ways to balance the budget without cutting the retirees. Those other ways were ignored for perhaps political reasons. Yet by avoiding other means to save money…injustice results for the most vulnerable class.
The seniors are vulnerable. We are old and cannot return to work. We are unable to relocate to other areas for work. We are too old to retool. Other classes of workers do not share these limitations. They could have more easily born cuts. Yet the senior retirees were chosen, perhaps because they were perceived as political weak? Maybe so, but justice has suffered.
In all dure respect, please restore our desperately needed annuity and health insurance benefits. We used our heard-earned money to contribute to a plan being bled dry.
Si Yuus Maase.
THOMAS “TIM” BRUCE
CNMI retiree
