COUNTY: Beware slippery slope

I have heard this story before. In California to be exact. The problem is as experience has taught me once you open the dam, it is impossible to close it. Californians were told the same thing about all public employees, and they agreed to the premise, and we all know what has happened and continues to happen there.

What the good sheriff leaves out is it is not just wages that affect this equation, because wages affect other costs such as retirement. As wages go up so too does retirement cost. Now multiplying that by all public employees, because of course they all will want theirs, $10 million will only be the start of the bleeding of the taxpayers. I have questions like why are we not recruiting reserve deputies? This is a cost-saving solution we never hear about; it is always give us more money — we need more of your money.

My son is a deputy sheriff and did not go into it for the money. He knew the pay and went in with his eyes open. If deputies are only thinking of the money maybe a different line of work for them is the solution. Now back to retirement cost; they last much longer than you think and can be a large detriment to a budget.

Well that’s about it except to say once we fall down this slippery slope it is very hard to regain our footing and this can lead to many, many problems that are very tough to solve. I have the greatest respect for law enforcement and the difficult job they have. We must however be cautious of starting down this road.

JOHN HUIZINGA

Hayden