Retirees ignored

I concur with Ben Jeffords’ April 6 letter (“Library retirees deserve raise”) on city retirees. I retired in 1999 after 31 years as a city employee. I received a small cost-of-living raise in 2000, and no raise since.

The news of City Council members getting a 44 percent raise is insulting, at best. All the council does is raise taxes for those of us on fixed incomes. Why isn’t there money for retirees’ cost of living? Too many administrators with too many chiefs of staff, and staffs to be chiefs of?

I have been told the reason was the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center. Then it was unwise investments in the stock market. Then the economy crash of 2008. Now, after seven-plus years of the Obama administration, the economy is supposed to be better.

Why then, can the city give taxpayer money to council members but ignore those who have retired? My questions have met only structured responses typical of establishment policies. We are all going to get older; younger workers take note.

Wendell Smith

Spokane