August 30, 2000
Public Service - Just why should I bother?
by mike <mike@pfft.net>
Teachers, garbage collectors, paramedics, firefighters, police officers, road construction crews, postal workers... the list goes on and on.
What could these groups possibly have in common? I'll tell you: they're all treated the same way you are by United Airlines - they're getting shafted. Big time.
Can you explain to me why a 911 dispatcher, working all sorts of wacky hours (11pm-7am, for example), should be paid only $32,000 a year when some jagoff anti-social computer nerd gets paid $60/hr ($128,000 a year) working normal hours and drooling over pictures of "boobies" and "hoo-hoos" half the time? I sure can't.
Or in the case of police officers, paramedics and firefighters, we are the people who answer your desperate calls for help at all hours of the morning and help you through some of your most difficult moments. Plus, think about all the medical liability us medics open ourselves up to just to help you out. Despite all this, we're paid no more than $40,000 a year.
Road construction crews? HAH. Don't get me started. Not only are they out in the extreme climates for long hours, but they're badgered and blamed for delays. They're hit by passing cars that don't even stop because the driver has to get home in time for "Matlock" or "Survivor" (depending on age group).
Perhaps the most boned of all are the teachers of this grand country, who sport salaries less than the amount of sales tax on Steve Jobs' new car. This is wrong! Teachers should be paid more than anyone else! Without these dedicated individuals, where would we even GET police officers, horny net geeks (HNG's), paramedics, garbage men, firefighters or more teachers?
Perhaps we should start trimming the fat a little bit. Bill Gates has too much money. His network is so big, that if he doubled it in size, it wouldn't even matter. That is unnecessary. Microsoft doesn't need to provide TV, internet service, software AND operating systems. Pick a god damn product and stick with it. If you pick the Twinkies of information technology, you'll be around forever. If you pick the Shasta Soda of information technology though, well, it was fun. See you later.
So what's the solution to all of this? We won't be able to pay the public servants of this country more than we do now for two reasons: the insecure, selfish rich bastards won't let it happen, and we don't have the extra money to do it. So what about huge tax breaks? Instead of selfishly stealing - yes, stealing - 40-45% of their (THEIRS, not the government's) hard-earned dollars, drop that number to 10-15% once they've worked in the field for 3 years. That would not only make them happier, but it would draw more people to these desperately needed professions AND retain those we have for longer.
PFFT! "Garbage Guy" isn't a very exciting job. It has few actual 'perks.' Let's at least give them something to smile about as they take away my future children's soiled diapers.
Of course, we could always do what we usually do: ignore my ranting web page and find something else to do. www.britneyspearsnude.com sounds pretty good about now.
Published: August 30, 2000
Editor: stacy