No wonder governments are in such bad shape
No wonder our government is broke! I was shocked and saddened when I saw what our government employees are being paid.
There is a fundamental error in your argument that, if other counties are paying people this amount, then we have to as well to compete. The fallacy is simply this. State and local governments should not be in competition against each other. I am an American, and I am not in competition against people in Tennessee, or Cabarrus county for that matter. What binds us together is the fact that we are all Americans. It is not the governmentís job to take my tax dollars and compete against other Americans by saying that we must pay government employees more money to get the most qualified workers. This practice is reserved for the private sector by definition.
The result of this is the robbing the taxpayers of this county, as well as this country, because other people are doing it. You can never justify bad behavior by other bad behavior. How can you justify these salaries paid to government employees, with first-class benefit packages, while the the taxpayers are struggling just to find work and merely survive in this economy? I know of no private employee who enjoys benefits anywhere equivalent to what government employees receive. What is wrong with this picture? Just look at Wisconsin.
Once you open the can of worms that governments should compete against each other, whether they be state, county, or local, you have gone down a slippery slope that leads to destruction. The casualty of the mistake is the taxpayers of this country. If Rowan County wants to compete for people by offering them taxpayer money in larger and larger amounts, then we all lose. It is divisive and the end result is bankruptcy.
ó Wayne Drye
Salisbury
Drinking and driving
In reference to the March 18 wine tasting/tour article:
When these folks are traveling the wine tasting/tour from one winery to the next, do they travel under the influence or use a designated driver? If you read a wine label, it says it contains alcohol. Itís against the law to drink and drive in North Carolina. Maybe law enforcement should double their efforts in the ěBooze it and lose itî campaign along this wine-tasting tour.
ó Brenda Stiller
Salisbury
Texting and driving
I would like to call attention to a very troubling problem, that has become increasingly worse on our highways and city streets. It seems everyday I notice someone swerving into my lane, failing to pay attention at stop lights or generally not paying attention to driving at all, only to pass them and see a cell phone in their hand, texting or emailing. This is so frustrating! I am a mom, and many times that I am on the road, I have my children with me. I have their safety to think about every second I am on the road. and this is making it much more difficult for me.
The perception is that it is mainly teenagers. That is not the case in what I have witnessed. The majority of the people I see doing this are business professionals. Many times I wonder whether drinking and driving is my enemy this day and age, or texting while driving. I am a member of a momís support network, Central Piedmont Mommies. We are urging everyone to make this April Foolís Day a national ěOnly Fools Text and Drive Day,î encouraging the nation to drive with their lights on that day to increase awareness.
I think this is a phenomenal idea. I hope our entire community will get behind this and help show our support. There is also a video from our kidsí point of view. I would encourage everyone to watch it. It really makes you stop and think. You can watch the video here http://www.youtube .com/watch?v=bVhVAxsTBwk or by going to YouTube and searching ěthemommiesnetwork texting and driving.î Please help spread the word so that this doesnít become another statistic.
ó Sandy Deal
Salisbury
Deal is promotion manager for Central Piedmont Mommies (www.centralpiedmontmommies .com).