Comments on: Councilors Should Delay Pay Hikes

By: Kareb Ragland

Kareb Ragland — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 20:29:52 +0000

Property taxes can be raised if the value of one’s house goes up. Or, if the mill levy is raised. Schools can float bonds, sales taxes can be raised (for the benefit of schools mostly se we are told). Settlers Irrigation Dist. can raise what it charges for pressurized irrigtion. Settlers Irrigation Dist. is the only one I have had experience with.
Face it folks we are all citizen atm machines here for the benefit of the officials we choose to vote for. Anyone have a good idea for a liar patch?

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:35:55 +0000

Ronin because we keep voting for the rich.

By: Ronin

Ronin — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 22:54:58 +0000

good point, how many people in this city go hungry every night, and with this “insignificant” $20,000 in question, one must ask why not share the wealth and return some of this over spending to where it rightfully belongs, in the hands of those who need and deserve it, rather than just giving it away to those who all ready have enough.

By: My Two Cents

My Two Cents — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 17:24:54 +0000

And by the way, to Flyhead, “labor of love”? If someone pays someone $20,000 a year to do something part-time, that is not a labor of love. It is work for which he/she is being compensated. The volunteer work I do, that is a labor of love. I do not think $20,000 a year is “inconsequential” except for the wealthy. Whether they are not being compensated enough is certainly a reasonable discussion to have. And whether they are committed to their community is also a reasonable belief. But I think you do a disservice to these reasonable discussions by brushing off their wages as something insignificant.

By: My Two Cents

My Two Cents — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 17:21:24 +0000

And the concept of one voting in one’s own raise is bizarre. In any normal situation, those in power recuse themselves when there is a conflict, or even perceived conflict of interest. One would not vote, for instance, on a relative’s pay request in a normal job situation. You’d abstain. Why are things set up at County and City levels so commissioners can vote their own raises, and so can city council and mayor? I wonder whether state and federal legislators vote their own pay raises, too…

By: Robert

Robert — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 17:06:21 +0000

We sure have lost control of our government! Now the question is how do we get it back?

By: JJ

JJ — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 21:56:29 +0000

Your letter was nice, invited them to share their thoughts with you. did anyone call you back? (I ask of course tongue in cheek, assuming no one called you back)

EDITOR NOTE–
Actually 2 responded. Politely, but not in favor of my proposal. It appears the ordinance will go through unopposed.

By: Flyhead

Flyhead — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 18:23:58 +0000

Bieter probably deserves a pay raise but the amount is hard to determine. Perhaps keeping him on par with what he got 9 years ago would be a place to start.

The city council is another matter. I honestly feel like they work for very little in the first place and a pay raise of any amount is not going to “compensate” them for their time and effort if the job is done properly. I view these positions as labors of love and doing it right requires a lot of time and effort by people genuinely interested in their community. Pay for this job is inconsequential. They probably will not quit with or without a pay raise.

By: JJ

JJ — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:29:31 +0000

Kudos to the mayor for not taking a raise for 9 years. Few people would stay in their current job that long without some raise. To endure 9 years of no increases Mayor Bieter is either very devoted to his job, or incapable of getting of better job. Will leave it to other posters to opine on which it is.

By: Ronin

Ronin — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:27:13 +0000

These people are cave dwellers rewarding themselves with monetary gains for being the best shadow watchers in the state. It would be impossible to bring them to understand the world outside, the courts included. Only thing we can do is sit and wait to see how much farther into the “cave” these leaders take us.