Re: Political raises should have more oversight, (Letters, Sept. 14)
I agree with Elaine Sheridan’s sentiments but would like to make one suggestion.
She quotes Christy Clark as saying, “I am not going back to taxpayers for more money in order to give government workers a raise.” I think the term government workers is too all encompassing.
A government worker is anyone who receives pay for providing a service to government.
This includes bureaucrats and middle management, but when deciding on whose job should be cut or where wages are to be rolled back, these people are overlooked or not considered to fit into the category of a government worker.
We do not include these people when we consider cutbacks and wage rollbacks. When addressing issues concerning government workers and pay for service we need to differentiate between these two parties.
Government should be willing to pay workers at the lower end of the pay spectrum a reasonable wage so they can support themselves and not become reliant on food banks or other social services.
The money needed to do this would be obtained from cutbacks and wage rollbacks in the areas of middle management. It would not be necessary to go back to taxpayers and ask for more money.
Jim Bates
Saanich