The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Opinion

October 29, 2009

Tough times require public employees to tighten belts

When the proposed Farrell budget was announced this week, it contained no pay increases for any city workers. It is a policy that every public entity should strive to imitate.

Rather than lay off employees to meet next year’s tight budget, the Farrell city administration is asking that employees cooperate with the no-raise plan. It is a request they should be willing to accept.

As the Mercer County area goes through the worst economic downturn in several decades, it is more important than ever for people who are on the taxpayers’ dole to give back to their communities.

Many of the people whose taxes pay those salaries for municipal, school and county employees are hurting. Their own personal budgets are strained to the limit. Some have lost jobs, while others have seen their wages reduced during the past year by short “voluntary layoffs.” Even most county employees experienced the latter.

At a time when unemployment in Mercer County is high — 12.8 percent in August, the highest in the region — public employees are being called upon to help. That’s certainly not an unreasonable request.

During the past year there has been next to no inflation to increase the cost of living. So if ever there was a time that people could survive without raises, this would be it.

Take a look at Sharon where unemployment was at 13.5 percent, the second-highest amongst municipalities in the state, and taxes as well as sewer rates are extremely high. Yet they continue to fund one of the few full-time fire departments in the commonwealth.

The city probably belongs in Act 47 “distressed community” status along with Farrell and Greenville. And some other area municipalities aren’t far behind when it comes to strained budgets.

Then there are the school districts, the biggest expense for every taxpayer. Even when other people in private businesses were taking cutbacks on wages and benefits, teachers were continuing to get 3 or 4 percent raises, maybe more, every year. It’s time for school employees as well to help out their communities by accepting a wage freeze for one year on any already agreed upon contract. School boards should extend the raises in contracts a year for any local teachers union agreeing on the one-year freeze.

These are serious times and they call for serious action. People in public jobs need to realize that they have a responsibility to the taxpayers who subsidize their lives. While some workers may be reluctant to accept a freeze, we would think that most public workers can feel the pain of the county taxpayers.

For one year, they can help lift the burden on the taxpayers as well as help preserve their own jobs or those of their co-workers. It would be greatly appreciated by everyone.

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