Letter: State workers share same problems

This is in response to the Nevada Appeal reader Eugene Friel of Reno and his mail box opinion, run on Dec. 15, 2000 "State workers have nothing to cry about."

Eugene I am sorry for the decisions you or others have made in their lives to work for uncaring profit-minded employers. Employers over the last 10 plus years have discovered that employee productivity increase when they are happy in their personnel life and at work. I feel that you and your friends should take a good look at their lives and ask themselves this question. Could they have had or would they now try to spend more quality time with family and friends, as they should have? Before you condemn public workers think about what they do for you and the people of the United States. Without public workers your life and others would be very different. Medicaid payments would not be made, Social Security payment would not be there, roads would fall into disrepair, trash would build up in the streets, children needing help would not receive it, snow on your streets would not be cleared.

And the individual trying to rob you or your friends would go unchecked. Now as to all of this free money that state and local government workers get and misuse. If you have not figured it out as of yet, I am a government worker. And I have had quite enough of this type of generalization of all government employees.

I know lots of government employees that have been making up for the government's financial shortcomings of the past few years. And just like you and your friends, we will all have to work for 30 or more years to receive retirement benefits. We, government employees have been dealing with the same day to day problems as have the rest of the citizens of our great country. You no, rising cost of health care benefits, hiring freezes, increasing population, leading to increase workloads, higher fuel bills, food bills all that cool stuff. As most of America has seen pay increases to cover inflation, and yet we government employees have not kept up with inflation. All of us, the public at large would like more for less. But I a taxpayer realizes you get what you pay for.

I am a nine-year government employee carrying some 500 hours of sick and vacation time on the books. I know lots of government workers that carry large balances like this on the books. When we leave government employment we cannot cash in all of this leave time, it reverts back to you. It's great that we can carry these large amounts of time on the books, it allows us the chance to donate these hours to others in need. By giving these extra hours of leave to those who have catastrophic illnesses or family members with catastrophic illnesses. Allowing them the time to recover or to be with loved ones that are ill. Granted there are some in government and private that take advantage of the system and they know who they are. But they are the few and not the majority.

Now as to employee raises, we deserve them. We should be paid a good competitive wage to keep the infrastructure of our country running smooth. As a long-time government employee I have watched, our government offices bring in new employees giving them training and watched them leave shortly their after to take a job in the privet sector that can double their salary. This is a cost that you and I the citizens that pay taxes are paying fore. We as the citizens paying government salaries should see this as a loss and that we need to keep these bright employees, not give them away. Giving all government employees a wage that can compete with the privet sector will keep them in their jobs longer using their knowledge to help you and others, live your lives.

Thank You All

Brad J. Hall

Carson City