I am a 65-year-old retiree, having worked for over 33 years for the Maine Judicial Branch. I receive a pension from the Maine Public Employee Retirement System. I was disheartened to read John Garon’s letter alleging that the tax exemption provided to public pension recipients is discriminatory in nature (“Letter to the editor: Pension exemption seems discriminatory,” March 7). Nothing could be further from the truth.

Because I worked almost my entire adult life for the state of Maine, I do not receive any Social Security benefits. Because of the Windfall Elimination Provision, which penalizes me by taking 66% of my Social Security benefit because I am a public pension recipient, I not only do not receive any monthly Social Security benefit, but I also have to pay a large portion of my Medicare premium.

I testified before the Maine Legislature, requesting that they pass the bill to provide a tax exemption to Maine’s public pension recipients, equal to the tax exemption provided to Social Security recipients. Prior to the 2022 tax year, the exemption on public pensions was $10,000. For the 2022 tax year, that increased to $25,000, and it will increase in $5,000 increments every year until it is equal to the tax exemption provided to those receiving Social Security. Income is income, and it should not matter if my retirement benefit comes from MainePERS or Social Security.

We should all pay attention to the laws enacted by our Legislature and governor, but we applaud, not criticize, tax fairness.

Penny Whitney-Asdourian
Scarborough