Your Two Cents Worth: Do state workers deserve a raise?

This is a joke, right? With all their sick leave and all their paid personal days, state workers make more money than God, and that's coming out of a state worker's mouth. They like to brag.

Donna, Carson City

I've been a state workers almost 20 years. Yes, I feel all state workers deserve a raise. If Governor Guinn can come in and bring a new staff in and give them a big raise, why don't we deserve the same consideration?

Patty, Carson City

I worked for both state and private industry, and I want you to know that the state does pay less but their benefits, especially vacation, are much better and certainly make up the difference. So I think things are pretty equal and I think those state workers who are complaining probably need to go work somewhere else if they're not happy.

C.J., Carson City

I do believe the state workers need a raise badly, and I think it would be interesting if you check into how many of them have left their jobs, especially in Clark County, maybe in the probation department. I used to live down there and am aware of many of them who have left because of the low pay and have gone to county jobs.

Sherry, Carson City

Call me, I will work for the state of Nevada. I've seen the way these people work. I know what they do. Their lack of work is what I should say. They're always on the Internet, I see them doing personal business, banking, shopping and I've actually witnessed them stealing from the state agencies. I think they should be happy they have a job. There are a lot of people out there starving.

Gary, California

I think they are high enough, if they would work the time they are there. They get adequate wages. If they don't like their wages they should go to outside business and work for an outside company like a lot of us do.

Bill, Carson City

I definitely don't think these people are entitled to an increase in wages. Half of them don't even belong there, and if they don't like it here in this state, they may leave any time.

David, Dayton

I personally am really tired of their whining. It seems to me they get better pay and better benefits than the rest of us. It seems like they're always having time off.

Al, Carson City

The state workers should certainly get a nice raise as well as the retirees.

Fran, Carson City

I do feel state workers deserve a raise because I work for the state and it's depressing to see everything going up higher than my raise. I got zero last year, 2 percent this year, and I see my cable bill going up, property taxes, cost of gasoline, and obviously as things go up, my standard of living is dropping if its not rising with it. I'm going to have to actively look for different employment if things don't get better, and I've been working for the state for over five years and it's taken a long time to get where I am. That's just my feeling.

John, Carson City

I worked for the state for 22 years and now I'm in private business. State employees do not need a raise. They have health benefits and they have days off. They need some standards and they need some direction.

Michael

I work for the state and it is tough having to wait two years to get a 2 percent raise. Actually it's a slap in the face if they can't pay us more than that. They should take a cut in pay as well.

Doris, Carson City

I am a state employee and I think our 2 percent cost of living raise is a slap in the face when Kenny Guinn gives himself and his staff a very large one.

Scott, Carson City

I feel that if Kenny Guinn can give give his staff a raise the first week including a young lady who went from a $21,000 job to a $78,000 job and turns around and puts a freeze on hiring and wages for state employees. I kind of wonder, doesn't this sound a whole lot like casino mentality?

Rick, Carson City

I am calling in support of the pay raises for state employees. It has been long overdue. We are not keeping up with the cost of living. Nothing is being done about the gas prices, the taxes on the gas prices put on by the state of Nevada, supposedly for the roads and things like that are coming out of our pockets.

Fran, Carson City

I don't think that the employees of the state deserve any raise. I think they get much better benefits and better pay than many people who work in the private sector.

Maria, Carson City

I am a retired state worker. We need benefits. Our health insurance is just absolutely terrible, and yes state workers need a raise and also retired employees need raises also. But mostly we need medical desperately.

Annette, Carson City

I think state workers definitely need a raise. They've increased the medical costs every single year and even just the raise in insurance has not kept up with the raises.

Cathy, Carson City

I believe state employees deserve a raise to bring their pay up to comparable rates of other government industries and private industry. Most employees are dedicated workers and would prefer to stay where they are but will be forced to take better paying jobs if they don't get a raise. Top notch workers are hard to get at low rates and training will cost more than giving pay raises to the ones who are already trained.

Richard, Carson City

I don't think state workers deserve a raise only because in the paper it says they need more money to improve the quality of service to the public, and I think they should already be providing good quality service to the public no matter what money they're making, because I have to do it.

Nicole, Dayton

Yes, I think state workers deserve a raise along with teachers. I think one of the other things they have to do is look at the job and do parity with other like agencies whether they be out of California or even in the state of Nevada. And yes, people, the firefighters here are the lowest paid firefighters in the state of Nevada. Yes, I do think state workers deserve a raise and a lot more respect from the Legislature and the governor.

Jerry, Gardnerville

The state workers deserve to be treated fairly but I would say it still remains to be seen whether each and every one of them deserve a raise.

Larry, Carson City

I say yes they should. They earn everything they get.

Erma, Dayton

Why should state workers get raises and increased benefits when they're making top dollar now with all the benefits most other workers here can only dream of? There are tons of people here who need two jobs just to survive. Most jobs can't even come close to paying benefits of the state or city. "Right to work" (and starve) state. Most workers for the casinos are treated like dirt and are paid ridiculously low wages, as are most folks in this state. A lot of state workers are lazy and know that once they have their first year in, it takes an act of God to fire them. Can you tell me why people who are not as well off (this is their own statement in the papers) as state workers should support them? It probably would increase taxes. Why don't they increase a decent wage for the multitudes who have little or no job, pay, benefits or job security?

Mary, Carson City