Letter: Go ahead and let state workers resign

Open letter to Governor Kenny Guinn:

I think it is terrible the way you force workers to stay working for the state at their low pay with useless benefits. Why don't you let them leave and return to the wonderful jobs they gave up to work for the state? Give each underpaid employee a simple "Permission to Resign Form" and let them go.

I demand to know just how bad they are paid, and I want to see a summary of rates paid for their clerical jobs. I understand that the state recently hired an auto mechanic for $50,000 a year, so his family is probably starving. I agree with them; their benefits, like retirements, should be like those of us who were formerly employed by private industry. In my case, I was a program staff specialist (BS and MBA) working in this country's classified space defense programs.

As a professional, I never received a cost of living increase, I never had the protection of a state union, and every raise was in competition with the others with comparable responsibilities. When I retired after 28 years, I received 27 percent of my salary, fixed for life. I believe the state employees deserve to receive the same.

They left their jobs as waitresses, clerks, etc. looking for improved income and the security of a labor (... by any other name is still a ...) union. Now, they should be entitled to the actual comparable wage of non-public area workers.

Whoops! I just noticed; their retirement rate is twice as high as mine, is not fixed for life, can retire before 55 and probably a great deal better than they would be getting anywhere else.

Please ignore this letter, Governor Guinn.

MEL E. DENNEY

Dayton