-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: [Mpls] Superintendent pay in tight budget times From: "Bob Velez" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Andy, Thank you, thank you, thank you! As a person in civil service (Hennepin County) I can't tell you what an encouragement it is to me personally to hear your comment! > Why do we not seem to flinch at the outrageous CEO pay in corporate > circles, even when thousands, nay, tens of thousands in those same > corporations' employ are pushed out the door? We're speaking millions > here. Believe me, I not only flinch, I twitch and foam at the mouth as well. > This insistence citizens have for low salaries for public servants > while tolerating the inflationary spiral executive pay in the private > sector generates is beyond me. I don't think that anything above six figures, in our economic times, is low. > I guess people don't feel privileged to bitch about, say, the 3M > Chairman's pay at $10 mil (whatever) while screaming bloody murder over > the $190,000 salaries paid CEOs of major urban school districts. But > guess what: the cost of your Scotch tape and all of 3M's products just > jumped 3%-5%, maybe more, because of it. We just want to complain about > taxes, not the prices we pay in the marketplace for far more egregious > financial assault on the consumer's pocketbook. Oh, I complain about that as well. As a matter of fact, I have several boycotts going on in my personal consumer list based on some of the inequities that exist in these corporate environments. > What twisted nonsense. Let's get off the public officials' cases and > recognize that the same dynamic that justifies wildly disproportionate > pay in the private sector - talent and incentive - needs to work in the > public sector to assure us the kind of competence and performance Wall > Street demands of corporations. Scrimp on that talent, and you get what > you deserve: lousy governance and lousy management, after which you'll > want to throw the rascals out. This is the epitome of a "no-win" > circumstance. This is the only place I disagree with you. We need to set the example and have our elected officials lead the way in capping corporate salaries. > Why anyone gets into public service when the public treats them this > way is beyond me as well. The absolute dedication should be applauded � > and compensated. > Again, thanks for the praise. Bob Velez Shingle Creek Ward 4 _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
