I’ve read that our governments — federal, state and local — are always looking to cut costs by cutting out or reducing government-sponsored programs, such as Social Security, veterans benefits and others. While some entitlement programs should be better managed, reduced or done away with, not so the ones such as above where the benefactors have either paid into them or served their nation in the military to earn them.

But the main point of this letter is that the elected politicians, at any level, are public servants. Therefore, I believe that they should be subject to term limits and receive no government pension. They could be allowed to contribute to their own 401(k) or the like, but without any contributions from the government, our tax money. I also believe that they should not have any special health care benefits, but have the same as the average citizen, and paid for by themselves.

The above are just a few examples, but what other benefits do they give themselves, at the taxpayers’ expense, but do not give to the average citizen? I’m sure that the Times News readers can write to the editor with other examples of politicians’ excesses. I urge readers to also inform their public servants to make their benefits the same level as the average citizen, and paid for by themselves, not the taxpayer.

Bruce Morrison,

Palmerton