After a year and a half of president Trump as our president our country has experienced trillions of dollars gain in our stock market, and your 401K, retirement or IRS accounts. Our military is again gaining back the strength it lost during the President Obama years. Employment and wages are on the increase.
Yet we see those who can’t get over their loss in the 2016 election continue to resist. Yes they have a right to free speech. However, I believe they are beginning to cross that thin-line of civility.
In Pacific County we are about to vote on new leaders at many levels in government. I’m becoming increasingly concerned about our state, county, cities, and public elected districts who are committing us to excessive liabilities with their unabated authority to increase the wages/benefits of their employees.
Nationwide, this is already a huge problem, with trillions of dollars debt that is underfunded. In Illinois, their solution is to pass that on to the property owners as a property tax. In Washington state, our legislators are just hiding the debt. Legislators vote to increase wages and benefits for votes, and we pick-up the tab.
Look at our local PUD No. 2 and our Willapa Hospital District. Their wages and benefits are many times more than the average citizen wages they serve. Example: Willapa Hospital District, five managers’ (2016) yearly compensation $255,804-$181,838. This is for 9,000 people in this very small district. Wonder why your hospital bill is so high? The PUD No. 2 compensation is also out of touch to the people who own the PUD, because of the past commissioners who just didn’t do their job. This is being rectified, but election of a new PUD commissioner is critical this November.
The primary election in September is critical to keep our electric power rates under control. Looking at the three candidates, I would recommend Don Pape as a very experienced manager in the field and one who is dedicated to the customer.
It seems that each week the papers have a story about local government elected officials wanting to increase our rates or taxes. There is never an alternative discussed. Why? Well if you examine their background, most if not all have no business ownership experience. The value of having a number of commissioners/council members is to take in experience from many sectors. We in Pacific County are over-loaded with government background elected officials. They don’t see any other option except to raise taxes. Consider balancing the various elected groups.
Ron Craig
South Bend
