"rets" = retirees?

[Barbara Need]

In today's Mister Boffo, there is a line I don't understand: "A big
part of the reason rets, writers and philosophers are usually found
in the collection agencies' deadbeat file". This is in response to
one of the workers at Nightowl Finance" quoting a letter from
someone: "He said, 'In another time, another place, in a different
world ... maybe he could've paid out bill ... but not in this one ...
not in a cold, bottomless void where fear rules and hope dances alone
in the dark ... yada, yada, yada ...'" (all the ellipses are original
to the text and mostly indicated frame breaks). What are rets? Retirees?

Barbara

Barbara Need
Chicago

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