Letters: No subsidy for lobbying groups

Bernadette Hampton argued that employees of the S.C. Education Association who participate in the S.C. Retirement System deserve a one-time taxpayer subsidy because they work for the best interests of the children (“Education Association members pay for their pensions,” June 6).

Call it what you want, but that organization is a union, solely representing its members. Our Legislature has no control over who it employes, how much they earn, who they hire and fire, nothing. Why should this and 10 other lobbying groups receive any taxpayer subsidy for their retirement annuities?

Regardless of her mission, the bottom line is that Ms. Hampton and her employees are no more state employees than are people who work for Walmart, Lowe’s, BiLo or any other employer