Subject: Comments on State Employees
I am responding to your column in today's Sunday Inquirer.
http://m.philly.com/phillycom/db_41092/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=qGG8kSEA
Your write up on the Governor were spot on, your swipe at the people who work for the Commonwealth were uncalled for.
I wanted to give a different view. I wish you had not piled on concerning the latest contract for state employees. Do you research. Pa is 48 or 49th in the entire country in the ratio of state employees per resident. The number of retirements was 4,200 this year and believe me they are not in a rush to hire. As you know the state cut over $400 million from DPW. As a DPW employee, our customers will feel it right away. They have cut the budget of the welfare to work program run by PWDC 40%. This will be made up by having the remaining work done by understaffed DPW employees.
I am proud of my union for getting a decent contract. If you break it down, it's 2% per year which is below average compared w/ the average 2.2% pay increase workers across have received.
It's too bad that employees paid by the taxpayer are devalued. We pay taxes, buy stuff at stores and provide essential services.
I also note that young folks are not knocking down the door to work w/ DPW. Oh, when they do, many leave after a few years.
I hope you will follow up and visit a welfare office sometime. Take a peek behind the spin of well-paid politicians and staff in Harrisburg. Talk to AFSCME council 13 and SEIU 668. I think you will get a more complete picture of how the middle class now has to fight to EVEN keep what they have now.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you and will hope some follow-up.
Regards
Mark
P.S
Denise Chambers of Philly CAO
Resigned. Word is that she was forced out.
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