What about people who saved and invested for their retirement? They earned that money. It’s their money — whether they spend it as soon as they earn it, or wait a few years or decades before spending it.
You have missed the point of the article. Those who saved their money, invested it, and are living on that as retirees are not on the list. The list includes retirees of state and local governments who are getting their retirement from the state or local government who are having to pay it from current revenues. They are takers to the system and not makers. Those who have retired on their own means are more makers because they are returning some of their money back into the system. The state and local retirees are takers because they are taking money from the makers for their retirement. It is not their fault because the politicians have wasted the money they did put into the system.