The last man to walk out of the White House without a retirement was Harry S. Truman. Eisenhower received the first retirement of $60,000 a year and his spread out at Gettysburg; his vice president received $30,000 a year.

In 1960 Congress passed the Congressional Retirement Act, at public expense. Up until that time, not one person elected or appointed received any kind of retirement and the reason was simple, they were already wealthy. Since the beginning of this Republic, persons of wealth have governed, for they have had the time for public service. The difference being, those who founded this country were men of honesty and integrity. Sadly that cannot be said for most who serve in elected or appointed positions in government today.

Gerald Ford was the biggest beneficiary of the Congressional Retirement System. In the House for 27 years, then unelected vice president and un-elected president, he wound up with over $400,000 a year in public retirement funds. Each First Lady receives $20,000 a year in a retirement and we have four at the present and Nancy Reagan receives $60,000 a year in widow’s benefits. Both Mrs. Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson outlived their husbands by 30-plus years, so you do the math.

Is it any wonder our taxes keep going up, for we must continue to support this American royalty called Our Government? —Jim Garvey, Kalispell