Take some off the top, too

With all the layoffs and salary cuts for public employees, it isn’t surprising that the people at the top aren’t sharing the responsibility. How do the six-figure folks get away with no cuts? Do we worship the elites that much?

There are about 150 people in local government, not counting state employees, with $100,000-plus incomes. What about a haircut for them? Under the present dire circumstances, they should at least be conscience-stricken and turn back some of their salaries so more of their underlings could have jobs. The mayor does that and sets a good example. Where is the spirit of sacrifice for co-workers?

Most of the people that have been laid off have been at or near the bottom of the salary schedules. Meanwhile, the administrators are banking their fat paychecks and the top dogs are hiring more at top salaries. Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14 percent to 19 percent of civil servants during the recession’s first 18 months. I shudder to think what is happening at our state level when a provost at the University of Washington is making $500,000 a year. Outrageous! Is there no public or private economic justice?

Bart Haggin

Spokane