Re: Sacramento, CA

[Leigh Palmer <palmer@SFU.CA>]

> At 09:36 4/10/00 -0700, Leigh wrote:
> > ...My father lives in Fair Oaks and
> > I expect that I will be spending some time in the area in
> > the next few years.
> >
> > I gave my last lecture as a tenured faculty member Friday.
> > I will be compulsorily retired at the end of August, but I
> > will likely teach the introductory astronomy course in
> > September as a Sessional Lecturer. There's no special deal
> > for professors emeriti; I will be paid slightly less than a
> > TA
>
> > Leigh
> >
> > Leigh Hunt Palmer
>
> This reads like a sad ending to a fullfilling work life.
>   What Americans call age-discrimination in other circumstances,
> in fact.
>
>   When the US social security system wants to postpone the onset
> of pensions, and considers the abolition of deductions for
> earned income after age 65, I suppose you could say there is an
> economical incentive acting against this sort of discrimination here.
>
> Not to mention, a body could starve!  :-)
>
>
> brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
> Altus OK

Thanks for the thought, Brian. I'm looking forward to a pleasant
retirement with a course to teach (introductory astronomy) in the
fall and, perhaps, the physics of music in the spring. I will be
Professor Emeritus on my retirement, and the Chairman just asked
me if, since I was going to be around, I would be advisor to the
physics majors for the next year. Fortunately I don't really need
the money. We've saved plenty over the years, our house is paid
off, and I will get federal benefits and a pension if I elect to
take it. The only thing that bothers me is that almost every
other kind of employment is protected from age discrimination. We
professors have been singled out (in a Supreme Court decision, no
less) for special exemption from this protection in our Charter
of Rights and Freedoms, a pale imitation of your Bill of Rights.

Leigh