Just read the article about how the government employees at the airport decided they were tired of a local cab company, so they no longer allow that cab to deliver passengers to the airport (“Taxi company sues county,” April 8).
Outdoor cigarette smoke, “unruly gatherings,” sand from sand dunes, farmers plowing “incorrectly.” Give me a break.
When did our whole lives become entangled with the wishes and whims of people who are supposed to work for us? Twenty-one percent of the people in this county work for one government agency or another. Why do we have so many government employees that they have time for such nonsense? And how much are we paying them to interfere in every little thing and then charge us for the “service”? Far more than most of us earn, and that’s the truth.
Suddenly, it occurred to me: What if government employees could earn no more than the average income in the area? Average income for working folks in SLO county last year: $35,000. Why in the world should government employees earn more money than the people who are paying their salaries? All the government employees would quit? Somehow I think we could fill the jobs that are actually useful.
This article appears in Apr 15-22, 2010.