Not everyone gets big raises

For all Social Security recipients: Here is some information some of us are not aware of. Social Security recipients should not be denied their annual cost-of-living raise being taken away by our employees, the government. Cut out waste and corruption. Quit giving millions of taxpayers' hard-earned dollars away needlessly and recklessly. How about government officials and overpaid staff members take a big cut in pay, say about the same as they give themselves in raises.

Here are some facts on just one of our state's employees, Robert Spence Jackson. According the the Official Manual of the State of Missouri for 2001-2002, Jackson was the communications director for then-secretary of state Matt Blunt at a starting salary of $38,015. According to the 2003-2004 state manual, Jackson's salary jumped to $50,040 for the same job. In the 2005-2006 state manual, Jackson is listed as director of communications for then-governor Blunt at a salary of $70,000. According to the 2007-2008 state manual, Jackson left the governor's staff to become deputy director of the Department of Economic Development at a salary of $97,850.

Wow! What a raise. In six years or less his salary increased by $59,835. Poor taxpayer. Social Security recipients need and should have our little raise in 2010.

JEN SIEVERS, Jackson