I am writing in response to two letters, one by Dale McCormick (May 28) and another by Carol Gould (May 29). Both attempted to respond to a letter written by Jacquelyn Smith (May 19). Smith had written about how Margaret Rotundo voted to take money from the Maine State Retirement System. In her letter, McCormick claimed that Smith’s letter was misleading. However, McCormick was the one who misled. She insisted that Rotundo did not raid the fund.
What McCormick, as state treasurer, declined to say is most revealing. Rotundo voted to take $37 million from the State Retiree Health Plan Fund, which includes the money used to care for our retired teachers. By extending the amortization of the fund, they were able to borrow a total of $127 million that taxpayers will have to repay with interest totaling more than $1 billion.
Rotundo joined other senators in passing the state budget that allowed this to happen.
Christian S. Madore, Lewiston
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