U.S. Pay Raises

It appears that Congress will accept the pay raises proposed by a presidential commission. Beneficiaries will include former Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. Such raises will rapidly flow down to states, counties et al. Strikes, inflation and an increasing deficit will be the fruits. Of course tax increases will be justified.

I suggest a test of sincerity. Before accepting the raise each congressman should:

1--Spend a week living with the homeless in a Northern city.

2--Accompany the sheriff as he evicts six or seven families from farms they have held in their families for a hundred years.

3--Tell the idle oil workers that “we can’t find competent legislators and judges on paltry pay.”

4--Explain to displaced steel workers why you invested millions of dollars to win election.

5--Congratulate the thousands of airline people who accepted substantial salary cuts to preserve their jobs. They are indeed patriotic. Tell them, too, about paltry pay.

6--Inform military retirees that retirement costs are too high and that their contracted-for benefits must be cut.

7--Look for honest work.

ROBERT J. SUNDE

Nipomo