The Indiana Gazette from Indiana, Pennsylvania • 11

Public Vs. Private- What Constitutes 'Fair Pe By The. Associated Press An employe of the nation's largest city, New York, can retire at age 62 after 33 years' service and collect retirement pay equal to what he was making in his final year of employment. A worker at the nation's largest corporation, American Telephone Telegraph, retiring with similar seniority will get only half the benefits the New York City worker will receive. FOR YOUR Friday Bobby Peak Imperials Saturday Rick "'The Trailblazers" WOODSHED On.

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Petti, M.D. "WHEN CANNING FOODS IS IT SAFE TO USE THE LIDS AND JARS THAT COME WITH COMMERCIAL BABY FOOD, PICKLES, I PEANUT BuTTER, 2 53 NO EVEN IF THEY HAVE SEALANT. "HEY ARE MADE To BE COMMERCIALLY SEALED ONLY ONCE, "Hashh Capsules gives helpful, information. It is not intended tabe af a diagnostic nature LOGO JOb Dine in comfort and elegant surroundings at RAMADA OF INDIANA PA. DINNER IS SERVED Daily 5 p.m.-10 p.m., Sun.

Noon-8 p.m. "TALK OF TOWN" now appearing in the Barcelona Lounge RAMADA 1545 miles Indiana, Wayne south of Pa. Ave. 2 IUP campus en Wayne Ave. FOR RESERVATIONS PHONE 349-4150 The example Illustrates a general picture in which the average city or state worker gets double the retirement benefits of the average private employe, according to Pension Funds," a recent study by pension expert Robert Tilove.

Is this a ripoff by city and state workers at the expense of taxpayers or a gravy train that the private worker missed? Just what is a "fair pension?" Tilove says that, in general, a pension equal to 80 per cent of final take-home pay would be fair. Another expert, Professor Bernard Jump of Syractise University, says 90 per cent. Both agree that the ultimate aim of retirement income should be maintenance of the worker's standard of living after he retires. By 'that measure, private pension plans which together with Social Security provide the average retiree with about twothirds of his final year's pay are inadequate. Public plans in several large cities that grant pensions of over 100 per cent of take-home pay might be considered overgenerous.

New York City union leader Victor Gotbaum said in a recent interview that, the facts only show that workers in private Industry are getting a raw deal, not that city workers are ripping anyone off. Others say that the sharp increases in city and state benefits, added to a 93.6 per cent rise in Social Security benefits in the last six years, created a postretirement bonanza for public workers that government at all levels will be hard pressed to pay for in future years. Jump says that if a city or state provides Social Security coverage in addition to the basic pension and "if a person works for 30 years and retires at age 62, he's almost certain to get higher postretirement income than. his ax final pay." I think that's too high," he says. Only about half of privately employed workers have pension coverage at all.

Nearly all public workers have some form of coverage, About a third of public employes, however, are not covered by Social Security. Practically all privately-employed workers get Social Security benefits. Such benefits normally boost retirement income by 30 to 33 per cent. "Prior to 1951, public employes were not covered by Social Security. Thus, public pension plans were generally designed to provide adequate retirement income by themselves," wrote Raymond Schmitt in a recent Congressional Research Service paper on public pensions.

Workers chose public employment over private because of generous retirement benefits that made up for generally lower salaries, the paper says. This "may explain, in part, DANCE August 14: 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Indiana Moose featuring Dean Hetrick the generally higher benefit formulas offered under some public employe retirement plans," Schmitt says. The bottom line shows city or state employes often making more after they stop work than before, a rarity in the private field. A study conducted in New York City this year by Mayor Abraham D.

Beame's Management Advisory Board found that a city worker making 300 after 38 years' service and retiring at age 63 could count on retirement pay, Including Social Security, equal to 106 per cent of his final take-home salary. By contrast, the study found, workers at seven top corporations with similar salary and seniority get retirement bene fits from 13 to 43 per cent below the New York City worker. At Exxon, retirement pay, including Social Security, totals 82.9 per cent of final take-home salary; at General Motors, 93 per cent; at Union Carbide, 70.2 per cent; at 67.1 per cent; at Con Edison, 73 per cent; at Citibank, 84.8 per cent; and at Metropolitan Life, 64.6 per Another comparison drawn by Jump showed nonuniformed city workers who had been making $15,000 with 30 years' service at age 65 were getting 127 per cent of final after-tax pay in New York City, 116 per cent in Detroit and 129 per cent in Philadelphia, including Social Security benefits. This beats eveh the best retirement deals offered in private industry, Jump At Owner Wants Eastman Kodak, a worker with similar salary and seniority would get 100 per cent of final pay in retirement benefits, Social Security included. Workers at New York Telephone likewise get 100 per cent.

At International Business Machines retirement benefits total 94 per cent of final pay, and at Bankers Trust of New York, the total is 99 per cent. Some city plans fall well below those levels. In Atlanta, A $15,000 nonuniformed worker with similar age and seniority gets 54 per cent of final takehome pay in retirement enefits, in Chicago 62 per cent, in Dallas 64 per cent, in Los Angeles 68 per cent and in Washington 64 per cent. Two trends in recent years, however, have pushed benefit levels for some city and state workers far ahead of what most private workers could hope to get. One is the trend toward early retirement, particularly for big city police and firemen, but also for other workers.

A New York City transit worker making $17,079, for example, can retire at age 50 after 24 years' service and promptly collect a full pension of $9,910 a year. If a worker at a similar age, seniority and salary level decided to retire from Con Edison, General Motors or most other large corporations, he'd have to wait 15 years before drawing his pension. New York City is thus paying the 50-year-old transit worker 86.4 per cent more in total reJustice Judge Orders "Sweet Lips" To Leave Home VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) Drewry Little, 55, wants justice. He says his 150- pound pet pig, "Sweet Lips," is cleaner than some of his customers.

But the city is standing by its eviction order. Little was fined $25 in June for violating a city ordinance. He keeps "Sweet Lips" at his combination home, restaurant and marina, which is zoned for commercial use to attract tourists. Judge, Constantine A. Spanoulis, who usually hears traffic cases, told Little, "The law is the The regular prejudge had disqualified himself.

He knows "Sweet Defense attorneys argued that the purpose of the law "is to protect citizens, too. Mr. Little is keeping a household pet, not raising Little is appealing the eviction order for Sweet Lips to a higher court. His attorneys, who are working. without pay, had considered seeking a change of venue, possibly to Smithfield, but they said late Thursday they had abandoned those plans.

The attorneys said they have appealed to Virginia Beach Circuit Court and a trial date has been set for Sept. 20. Little will ask for a jury trial, lawyers said. "I'm hell-bent for justice," said Little. "The whole thing boils down to a matter of principle, It's not a joke." The principle he intends to SPECIAL ON THE MUSIC by Capitol 8 TRACK 45 Minute Reg, 3" SALE by Capitol 90 Minute Reg.

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most to Indiana Evening Roy Acuff To Perform Again NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Country music star Roy Acuff says he'll be ready to perform this weekend at Opryland U.S.A. The 38-year Opry veteran suffered a heart attack last April and made his first appearance since then on Wednesday, Gazette, Friday August 13, opening his show with his most famous song, "Wabash Cannonball." He also did his traditional yoyo tricks and balanced his fiddle bow on the end of his Nose. "You know, I don't think anything could hurt me as bad as if I couldn't work the Opry again," said the later. 72-year-old "I'd have perto leave town just get in my car and start tirement benefits than a comparable private employe.

Another factor Increasing city and state benefits in the past, decade has been the Introduction of cost-of-living adjustments into pension benefits. Over-all, inflation adjustments by city and state plans appear more generous than private plans, but less generous than most federal pension plans. One study conducted by the Tax Foundation found that four-fifths of all state-run pension plans now have some sort of postretirement adjustments in force. In total, more than half of all public employes at the city or state level get some form of postretirement inflation allowances. corporations don't legally bind themselves to costof-living percentages, but many take pretty darn good care of their retirees," Jump said in an interview.

With inflation running high, the cost-of-living adjustment can put added burdens on cities and states. But the absence of cost-of-living provisions can work severe hardships on retirees. Jump calculates that in the next 'decade a retired Atlanta policeman or fireman getting no inflation adjustment will see the vi value of his benefits fall about 30 per cent, with similar erosion in New York, Philadelphia and other places that provide no inflation protection to retirees. Pleasant Valley Playhouse "Dirty Work At The Crossroads" Gay 90's Melodrama August 12-14 August 19-21 Curtain at 8:00 P.M. call 459-5410 fight for "to the Supreme Court, if I have is that while other residents of the area can have pet dogs, cats or even snakes, the city feels his pig, well stinks.

"I give him three baths a week and put after-shave lotion on him," he said. "He's cleaner than a lot of people I know and he doesn't bother anyone. He doesn't bark, he doesn't run Besides, Little said; the Lynnhaven Bay which is next to his home and business is polluted "Now there's some thing that He said Sweet Lips is a pet of the highest caliber: "I always bring him' inside the house when it's hot. He likes the air conditioning." To Little, married and the father of three grown children, Sweet Lips is like a child "I love him. I really do.

He means everything to me. I'll never let anyone take him away or kill Since his court fight to keep Sweet Lips began, Little says thousands of people have stopped by his waterfront establishment to see the pig, hundreds of others have written letters of support, and donations have reached $1,200. "I'm going to send all the money back and tell the people who sent it I just want them to The love all animals," he said. the AMERICA'S MOST EXCITING EVANGELIST JARRINGION THE CHAPLAIN OF BOURBON STREET FEATURED IN TV, RADIO BOOKS RECORDS PLUS: The Watchmen FRI. AUG 27-28 8 P.M.

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