Letters: Let state employees bail out pension system

So, lawmakers want to fix the state pension system, which is underfunded by as much as $40 billion (“Lawmakers aim for proposal to fix ailing pension system by January,” Oct. 27). They should realize that most South Carolinians will never have enough money to retire.

There are lobbyists trying to help the government retirees, and I’m sure they’ll want to raise taxes to do it. Who is lobbying for the millions of S.C. citizens living paycheck to paycheck?

Many financial planners say to put back 15 percent of each check for retirement. State employees contribute about 8 percent of their pay to their retirement system, and the state puts in more. This problem should be fixed from within. The citizens cannot afford higher taxes to fix the financial problems that they did not create.