In the Monday, Oct. 7, News-Miner, Sarah Dimmick expresses her dissatisfaction with Bart Lebon and his lack of support for a “modest” pension plan for state workers. She doesn’t define what she means by modest. Sarah is absolutely sure that state government workers (she is a teacher) can’t afford to live/retire here without this modest pension plan. I would like to offer a different view.
I arrived in Alaska in 1978 at the age of 21. I wanted to be a wilderness trapper and became one. From 1978 to spring 1985 I supported myself by trapping in winter and working for the Alaska Gold Co. in Nome during the summer. I probably didn’t declare my trapping income those years but did pay taxes and SSA contributions on the gold company income. Didn’t put much thought into retirement in those days and I don’t think the 401k idea had begun those years.