Every Man For Himself?

By Pat C.

The 12 Step program grew out of a set of four principles known as the Four Absolutes. Although these absolutes are recommended for people in recovery, they can be applied to anyone’s life.

In light of daily media revelations of fraud and self-indulgence, the third of these principles, absolute unselfishness, is particularly apropos: seeking what is right and true above what one wants.

Greed is the name of the game these days. Too many people have the “I’ve got mine, you’ll have to take care of yourself,” attitude; this presents a huge problem for today’s society. We’re surrounded, engulfed, with anything but absolute unselfishness.

In a February 5 article, The Wall Street Journal wrote; President Obama said, “This is America. We don’t disparage wealth. We don’t begrudge anybody for achieving success. And we believe success should be rewarded. But what gets people upset—and rightly so—are executives who are being rewarded for failure, especially when those rewards are subsidized by U.S. taxpayers.” The same article stated that, Chairmen and CEO Kenneth D. Lewis, of the Bank of America, received $24 million in compensation for the year 2007 after his company sought and received $45 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

It doesn’t seem right that these men are receiving these extreme levels of compensation while the rest of the country is deep in recession, especially as their companies are failing under their leadership.

Other cases related to the current fraud and self-indulgence going on in the world involves retired New York City firefighters, Long Island Railroad workers, and a variety of New York State civil employees.

In a February 10 article, The New York Post wrote that, eight years after September 11, 2001, “72 percent of these [New York City Firefighters] brave and dedicated men are receiving enhanced disability pensions that are calculated at 50 percent higher than regular annuities.” The Post continued by stating, “Firefighters retiring on disability pensions are costing New York $1 billion a year.” This at a time when New York Mayor Bloomberg is threatening to cut thousands of police and teacher jobs.

Certainly some of these retirees are disabled, but 72 percent?

These men are able to retire and then receive disability pensions and that is exactly what they are doing in record number. In the same article, The Post revealed another problem: “They can seek and receive disability pensions at any age, when other jobs require that you must be 50 years of age before you can receive a pension.”

In an article dated September 24, 2008, The New York Times wrote; “93-97 percent of Long Island Railroad workers retire early and soon after begin getting disability payments. The Retirement Board of the Long Island Railroad almost never turns down a disability claim, and since the year 2000 has paid more than a quarter of a billion dollars in disability checks to former Long Island Railroad workers.”

In the same article The Times continued; “The Retirement Board is run by three presidential appointees, one representing labor, one representing management and one representing consumers.  L.I.R.R. workers file for disability benefits almost immediately after they retire and can get them if they are unable to perform their [former] regular railroad job—even though they might be capable of doing [other] work.” These men are then allowed to decide what doctors will be reviewing their disabilities.

A variety of New York State civil employees are also involved in questionable enhancement pensions. They are receiving annual pension in addition to their annual salaries.

Forty-nine retired civil servants in the Hudson Valley area sought and received waivers that allow them to work on the public payroll and at the same time receive a public pension. In a February 22 article, The Times Herald Record said, “Daniel Carlin earns $112,357 as chief of the Tuxedo Police Department and $79,702 in an annual pension from the New York State Police Department.” He continued by saying, “Local taxpayers save money by employing him.” The Record went on to say, “The public pension’s amount to $3.6 million in taxpayer-financed compensation,” meaning that taxpayers are paying for these pensions.

Certainly, the railroad workers, the brave men and women of the New York Fire Department, and New York State civil employees are entitled to a good living and disability care when needed. But, if everyone is out to get as much as they can, someone has to lose. The need for the widespread practice of absolute unselfishness has never been more necessary in the world than now.