Cuts for Alhambra City Staff, Raise for City Manager

“Council Takes Strong Action to Slash Costs” (The Times, Jan. 16) was timely, but pointed out a singularly aggravating situation that happens more frequently in our political climate.

Alhambra is planning to deny cost-of-living raises to 55 managers and possibly deny raises to 420 full-time employees.

Reading further, it became quite clear that Kevin Murphy, the city manager, asked for and was granted a 15% raise that boosted his income to $100,000 a year only four months ago.

The audacity to defend this raise in light of the supposed slash in costs, and the pomposity to compare himself to Lee Iacocca, who is in large part responsible for the demise of the auto industry in the United States, is ludicrous if it weren’t so funny.

The Alhambra City Council should be brought to task to re-examine its obligations to this overcrowded city with better judgment, as it seems they are serving their own kind at the expense of the residents there.

TED PALMERI

San Gabriel