COAL: President, Congress not nice

Congress and the president deserve a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings for reducing retirement pay to our military veterans. This is a cruel way to get a budget agreement, taking from those who keep our freedom safe.

There are other ways to save six billion dollars. Let me throw out just one — which is my favorite. Eliminate automatic pay increases (COLAs) for congress that they gave themselves in 1989. Granted they voted to forego raises for a couple of years, but at $174,000 a year, a luxury pay scale, they would hardly notice. As they were giving up increases, everyone else was seeing decreases in their pay or worse — losing their job.

It is simply not fair to get a budget agreement on the backs of our service men and women who put their life on the line when called for duty. These brave defenders are being dispatched to hot spots in Africa as we enjoy a safe Christmas holiday at home. Some reward for carrying out a dangerous mission!

Congress needs to reverse their bad judgment and at the same time change how they pay themselves.

FRED EBEL

Post Falls