If state must honor pensions, it should also honor PACT / We need to move from fossil fuels

YOUR VIEWS: If state must honor pensions, it should also honor PACT
Posted by Letter writers June 08, 2009 1:00 AM

A recent article discussed how the value of the state's Teachers' Retirement
System has lost a third of its value ("Retiree assets value slides," June 1). In the
article, David Bronner, chief executive of the Retirement Systems of Alabama,
which includes the Teachers' Retirement System, said that as long as Alabama is
solvent, the state is on the hook for making good on those promised pension
payments. "The state is stuck," Bronner said.

Why shouldn't that same position apply to the Prepaid Affordable College Tuition
Program? I have twins who are scheduled to start college in fall 2010. My PACT
contract even has the "guarantee" provision, which I equate to promised tuition
payments.

Furthermore, if the state does not come through on the PACT payments, I see no
reason why it should have to come through on the teachers' retirement payments.

I work for a company that provides a pension plan, but it is not "stuck" with that
obligation if future performance of the company does not support those payments.

Gov. Bob Riley frequently refers to our "great state of Alabama." I think it's time he
took the leadership role to resolve these issues and truly make this state a "great
place to live."

Tom Milton
Inverness

JEFFERSON COUNTY
Special interests directing disaster
Our local elected officials have allowed special interests to direct their decisions,
thus turning over control to those interests. As a result, Jefferson County is out of
control with disastrous results.

We have already seen convictions of county officials with more trials scheduled,
monstrous sewer rates and ballooning bond debt. Looming, massive cuts in
services and layoffs are now imminent.

Special interests (which organized into the Business Alliance for Responsible
Development) also have orchestrated the demise of the Storm Water Management
Authority, a public agency. The potential for disaster in this area is greater than with
the sewer.

No leadership has emerged to right the ship. The county commissioners are
fractious and do not send a clear message to the Legislature. Members of the
business community got theirs, and have disappeared.

Good thing we expanded the sewer system, because we are all being flushed.

Doris Miller
Vestavia Hills

RENEWABLE ENERGY
We need to move from fossil fuels
In May, the Center for Naval Analysis released "Powering America's Defense:
Energy and the Risks to National Security." Among the conclusions was: "U.S.
dependence on fossil fuels undermines economic stability, which is critical to
national security."

Also in May, the Union of Concerned Scientists asserted in "The Climate 2030
Blueprint" that "we can build a competitive clean energy economy that will save
consumers money and give our children a healthy future."

In late May, some 500 CEOs and other business experts, at the World Business
Summit on Climate Change, concluded there should be "immediate and
substantial" reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases by 2020 and at least 50
percent reductions by midcentury.

These influential groups recognize that fossil fuels continue to cause serious
security, economic and environmental problems.

A concern in the Southeast has been the perceived lack of alternatives to fossil
fuels, but the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy says we have "sufficient
renewable resources to comply with a strong RES (renewable energy standard)."

In addition to a renewable energy standard, Congress is attempting to address our
energy problems by debating the Clean Energy and Security Act (HR 2454).
Passage will not be easy, but there is an urgent need to move away from fossil
fuels.

We, as consumers, should help by adopting energy conservation and efficiency in
all of our activities.

David Newton
Auburn