I don't understand why the government agencies, in the face of I695, gave higher raises to their admin members, including the one woman in state that Gary gave 30% increase the two weeks before the election, and the same for our county commissioners for the admin in the county offices, their raises were more than 75% of my entire income for a month. one such official is collecting my wages for a year just in his back pay check. these raises were awarded the night of elections. our neighbor works for IT in Olympia and had been laid off. word is that there were wage hikes in their admin offices as well. doesn't anyone work under a budget anymore? did they REALLY think it wouldn't pass, and that the working stiffs would just pick up the slack as usual if they did get what they wanted? who is going to tell who what to do and who REALLY is the "government"? are we going to take charge and remind them?

-- Lesa (wolfbear2@hotmail.com), November 19, 1999

Answers

Frustrating, yes. King County Councilmembers make over $92,000 a year. Don't get me wrong. I love the councilmembers. But $92,000 a year? A salary 1/2 that would be adequate. My salary is a little more than a 1/3 that and I do just fine.

Oh, and you think you're in for an uphill battle to cut spending on programs? Try and get someone to relenquish part of his salary, no matter how overpaid he is. Cutting a program is one thing, cutting salaries? Well, them's fightin' words.

-- Paul Oss (jnaut@earthlink.net), November 20, 1999.