Reagan's office to close

Peter Robinson reports that Ronald Reagan's office will close effective December 31, 2004. I loved the Gipper, but as much respect as I had for the man, it baffles me that the United States taxpayer pays each former president a pension of $175,700 per year, and provides an annual office allowance to them for the rest of their lives. According to Table 1 in this report, the FY 2005 budget requests for former presidents were as follows: Ford - $539,000; Carter - $505,000; Reagan - $200,000; Bush - $713,000; Clinton - $1,105,000. That's a total of $3,062,000 for the next year.

Let's not even begin to discuss congressional pensions. I have no problem with Secret Service protection being provided to former presidents and their spouses. But there is no good justification for paying these pensions to the former presidents, or providing an office allowance, especially when many of our military families are required to apply for food stamps. According to this story from April 2000, as many as 6300 military personnel qualified for food stamps; all were enlisted personnel and married with children.

Three million dollars would go a long way toward solving this problem (or providing equipment), and when former presidents are earning as much as nine million dollars a year in speaking fees, it is beyond absurd to provide pensions. After all, they are limited to two terms, or, if circumstances warrant, ten years as president. So for four to eight (maybe ten) years of service, they get lifetime pensions? It's a waste of taxpayer money.