Real Life Situation in Oak Ridge
Monday, January 14th, 2008Bob Henderson writes:
"Joe" had attended evening school and worked as an accountant. He was recruited in 1942 to come do important work "for the government" in Oak Ridge. With pride he served his country supporting the secret work here. His family moved to Knoxville until rental housing became available in Oak Ridge in 1945. When Oak Ridgers were allowed to buy their government-owned-houses in 1957 he bought the home they had rented for twelve years. By 1971-72 health problems forced him to retire shortly before he was sixty-five.
Joe was a professional who worked in Oak Ridge for 30 years. Salaries weren't very high in Oak Ridge when he retired in the early 70's, but he was confident his government would reward his loyalty with a livable pension for him and his wife for as long as they lived. Joe died in 1989 at age 81. His widow receives a surviving spouse pension check and she remains in the house where she has now lived for over sixty two years.
Her pension check in 2005 was $395 each month and $187 of that was withheld to provide health coverage. She received a net of $209 each month from the pension. That and her social security check are how she survives. She provides minimal upkeep on the house, keeps the lights and heat as low as she can stand and doesn't pay anyone to come to clean because she can't afford it. She fell in the Fall of 2006 and broke her hip. After time in the hospital and in rehab, she returned to her home to live alone.
As a ninety-three year old, she wouldn't complain because she grew up during the depression. She loves Oak Ridge, her USA, and the University of Tennessee. She taught school for a number of years when she was younger. Is this how we say, "Thanks for a job well done for DOE contractor retirees and their spouses in Oak Ridge?
In December of 2007, now 94 years old, she fell again at her home and couldn't reach the telephone to call for help. She lay on the floor for two days before someone came and found her. I visited her in early January, 2008 at a health care center. She hopes to be able to return home soon. One of her most pressing concerns is the high cost of care outside her home. How long will she be able to hold on hoping for a pension adjustment that can make her last days more tolerable, at least financially? Should I suggest that she be patient? Should we wait patiently for change?
