SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                      1759

accidental disability retirement. They involve pension of two-thirds
of final average salary, plus an annuity which may be purchased from
the member's accumulated contributions to his retirement system. To
this extent they are quite reasonable. However, since the enactment
of these provisions, benefits under the Social Security Program have
been made available to State employees. When this is considered,
along with the situation that substantial amounts paid to a disabled
employee under the program would receive preferential treatment
under income tax provisions, the conclusion is reached that it is
entirely possible that a person receiving benefits under these programs
would experience a "take-home" pay substantially greater than his
net salary when fully employed.

For this reason, although there is no question in my mind that
an employee disabled during a job-connected accident should be ade-
quately protected and compensated, I feel that the entire program
should be re-evaluated in the light of the factors mentioned, to
ascertain that it is not an undue or unfair burden on the taxpayers
of the State, but at the same time adequate for State employees.

Under these circumstances, I am reluctant to do anything that
would have the effect of expanding the program until such a re-
evaluation can be completed.

Nevertheless, I would not veto this bill, particularly because of
what seems to be an inequity under the present law, were it not for
the fact that no appropriation has been made for its implementation
during this fiscal year. Thus, its signing could have no practical
effect. Hopefully, the re-evaluation I have mentioned can be under-
taken by the time that an appropriation would normally be made.

For these reasons, I feel compelled to veto the bill at this time.

Sincerely yours,

(s) Spiro T. Agnew,

Governor.

House Bill No. 81.—State Bond Construction Act

AN ACT to authorize the creation of a State debt in the aggre-
gate amount of Forty One Million Nine Hundred Sixty One Thousand
and Six Hundred Dollars ($41,961,600) FORTY SEVEN MILLION
SIX HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX THOUSAND TWO HUN-
DRED DOLLARS ($47,626,200) FORTY-EIGHT MILLION NINE
HUNDRED THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS ($48,900,-
700), the proceeds thereof to be used for certain necessary building,
construction, demolition, planning, deferred maintenance and equip-
ment purposes of this State, for acquiring certain land and options in
connection therewith, and providing generally for the issue and sale of
Certificates of Indebtedness evidencing such loan, and, for the pur-
poses of this Act, modifying the provisions of Section 8 of Chapter
903 of the Acts of 1963, Chapter 159 of the Acts of 1964, Chapter 743
of the Acts of 1965, and Chapter 504 of the Acts of 1966, AND
SECTION 9 OF THIS ACT.