Comment Rescue: on the "tough" choices being made by our State government

I really need to showcase this response to my post about the bogus shared sacrifice idea behind Governor Jack Markell's across-the-board planned 10+% salary/benefits cuts for State employees:

Anonymous:

Sorry to post anon, but this one might bite me back unless I had plausible deniability.

As RAM was leaving, a vacant position in my agency, one that had been vacant for 1 1/2 years got filled by someone on Minner's staff. Let me reiterate. WE DID WITHOUT THIS POSITION FOR 1 1/2 YEARS. AND NOW WE FILL IT?

Luckily it is not a merit position, so it's possible that the position gets vacated anyhow.

But this is one of those 120k positions. I've been busting my butt getting by without getting needed equipment, but this person comes in and blows a 120k per year salary?

And you wonder why I'm annoyed at this 8% mess :)

These stories are starting to come out of the woodwork all over Delaware.

See, here's the problem: when everybody is getting by, and the State tosses you the occasional bone of a 2 or 3% raise, people will grouse around the water cooler or at the bar about the non-essential senior administrator with the $120k salary. It's just one of those things.

But when, to save that administrator's job, your salary and benefits get cut to the point where you might not be able meet the mortgage payment....

Then it starts to get serious.