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I’m with you, Sandy. I retired from the federal government two years ago and am quite satisfied with my pension and other retiree benefits. But you’re right — if Congress wants to change the pension calculations for future federal retirees, it has every right to do so.

It’s worth noting that retirement benefits for federal employees are completely different from retirement benefits for state and local employees. Federal retirees’ benefits are funded by the federal government, which has the ability to simply print more money if necessary in order to ensure those commitments are funded. State and local governments don’t have that capability — they have to raise taxes or cut spending in other areas in order to satisfy their pension obligations. Some localities and states are in a difficult fiscal position and can’t raise taxes enough or cut other line-items enough to pay their full pension obligations.

Which is why I’m so glad I’m a federal, and not a state or local, retiree. I’m sure you are too!

Private sector employee here. I use to have a pension and %100 employer funded health care. That was decades ago and is long gone now. I give the government employee pensions and health benefits another 10 years tops until they are ended. Just does not make fiscal sense. Look what it did to GM. The federal government can't print enough money fast enough to keep up with the coming tidal wave. Pensions use to be an award for surviving long enough in a very dangerous job. It was never meant to be entitlement.

if Congress wants to change the pension calculations for future federal retirees, it has every right to do so.

They can change it for current ones, too pal. And I for one hope they do. What Congress giveth, Congress can taketh away. And there's no group that more richly deserves having things taken from them than Federal employees.