March 11, 2013

Defending pay premiums for public workers

To the editor,Re: Public pay premium hurts the industry, Feb. 11, issue of the JOC

In equating better pay and benefits for public-sector workers with higher taxes, Philip Hochstein seems to add 1 and 1 to get 14.

He was taught by his teachers (egad, public employees) better than that. As we all know, taxes keep going up and up anyway, regardless of what public servants are paid. Even if public salaries were drastically reduced, governments would find excuses to maintain and increase taxes.

They are experienced wastrels.

So, Hochstein should not blame public servants for receiving a decent standard of living. Many of them more than deserve their wages and benefits, in fact, because they are overworked.

Consider the lot of social workers, court staff, and Residential Tenancy Branch workers as just three examples.

We know that Hochstein is preaching primarily to the converted. But, maybe his fan club of independent contractors and builders need to pay more-decent wages and benefits. Some companies need to share more of their increased wealth with those who created it for them, whether they are unionized or not.

One per cent of the population rakes in ten per cent of the national income (Metro, Jan. 29, 2013).

Thanks to the Occupy movement, working people are becoming more aware of income disparity.

Whether Hochstein likes it or not, as the working person in the private sector becomes more aware, he or she will want a fairer share of the pie.

Please remember that your Journal is, at least occasionally, read not only by Liberal party supporters.

Yours truly,

David M. Johnson

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