January 20, 2005 Senator Richard Burr Senate office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Burr: I received your letter of  December 30, 2004 relating to the problems in the Lucent retiree pension plan.  I appreciate your efforts, however I would like to point out a few facts that you may not be aware of. Thousands of your North Carolina constituents worked for AT&T on U,S, Government Defense programs in the 1950 through 1980 time frame.  These employees had a loaded salary that reflected pension and related deferred benefits.  These were audited and paid for by the U.S. Government.  Many of these thousands of constituents had 20 or 30 years service when AT&T released the 1982 statement that they reserved the right to deny and/or change  benefit packages.  It seems to me that these prior 1982 employees deserve the benefit package promised or the U,S, Government is due a refund for deferred benefits paid for and not received. Years ago I watched as the Singer Corporation dismembered the company, sold off the parts, and retained the huge pension obligations in one final small piece of the company.  Then begged poverty as a reason for not honoring their obligations.  This is very similar to my situation.  I worked 36 years and retired from a corporation called AT&T that had a massively over funded and prudently managed pension plan.  When the company was dismembered (after my retirement)  AT&T retirees that worked for Bell Labs and Western Electric were transferred to a newly formed company called Lucent and there was not a one for one distribution of the pension assets   Surprise, Lucent is pleading poverty while not contributing a dime to their pension plan in 2005 or 2006 for the 30,000 employees in the current work force!  I am disturbed by your ERISA statement that the federal government had minimum standards for pension and  "WELFARE" benefits.  Why???  This is not a job for private lawyers.  It is time our federal representatives stepped up and protected private pension plans as zealously as they protect their own. Sincerely, Garner Jones 126 Sagewood Road Jamestown, NC 27282