I read with despair about the ridiculous pension for 24 years of service by our soon-to-retire 50-year-old police chief, Mike Blair (Press Tribune, Aug. 18).

He, along with other unionized workers, have again succeeded in raping the taxpayers today and for several decades to come.

Do the math: his pension of just over $150,000 per year will cost us all over 30 years until he reaches age 80 an astounding $4.5 million. If the pension is drawn till age 90, $6 million. I suppose these numbers don’t include guaranteed health care for life.

No taxpaying citizen can swallow that without nausea and choking. This is at a time when our schools are being underfunded and services being cut.

Shame on the City of Roseville. Shame on the state of California for allowing this to happen elsewhere. Pension reform for government workers is long overdue. The above numbers need to be multiplied many times by the number of workers grabbing the pension lotto and running.

Due to this and similar policies, our city and state are in for a long, rough ride of unemployment, lost jobs, and higher taxes, all for the benefit of the few. It is time to raise our voices and vote for change.

Brian Marten, Roseville