Stop raises for government workers
The recent "retention" raise awarded to ECC President David Sam is an absolutely total insult to the tens of thousands of area taxpayers whose own salaries have either been totally frozen or substantially reduced, if they're lucky enough to even still have a job!
If Dr. Sam was any kind of sympathetic, caring and unselfish public servant, he'd graciously decline this "retention" raise and postpone it, until the unprecedented depression-like downturn dramatically turns around! If not, ECC has the wrong man.
And the government justifies it by calling it a retention raise! If they fear Dr. Sam wants to find a better salary and move on, then let him leave, just like pro basketball and football players. If that's how much loyalty he'd demonstrate, who needs him!
There is a continuing government policy that it's OK for taxpayers to suffer without limit during severe economic downturns but, regardless, government employees like Dr. Sam have a God-given right to never-ending raises. Where did I miss that stipulation in our Constitution? And just when will ECC's tuition and fees be raised yet again?
Government is so out of touch with reality!
Write, call or e-mail now to all your government representatives, including municipal, county and school board, and demand fiscal restraint and freezes on all government salaries and benefits. After all, that's what you're being forced to accept and you're the ones who pay government's bills!
If we don't act now and stop acting like sheep, blindly and silently accepting every outrageous government cost escalation, I wonder if there's any hope at all left for Illinois.
Albert J. Dzermejko
Gilberts