High Salaries for County Workers

* Re “County’s $100,000 Salary Circle,” Dec. 22: I’m really tired of hearing county officials recite the never-ending statement, “Public workers are paid less than they would earn in the private sector,” as justification of salary levels. You aren’t in the private sector. Your “customers” don’t have a choice in purchasing your “product.” You aren’t subject to the same competition as the private sector, by virtue of your monopoly.

Your compensation and job itself aren’t subject to overnight changes/elimination as in the private sector. Your medical benefits probably haven’t been cut lately, or forced you into an HMO involuntarily. If you were in the private sector, a salary of $50,000 a year or more would probably mean you were exempt and thus ineligible for overtime pay. Your vacation time would have to be used, not paid out. (Thus, you wouldn’t get what is in effect a raise in both your annual pay and retirement pay.)

Your only retirement benefit would probably be a contribution of 3%-5% of your annual salary, plus whatever you paid in yourself, compared to the defined type of benefit you’re now receiving. Also your fringe benefits wouldn’t be counted in computing that retirement benefit.

Don’t compare yourself to the private sector unless you’re prepared to be subject to the same bottom-line reporting to your “owners,” and be subject to the same immediate downsizing those of us in the private sector endure. If you don’t endure the same risk as the public sector, neither should you obtain the same reward.

STEVEN J. COKER

Los Angeles

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I disagree with your editorial “County Salary Reform: Better Late Than Never,” Dec. 26. Now is the time to draw the really qualified to government service.

I would rather have the captains of industry working for the government than for corporations that often take advantage of local governments. County government is a multibillion dollar enterprise, not a mom and pop business. Seek the lowest bid and the lowest paid employees and you will get rejects from the private sector.

MAURICE SPARKS

Los Angeles

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* High salaries for many city and county officials are sickening. Few of them could make it in private industry.

Workers in private industry have not had the raises given to government workers. In addition, only private-sector people can be laid off because of floundering businesses. The private sector does not get cost-of-living increases automatically.

ALFRED STANTON

Arcadia

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* While it may be true that some of these officials are paid less than they would receive in the private sector, whatever happened to the notion of public service? No wonder so many of us have become cynical about politics in general and have lost trust in politicians in particular.

PAT REIF

Claremont

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There is nothing wrong with paying county administrators wages comparable to those in the private sector. The problem comes from comparing hypothetical jobs rather than actual skills.

The top 20% of the county administrators should be required to shop their skills to private employers. After they have received one or more written employment offers, they could, if they chose, return to the county and have their salaries adjusted accordingly. This way there would be no question the county was paying competitive wages.

The only problem is that the top 20% might find themselves making less money than their subordinates. In that case, the next 20% would have to shop their skills. I suspect that within a year the county’s finances would dramatically improve.

DAVID L. HAGAN

Paso Robles