Dear Source:
There was uproar in the community over the 24th Legislature action of passing a bill increasing the compensation for members of the executive and legislative branches of government, particularly during this period of economic crisis in our community and our nation as a whole. It is not only the act of passing the bill increasing salaries but the executive order granting increases and the amount of those increases. Many persons consider that act alone to be very obscene.
I believe that these politicians suffer from some kind of a complex. Since I, as a layperson and not a specialist in the behavioral sciences, will venture to describe my analysis of their behavior. I have written previously on the topic of lack of humility in these elected representatives. I understand in every society or group there will be a mix of varying personalities. However, what concerns me most is the percentage of what I will describe as negative behavior and/or attitude assumed by these politicians. They reveal changes in attitude after being elected. Changes from being attentive, sympathetic and even loving individuals to be very conceited, aloof and most times even arrogant. They avoid many constituents and situations that may fall within their purview when they are sought out. These are the features of these politicians that claim they deserve more compensation for the work they are doing and not what they are statutorily required to do. These observations and others are what make the argument for the salary increase even more ironic.
The real subject of this article is to suggest ways of reducing the cost of our government and to make it more efficient. First I believe we, as citizens, are to promote the reinstitution of the government personnel merit system, which we allowed the various unions to decimate. We can adopt the federal government merit system that has grades for each job and promotion done on a competitive basis. That alone will put a check on the spiraling cost of personnel, the largest expenditure in the government budget. Unions should not dictate to the sovereign government how to administer the government nor the salaries of public servants, which is the job of elected and appointed officials. Unions of civil servants are solely to protect the rights of their members by promoting their welfare as regard to working conditions and fairness in the management of personnel. Another item that is very costly in the budget is the government fleet of vehicles. The cost and maintenance of the fleet is really exorbitant and defective. To reduce the cost of the fleet we could facilitate the purchase of non-specialized vehicles by those civil servants whose job assignment requires the use of a vehicle. In addition to facilitating the personal purchase of their private vehicles allowances could be made for a tax deduction and/or reimbursement of expenses incurred while using their vehicle for government service.
Consideration for the use of personal vehicle for government service could include exemption from road tax and the guarantee of the loan to purchase the vehicle. The government could then have a well run motor pool for back up. This option would reduce the need to be monitoring so many government vehicles.
Concerning salary increases for elected representatives and cabinet members in the executive branch this should be done by way of a binding referendum.
The people elect them and should also decide on their compensation. The Citizens Coalition for Better Government will be circulating a petition to address salary increases for elected representatives; we hope the citizens who are displeased over the current state of affairs will support the initiative.
J.J. Estemac
St. Thomas
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