Letter to the Editor

Your View 7/30: Fat to be cut

Tuesday, July 30, 2002

As a longtime employee of the Highway Department, there are some things I think the public should know before voting on the tax increase.

The state legislators said no raises for state employees. But the Highway Department, as they have always done, has ignored this. They create titles and positions and give many of their employees a raise. These people are doing no more than they did before; in fact, some of them should have been fired. They keep their sick days used up when they weren't even sick.

While the rest of the state is laying off people and the state is cutting services, the Highway Department is doing business as usual. If the money they give in these raises were used to fix roads, it would be better spent. I know these raises and promotions in District 10 alone would amount to thousands of dollars a year. Now they want us to give them more money so they can do business as usual. I say "no" to this, as long as they think they do not have to obey the rules that the rest of the state has to go by.

Mike, I am not a disgruntled employee. The Highway Department has been good to me, but in times like these, they should look inward for more money, not outward. I know they say these raises and promotions are needed to keep employees, but there are hundreds of good unemployed people out there who would like to have these jobs, and I am sure would be willing to do them for less. They take people off the road and put them in the office and some of them don't even know what's going on.

In closing, let me say if they would cut the fat in the offices and take away the cars and trucks that employees drive home, thousands, if not millions, would be saved over the state. I cannot sign this letter, as I would be crucified by the state.

Name withheld by request