State ranks cut already

Do you really know who the state employees are and what they do? Do you really think state employees are overpaid?

State employees provide you services such as protecting the children, ensuring you have clean drinking water, providing benefits to the people in need, protecting you from the bad guys and gals, and much more.

However, you never hear about the good things state employees do every day for you and others. You also expect them to be perfect all the time. But, yet, when they make the tiniest of mistakes, the news media and the public unmercifully criticize state employees.

But instead of thanking and respecting state employees, The Spokesman-Review is always leading the charge and attacking the average state worker. The Review is now asking to have state employees’ pay, health care, and retirement cut more to help fix the state budget. Well, the state employees have already given up over $1 billion in their benefits through legislation and contract negotiation. Additionally, their wages are already on the average 20 percent behind the private sector. So, what else do you want the state employees and you to sacrifice in balancing the state budget?

Scott Mallery

Spokane