The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Your View

June 25, 2011

Your View: Public pay appears to be fine for GOP legislators

Nancy M. Fitzsimons, North Mankato

Republicans owe it to the residents of Minnesota to move beyond the rhetoric of “essential” and “non-essential” government services and employees and get down to specifics. I, and other public sector employees, have a right to know who (according to Trocke June 9 Free Press letter) is “providing very little benefits.”

“Benefit” is in the eye of the beholder. Do Republicans only see “value” in government services when they need the service? Or see “value” in public sector employees when they are the employee? Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, must think he is of great value as he has no qualms in taking the maximum amount of per diem. After all, he is “doing the work of the people.”

Republican senators advocate cutting the salary and benefits of public sector employees, yet Parry suggests that the salary of legislators should “match the needs of the person coming up here. You can get too low (and) people can’t afford to come up here unless they have deep pockets.” Does the same not apply to the salary and benefits for public university faculty such as me and other public employees?

If compensation is not competitive, the state will not be able to attract and retain high quality faculty and other public servants. Does this resonate with Republican legislators? They seem most concerned about the wealthiest Minnesotans, with a myopic focus on the needs of the private, for-profit sector. This should come as no surprise.

Using state legislators’ public profiles on the legislative website, roughly 43 percent of senators and 53 percent of representatives are self-employed/business owners/consultants, with an overwhelming majority working in the private for-profit sector. Conflict of interest? You be the judge.



 

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