Ireland shows the way

It’s no secret that government and public employees make substantially more money than most of us in the private sector. When times get tough, private sector employers must make difficult choices to stay in business, such as laying people off, reducing salaries or even discharging people. When the government runs a deficit, why should public employees receive bigger salaries, much better benefits and guaranteed job protection?

Ireland has shown us a way to help reduce our huge government deficits. When running a deficit, the Irish government mandates these reductions in public salaries other than the military: Salary up to $40,000 – 5 percent reduction. Next $54,000 – 7.5 percent reduction. Next $74,000 – 10 percent reduction. This totals $168,000.

All salaries above this amount are subject to 15 percent reduction.

Since Congress has caved in to public employee union pressure not to tax their huge health care benefit, the least these people could do is share the pain with the rest of us by having their salaries reduced when we suffer deficits. This program works equally well at all levels of government, including our legislative and executive branches.

Hal R. Dixon

Spokane